Spring Ratings

The deadline for Rating is the day prior to Opening Day which will be around the 1st of April. Therefore, I am looking at the weekend of March 28 or 29th for any ratings. I will need to know by March 17th if you would like to rate.

At the Midsouth Annual Meeting in November, we as DC’s were given some guidelines to use in considering if a member and their horse are ready to rate up and participate in Rally at that NEW rating.

The first guideline was to request a successful show completion for horse and rider combination at the rating’s height requirement. Therefore, if you wanted to rate to a D2 and do the D2 Eventing Rally – you should have successfully completed a Mini Trial with all three phases at 2’ to 2’3. These are usually called Starter or Baby Novice. If you wanted to be a D3 and do the D3 Eventing Rally – you should have successfully completed a Beginner Novice Event (recognized. or not) which is 2’6 prior to requesting a rating.

What Midsouth was finding is that many members are rating up in April, having never done an event at the new height with coaches and parents support and are attempting to do it for the first time without their normal coach and it is not working. They would prefer that up-rating be done in the FALL after a successful show season at that height. I for one like to hold the ratings after Quiz, which is Spring but do see the benefit of past show experience before a rating. Therefore, I think it makes sense for you to have competed in and finished a show at Rally height before I sign the DC form that you and your horse are safe and ready for that Rally.

The Midsouth Board also highly recommends the use of Flowcharts in support of Ratings. I attended a workshop breakout on that topic at the Annual Meeting as well. So I would like for our club members to complete the flowcharts to be considered for a Rating Date.

The Standards are new for 2009. There have been some changes made to the D3, C1 and C2 areas. What USPC was finding is the clubs are not holding to the standards and when a member arrived for a Regional C3 rating they were not prepared, due to a weakened C1 or C2 test. So now, they have set specifics on what must be jumped – C’s actually have a certain grid to jump. D3’s have a set number of fences at max height XC and stadium that must be jumped.

So while I want to encourage rating up, I want you to carefully consider what Rally you would like too attend and if your are ready for that requirement at Testing Date (March 28-29). Not that you will rate-up and hope to ready for the Rally requirement in June. You can never know how you and your horse will progress, if the weather will cooperate for you to get those XC schoolings in, etc. and once you have rated up – there is no going back and competing at a lower rating allowed. Of course, all teams need a Stable Manager at their rating so that is always an option.

Gracie, Grant, Marybeth, and Holly all must be rated to at least a D1 in order to do a Rally in June

Rally Requirements

Standard Eventing Rally
D1 Rally – must ride a W/T dressage test and jump 1ft
D2 Rally - must ride WTC dressage test and jump 2 ft XC and stadium
D3 Rally – must ride WTC dressage test and jump 2ft 6 XC and stadium
C1 Rally – must ride WTC dressage test and jump 2’7 XC and stadium or higher

Show Jumping Rally heights:
Horse – the minimum heights are 2’-2’6
large ponies – the minimum height are 2’-2’6
small ponies – the minimum heights are 2’-2’3

Dressage Rally
D1 – ride Intro A and Intro B (both W/T)
D2 – ride Intro B and Training 1 (one W/T one WTC)
D3 – ride Training 1 and Training 2 (both WTC)

Record Books: remember candidates for D3 and up must be keeping accurate and detailed horse records. D3’s must have 3 months worth of records. So for this March Rating – you should have records starting January 1, 2009.

So if you want to rate up and have not had a completed show at the required height - Covered Bridge Pony Club is having a Combined Test on March 15th . Closing date for this show is fast approaching on March 3rd. While it will not have the required XC phase, it would be a starting point for consideration for rating up. If you have never “completed” (finished) a show with XC at rally height I would also like to see you perhaps do the Mini Trial at Flying Cross May 10th. It will be after the rating deadline but would be a good chance to see you fulfill the XC and stadium heights before I have to sign off on your Rally Entry form that you are safe and well prepared to compete in this Rally.

So if you would like to rate up and meet the Standards and Guidelines, please let me know so I can start locating a testing site (it must have 4-5 2’’6’ simple XC fences for the D'3), a tester – who is not anyone’s normal instructor and a date which hopefully will have good weather!! Once you have let me know that you are interested – I will send you the Ratings form, new Standards, new Test, new Flowcharts and a Study Guide to help you prepare.

Any questions please call 593-6245 or email me Allisondeaton@insightbb.com


Allison