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8 February 2009 The protocol day was a great success with 47 tests ridden from Walk-Trot to Medium. In most cases, the rider attempted the test and then received immediate feedback from the judge on how to improve the result and maximise the marks. The test was then reridden and either comments called by the judge throughout the test or a second set of scores given. If all went to plan, then the second attempt scored better. For a number of riders the day provided the opportunity to give young horses their first experience of a dressage arena in a stress free atmosphere. For others it was an opportunity to ride the tests to be ridden the following week at the Bellingen Riding Club T-shirt dressage day. Judges Sue Burke, Hellen Campbell and Erica Henderson were all very enthusiastic and keen to assist riders get the most out of the experience. For those riders that rode more than one test, the day provided the opportunity to get advice from two experienced judges. All the judges are current, active riders who have ridden beyond the levels they judged and with a high degree of ringcraft. Both Sue and Hellen also managed to squeeze in a test or two themselves.  The club would also like to thank all those who pencilled on the day thereby providing valuable feedback for the riders to take away to refresh their memory of the constructive comments provided. It was heartening to see a number of people pencilling for the first time, taking this low pressure event as an opportunity to both learn how to pencil and pick up some tips for riding tests at the same time. A number of others also sat in on some tests, again to benefit from the tips on offer. Click here to check out the gallery
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