Actually a rep who posted here already said that that was the case, and that the qualifying scores would continue to increase, AND that it would eventually affect all levels. 
The goal is that dressage just isn’t going to be a place where people can show at any level, and the requirements for moving up will be quite restrictive. The goal IS to get the lower scoring, AND ESPECIALLY, the average scoring, riders, OUT. I feel that has far more to do with this than with ‘abusive riding’.
I went thru the USDF yearbook edition last night and crossed off all the award winners that would not get awards if qualification was put into effect, simply based on the score their award was based on.
The list was astoundingly long. The most heavily affected were the vintage and all breed awards, where many awards come from sub-62% scores, but frankly, I was quite stunned at the results. It would completely change all the award programs.
The other thing I noticed was that ALREADY, at ALL levels, the people winning those awards (non vintage, non amateur, non all breed), are nearly all professionals. Nearly all were not the owners, and even many of the amateurs I felt were not your typical ‘grass roots’ amateurs at all.
[B][I]The other thing I noticed was that a great many riders that I know, I mean those who I know have been showing 3rd 4th and PSG-I1 for many many years(some for 12-15-20 years), got their bronze medals in 2007. Most of them haven’t shown training-1st-2nd in years except to briefly school youngsters they are bringing along…some of them aren’t shown at all til they’re ready for 3rd level (alot of people who already showed those levels and can’t afford to show all the lower AND upper levels, simply don’t show til they’re ready to come out at 3rd).
And surely, egon, I don’t know them all, but I know some of them, they are very nice riders but their scores are 60-62% range, really great is 63-64%, not always so 65-70-ish, and to be frank the list of bronze medals rewarded in 2007, I don’t think it has EVER been that long. And I don’t think that’s just from ‘growth in our sport’.
So it is already having an effect. [/I][/B]
My concern is that people here are acting very complacent, as if they HAVE stopped this, as if they CAN stop this thing, by protesting and questioning the grounds on which it is being done.
When it appears to be very obvious that a great many people are going out and getting ready for it, as if it is a done deal. And I think for better or worse, it IS a done deal. I think the committee members are just THRILLED about it and I think they think that everyone who is NOT thrilled with it are those who are disgruntled because it will prevent them from showing at 3rd and 4th level!
It would take many years for a new organization to get off the ground. I think it’s valid to discuss ‘what would you really do?’ Not show? Lease or borrow a horse to get the bronze on, work really hard ithe next two years to get your bronze and show your own horse…any other options?
I know a great many people aren’t aiming for 3rd or 4th level any time in the future and are very incensed about qualification, though in its present form it would not affect them…what are the rest of the people doing, those who are close to that and would be affected by the present proposed qualification?
Other than ‘not show’ nearly NONE of those options is going to make any professionals selling lessons and training…unhappy. All are money makers for them. They aren’t, by and large, going to fight qualification.
In some ways, the 1st, 2nd level students are often a trainer’s most solid bread and butter. They often get many more lessons and schooling at shows, they very often are working very intensely with an eye toward moving up, they VERY often see a need to buy a new horse (commissions) and in a way, they are the trainer’s ‘dream students’, much more so than the student with more modest goals - they areally, honestly are the big money makers, and since that is often where the most past training holes surface, they can need a LOT of expensive help, seek out clinics, etc. If large numbers of them see NO avenue othr than schooling shows as even a prayer of moving up, they may really ‘kick back’ on their expectations…and their spending…
Do you think to protect their customer base, that judges will simply start giving scores that are 5-7% higher, so the ‘close’ riders qualify and continue up the levels? We have already seen ‘score inflation’ once, will it simply compensate for qualification requirements?
