HISTORY was made in early June when two of Dressage Ireland’s List 2 judges, Dermot Cannon and Vida Tansey, upgraded to List 1 on the Dressage Ireland Official Judges List, Grand Prix, the highest national level.

This success was the culmination of a two-year intensive England-based education and upgrading programme organised by Dressage Ireland’s Judges Committee. The training programme was self-funded by the candidate judges.

The examination and promotion to List 1 was a first for Dressage Ireland as the three judges already at that grade – Gisela Holstein, Alison Mastin-Moore and Dane Rawlins – achieved their qualification through other National Federations.

Candidates for List 1, as well as those upgrading to List 2 (eligible to judge up to Prix St Georges level), travelled to Premier League dressage shows in Britain to ‘practice judge’ at Prix St Georges and Grand Prix levels. They had to attend a minimum of four shows and the majority went to more. These shows run over three or four days with very well-filled top-level classes every day, some with entries up to 40.

In addition to practice judging, the candidates also availed of training sessions overseen by FEI judges who interacted via electronic communication, providing instant expert guidance and advice.

The examinations for both List 1 and 2 were held at the Wellington Premier League show in Hampshire (June 8th to 11th) with two candidates, Joan Ahern and Vanda Robinson, successfully upgrading to List 2.

“Upgrading to List 1 was very important for dressage in Ireland,” commented Dermot Cannon. “It means we won’t have to bring in so many judges from England, we can help the lower listed judges and, now that we have a pathway for training in place, we can apply for funding as it’s a very expensive process.

“As more and more riders and horses here are receiving top-class training, this needs to be recognised by judges who have been trained to do so.

“Also, it will help the increasing number of Irish riders competing in England if they know that there will be comparable judging between the two countries.

TOUGH TRAINING

“The training was tough but also very enjoyable. It was great to see so many top-quality horses and riders at so many shows but the highlight was definitely being at the British Olympic team trials.”

Disappointingly, not all candidates achieved their goal and those who didn’t now have to consider their next move.

They have all received a detailed report which analyses every aspect of their examination, much centering on the candidates’ marks and remarks in relation to those of the master judge, the relevance of their marks to remarks and knowledge of the rules.