Dressage scores?

[CMR]

Sometime this year I am going to show Dressage. I bought my horse in February, he's around six years old, and really doesn't have any education at all, especially not Dressage. I think we would be doing Training level. Just wondering what the average scores are for the first show?

[kedwards]

It doesn't help any to think about "averages." You may be able to get a sense of how scores might generally run at your level in your show circuit area in question by looking at online results posted from previous competitions.

For a first dressage show, plan your own goals regarding you and the horse's performance, rather than numeric goals. After you've been to a few, you can start to get an idea about where you might be able to best improve your scores and can think about specific "score" goals.

[SailleCinza]

I agree with Kedwards about setting goals for you and your horse: at the first show focus on relaxation. No matter how excellent your horse can go at home, if you get there tense and your nervous horse is stiff and unfocused, the WORST thing you can do is to overfocus on perfection and achieving the level work you did at home. Everything will fall apart. Your horse already knows how to do that stuff, he's not going to forget... he just seems like he has because he's so tense! Hack around on a long rein until he relaxes, that's most important for a first show. Have FUN.
Keeping that in mind, aim for a score in the 60s, but don't be discouraged if its lower at your first show because you've got all those extra elements of tension and distraction. And at training level, as you know, they're looking for rhythmic, loose, and accurate. DONT sacrifice any of those things to attempt to get your horse onto the contact/obedient, and you'll have an excellent show. Save all your score sheets!

Another note: If your horse is pretty green, it would be less stressful to do your first show at Intro level. (I assume you're from the States, because I don't think Britain has training level? I could be wrong) Anyways a walk/trot test might be a more reasonable goal for this year if your horse is green to dressage right now.