freestyle connection Choreography Familiarize yourself with the USDF freestyle score sheets (online at usdf. org) before you design your freestyle. The score sheets contain important information, such as lists of the compulsory elements for each level. Pay close attention to which movements and transitions are allowed for your level. In general, you cannot include movements and transitions from a higher level unless they are listed in the “additionally allowed” section at the bottom of the test sheet. The judge will deduct four points from your technical score for each movement in your freestyle that is forbidden (over the level). Good freestyle choreography is clear, well planned, and well executed. The judge should never have to guess at what you’re trying to do. Your “floor plan” should be balanced—making good use of the entire arena from front to back and from side to side. It has some patterns and lines that are visually interesting because they do not mimic exactly those found in the regular dressage tests. Clever choreography highlights a horse’s strengths and helps to minimize any weaknesses. It contains enough variety
Do It Yourself?
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fter you determine the appropriate freestyle level to show and have earned the required prerequisite score, you’ll have another decision to make: whether to create the soundtrack and choreography yourself, or to hire a professional freestyle designer. The route you choose will depend largely on how musical you are, how computer-savvy you are, how much time you have to devote to the project, and your budget. If you decide to hire a pro to help with all or part of the process, there are many options and price ranges. Start your search online, or ask friends who compete in freestyle for recommendations.
that the pattern doesn’t seem to be an excessive repetition of one movement. In all freestyles, the rider must show at least 20 meters of continuous walk (free, medium, collected, or extended, depending on the level). A great deal more walk than is required is not advisable, however, because it is visually uninteresting. Be careful about including walk pirouettes, turns on the haunches, or turns on the forehand because these are generally not judged movements (except for the FEI Junior Freestyle, which must include one walk pirouette). Most freestyle competitors know that the entry and final halts and salutes must be done facing the judge at C, but many seem not to realize that the halts do not have to be at X or even on the center line. To be eligible to enter a freestyle class, you must have earned a score of 60 percent or better at the highest test of the level that you wish to show. The USDF Freestyle Committee recommends riding your freestyle at a level below your current competition level. The appearance of harmony between horse and rider is very important in freestyle, and proficiency at the level will enhance that harmony. In addition, you’ll be able to increase the difficulty of the choreography—and degree of difficulty is another artistic-impression score. Increasing the degree of difficulty means taking well-calculated risks— not by doing movements or transitions that are above the level, but by increasing the difficulty of permitted elements. You could ride a leg-yield or a half-pass at a steeper-than-normal angle, say, or perform a combination of movements that is more challenging than the standard test patterns. Know your horse’s strengths and weaknesses, and don’t overface him. Try to show off what he can do well. Keep in mind that difficult movements done poorly could bring down your difficulty score. Particularly at the lower levels, keep your freestyle short and to the point. There are maximum times allowed, with penalties if you exceed the time limit— but there is no minimum time! An overly long freestyle, with repetitions of several
22 June 2017 • USDF CONNECTION
editorial@usdf.org
required movements, is a bore to watch and a chore for the judge to score.
Preparation Is Everything Riding and developing a musical freestyle is a lot of fun, and although it can be challenging, it is well worth the time and effort. Judges will appreci-
From the Horse’s Mouth
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hat do the experts want to see in a lowerlevel freestyle? We polled six members of the USDF Freestyle Committee. Sarah Geikie, judge: Correct technical execution with music that matches and fits the horse’s paces. Terry Ciotti Gallo, freestyle designer: If the ride is not harmonious, I don’t enjoy the artistic presentation as much. Jeanne McDonald, judge: I want to smile and feel as if I’m dancing along with the horse and rider. The degree of difficulty is a very minor factor in these tests. Riders should not be desperately searching for every possible degree of difficulty, especially if it sacrifices fluid harmony and musical interpretation. Joan Darnell, judge: Logical and interesting choreography that the horse can easily manage with music that shows good phrasing and use of dynamics. Natalie Lamping, judge: Clear, recognizable lines. Not too many unnecessary circles. Pleasant music that fits the horse and movements. Anne Howard, judge: Use of musical phrasing so that there is more than the “background music effect.” Clear patterns with logic and creativity. Secure technical efforts.