Musical Freestyle Dressage

Requirements and Limitations

Technical Execution :

Certain compulsory movements must be incorporated into the freestyle program. These are listed on the score sheet under technical execution.

Of these, some must be demonstrated on both hands (in both directions). These are so indicated on the score sheet by a dotted line in the column labeled "Preliminary Notes." The divided space allows judges to score compulsory movements to the left and right.

Reins in One Hand: There should be no more than three occurrences. This rule can be found in the FEI "Annex VII Directives for Assessing the Degree of Difficulty in a Freestyle Test."

Artistic Impression:

A freestyle may include all elements and movements except dressage movements found only in tests above the level of the entered or declared.

Any figures, patterns, combination, o transitions composed of elements permitted in the declared level are permitted. There are no limitations on shape or combination of figures, even if the resulting configuration is found in higher levels.
Following is a list of dressage movements (and some combinations and transitions) specifically permitted and forbidden at each level. 

 

First Level :

Clearly Forbidden:

Rein back, shoulder-in, travers, renvers, half-pass, flying changes, turn on haunches, or canter or walk pirouette, passage and piaffe.

Clearly Allowed:

Counter-canter (any configuration), zigzag leg yield, leg yield along wall (like shoulder-in), lengthen trot or canter on 20-meter circle, canter serpentine, simple change, change of lead through trot, walk-canter-walk-canter, halt-canter-halt-canter.

Second Level :

Clearly Forbidden:

Half-pass, flying changes, canter pirouette, piaffe, passage.

Clearly Allowed:

Full and double turn on haunches, medium canter and trot on 20-meter circle, medium canter on diagonal, halt-canter-halt-canter.

Third Level :

Clearly Forbidden:

Tempi changes (4s, 3s, 2s, 1s), canter pirouette, piaffe, passage.

Clearly Allowed:

Everything that is not clearly forbidden, including: half-pass zigzag in trot, half-pass zigzag in canter with flying changes, full and double walk pirouettes.

Fourth Level :

Clearly Forbidden:

Full canter pirouette, tempi changes (2s and 1s), piaffe, passage.

Clearly Allowed:

Everything that is not clearly forbidden.

Score Sheets :

Competitors should obtain from USDF the score sheets for the level in which they plan to compete.

Scoring/Judging:

Two sets of marks are given - one for technical execution and one for artistic impression. Each set of marks is totaled separately, then the totals are added together and converted to the final percentage score. In the case of two or more judges, scores will be averaged and these averages will comprise the scores for technical execution and artistic impression.

Technical Execution:

Preliminary notes will be given for each execution, in each direction, of each of the compulsory movements. Preliminary notes for compulsory movements are averaged to provide the "judge;s mark." In the case of compulsory movements that must be shown on both hands, all of the scores in the right column box are added and averaged, and all the scores in the left column box are added and averaged. Those two scores are then averaged for the "judges's mark." The judge may make further adjustment to reflect his or her impression of the evenness and consistency of the execution on both hands.

If a required movement that need not be shown on both hands in not performed, it will receive a score of zero under "final score."

If a required movement that must be shown on both hands is not shown at all, it will receive a score of zero under "final score."

If a required movement that must be shown on both hands is shown on only one hand, it will receive a zero in one of the columns under "preliminary notes" (L or R as appropriate). The average score of those recorded in the other L or R column will be averaged and the average divided by two to determine the "judge's mark" for the movement.

In addition, omission of a required movement or direction may affect the artistic impression.

In scoring technical execution, "judge's marks" must be given in half-points or full points (no tenths).

Artistic Impression:

In scoring artistic impression, "judge's marks" must be given in half-points or full points (no tenths).

Movements "above the level" should not be rewarded in the artistic impression.

Non-Compulsory Movements :

Those movements not required on the score sheet and not found in higher-level tests may be rewarded or penalized under "choreography" and/or "degree of difficulty."

Deductions:

Movements "above the level" (found Only in a higher level test) receive a deduction of four points from the total for technical execution for each illegal movement, but not for each recurrence of the same movement.

Two points will be deducted from the total for artistic impression if the program exceeds five minutes.

Tie:

In the case of a tie, the higher total for artistic impression will break the tie.