USEF Medal Finals

[Loverboy]

@supershorty628

I think the judges may not have had the best angle - I thought I saw Sam step off the first counter lead and then immediately back onto it so it would have been easy to miss - that is why I had him further down.

Agreed!

The commentators mentioned several times that the viewing angle mattered greatly on this course. Several times they made mention that they had seen a line being ridden from another angle the day before and they noticed very different things.

[Darkwave]

[quote="“To the MAX,post:119,topic:472551”]

@Darkwave

Fair, and I didn’t ever do any Big Eq so I’ll defer to those with more experience. But, the way the rule reads is this … “Ride without stirrups, riders must be allowed option to cross stirrups.”

To me, that doesn’t mean it has to specifically be announced that they have an option to cross them, it just means that no one can be penalized for doing so. I would assume that if you’re riding at that level, you would know the rules pretty well and make the right choice for your situation. Just like when they don’t specify what type of simple lead change, it’s understood that you can either change through the walk or trot, and you choose the best option for you/your horse/the test in question.

And to be fair in turn, I was showing in this stuff in the late 80s/early 90s (which is why I always date myself by calling it “Medal/Maclay” instead of BigEq ).

I think they have changed the wording of the rule some in the intervening 30 (sigh) years. I’m pretty sure that the language about being allowed the option to cross them was not in the rule back then. Even so, I have to admit that if I knew the language was in the rule allowing me to cross them, but it wasn’t announced, I’d still leave them uncrossed to be supersafe. I also regularly schooled with them crossed, hanging, or removed equally, so which one I went with in the ring made no difference to me back then.

(I also see that they removed the test about walking a jump. Which is too bad - I liked that one).

[Jumphigh83]

Isn’t the not giving the option of crossing irons against the Federation rules? 113/8?

[Renn_aissance]

Given the wording of Test 8 my interpretation is that crossing is allowed whether or not it was verbally specified and riders had the option but didn’t take it.

I think my horse finds it much more distracting to jump around with stirrups banging on his shoulder than swinging underneath my leg. If my leg is properly in position the leather is underneath of it and the stirrup isn’t moving around much at all. So I’ve never preferred to cross the irons.

[Loverboy]

@Renn/aissance

I think my horse finds it much more distracting to jump around with stirrups banging on his shoulder than swinging underneath my leg. If my leg is properly in position the leather is underneath of it and the stirrup isn’t moving around much at all. So I’ve never preferred to cross the irons.

TBH you could hardly tell they dropped irons! No banging whatsoever.

[mroades]

[quote="“supershorty628,post:108,topic:472551”]

@mroades

Um, okay? Not sure if you’re being snarky or if I’m reading too much into your words. Either way, I was brought up in the school of “always cross your irons,” which these riders weren’t given the option to do (wasn’t there a rule at some point where they had to be given the option?). I thought they rode great. Doesn’t mean that I can’t have the opinion that the test wasn’t my favorite.

No snark intended. I tend to leave out words that would make that clear, sorry!

[blondewithchrome]

@Renn/aissance

Given the wording of Test 8 my interpretation is that crossing is allowed whether or not it was verbally specified and riders had the option but didn’t take it.

I think my horse finds it much more distracting to jump around with stirrups banging on his shoulder than swinging underneath my leg. If my leg is properly in position the leather is underneath of it and the stirrup isn’t moving around much at all. So I’ve never preferred to cross the irons.

Totally agree. I have also been brought up that even the most quiet amazing animals can spook and take off. I’d much rather have my irons hanging and get them back if a car backfires or a loose horse comes galloping past my ring. That could happen at the highest levels of competition!

[skydy]

Does anyone know the latest promo code for USEF fan membership? Mine has expired.
I’d like to watch the kids ride but I can’t justify the $25 under the current circumstances.

[Jo]

@skydy

Does anyone know the latest promo code for USEF fan membership? Mine has expired.
I’d like to watch the kids ride but I can’t justify the $25 under the current circumstances.

When I went to re-register, I used a new E-mail and it gave me the code of tryon or tryon20 (I can’t remember which).

[skydy]

Thank you very much @Jo.