An Update From Edward Chitty - Could You Try Online Dressage?

Hi, Edward here,

I hope you are all well and coping ok with the coronavirus outbreak.

I thought I would let you know how it’s affecting the judges and coaches.

As all British Dressage events have been cancelled, all the judging dates I had booked up have been cancelled. However, I am lucky enough to be a judge for HayGrazer E-Riders (https://www.e-riders.co.uk/), which is an online dressage platform that allows people to compete from the luxury of their yard.

E-Riders offers something for everyone, from their own beginner level tests for those just starting out before Intro level, all the way up to PSG & Inter 1! Including fun classes, BE Tests, prix caprilli and prancing with poles classes, team tournaments, leagues and championships!

For only £10 a test, you receive your handwritten test sheet from our BD Listed Judges, rosettes and prizes in the post! Oh, and results day – well that’s just a whole new level of online fun! You are going to have to make sure you have your phone charger to hand on the 1st of the month from now on!

All you need to do is get someone to record you performing a dressage test from C (or set up a camcorder on a tripod... social distancing and all that!), upload the video online and wait for the results, test sheet and hopefully rosettes and prizes in the post. It’s becoming a very popular way of competing as it removes the hassle and stress but keeps the enjoyment. You have a month to record your test and can do it at any time of the day at your yard (just make sure the judge can see you!), results are posted on the Facebook page on the 1st of the month, and sheets get posted in the mail soon after.

This has allowed people to keep competing during lockdown as they just video their test and submit it so that the team of BD Listed Judges can judge it from home. This has been a busy month for them but with lots of classes and leagues available, there are always suitable options for anyone wanting to have a go. It’s a great way to keep up the competing while all standard competitions are closed.

I’ve been judging for HayGrazer E-riders for over a year and have really enjoyed it. It is wonderful to see some great combinations that you don’t get to see when judging “live”, as they may not have transport etc. I’ve judged a variety of classes, including some of the fun classes which are always great to judge as everyone is having a laugh.

I have made the personal decision to cancel all my teaching, due to the risk it poses, and the riding school I teach at on Sunday mornings has also decided to close. Lots of people I teach have decided to give their horse a holiday until it’s over.

On the other hand, I’m still busy with university; all the teaching and exams have now gone online. I have got 5 exams, meaning most of my lockdown period is now spent revising. The equestrian team at university, of which I am president, has had a lot of successes this year, with the 1st team (my team) winning all their competitions and qualifying for Regionals, and the second team also qualifying. We are hoping the Regionals will still go ahead at some point, although we are just pleased to have two teams qualify. All training has stopped in the meantime, allowing everyone to go home and focus on exam revision.

I hope everyone is keeping well and hopefully the lockdown period will be over soon so we can enjoy the summer with our horses.

Until next time,

Edward