Houghton International Ground Jury Diary
The worlds largest number of International competitors at this years Houghton International.
Alex Gingell Ground Jury and BD Judge
Alex Gingell, ex International Event rider was at Houghton International as the Ground Jury and Dressage judge of the CCI* this year, he tells us what the week was like seeing International Horse Trials from the other side.
“Houghton International has the largest number of International entries in the UK, so it was an honor and a privilege to be asked by Alec Lehore to be on the ground jury. Having competed at CCI*** as a teenager I was keen to find out what it was like to organize these hugely popular events. Thank goodness I put myself through the endless dressage judge training and exams for 3 years following my Ba Hons degree, to become a list 4 judge back in my 20’s, or I’d never have had this opportunity.”
Tuesday 20th
I arrived at the grounds of Houghton Hall at 1pm and met up with fellow ground juror Zara Pawsley and we read through the program, donned our badges and studied our itinerary for the week. The Technical Delegate Australian Des Hughes joined us at 2pm and we then walked the XC course. Des was extremely knowledgeable and professional and had in fact just come back from the USA with Alec Lehore from an FEI course, just a few days earlier. He had a note pad and pen poised for our comments then the 3 of us briskly strode around the course paying close attention to the approach, the jump and the landing as we went along. We considered the course for its suitability for a CCI* with enough questions being asked but sufficient let up fences to allow the course to flow. On many of the jumps there was netting over flowers and decorations so the resident deer didn’t eat them over night. We walked the striding in the combinations and the lines to the skinnies (arrowheads) and discussed the options should the ground get worse due to rain and the suitability and practicality of the alternatives in different conditions. The ropes beside the track were not all erected at the time but the course designer had done a fabulous job and there was nothing major on ‘to do’ list on our return to the XC control area.
Very quickly we freshened up and looking smart in jacket and tie (or hat and dress in Zara’s case) the 3 of us drove to the front of Houghton Hall to prepare for the trot up at 4.30pm. We arrived at 4.15 and meet with the stewards, the vet and the announcer before familiarizing ourselves with the list of 104 competitors we were to have presenting their horses to us. The horses soon arrived with riders dressed to catch the eye of us the ground jury so as to deflect concentration from the horse, I’m quite sure! Each horse and rider presenting was announced over the load speaker and then the horse had to stand squarely in front of us (vet and ground jury) for a few seconds. We very briefly studied the horse visually for condition and clean limbs, before asking him (or her) to walk away from us for a few steps, the go into trot. We needed to consider the evenness of the hips and the regularity of the footfalls. After 10 meters the horses were led around a plant pot and then to trot towards us, past us and away from us. Stillness of the head in trot is essential and ideally you are looking for an easy yet confident, loose trot showing ability of the horse to complete the challenges it faced in the days to come. After each horse Zara, the vet and I looked at each other and nodded if we were happy with what we saw (sometimes with more conviction than with others!) and the announcer would verbalize the pass in each instance. I believe there were 2 withdrawals and the remaining 102 horses passed. The process took no more than 1 ½ hours.
Soon after I drove to my accommodation quarters for the week (2 miles away) in a lovely big farmhouse where I had a huge luxurious bedroom ensuite with comfort that would put the most expensive hotels to shame. I freshened up and drove to my first of 5 evenings out in a row with Alec and Emily Lehore at Brancaster. All the stewards, TD’s, CD’s and ground jurors attended this and it was fascinating to speak with these hugely knowledgeable and interesting people who all clearly have a ‘like minded’ love of eventing. My weary head hit the pillow at 11pm.
Wednesday 21st
Breakfast was cooked and served by the lovely Pip Case at around 7.30am and set me up for the long day of dressage judging ahead. Over breakfast it was great to converse with another ground jury member of the CCI** from Poland who was staying in the same accommodation. Like minded people from all over gathering to enjoy and help with an amazing sport. We had identity badges that we were asked to wear around our necks at all times which looked rather ‘officious’ and definitely commanded respect when read by competitors and spectators in the score board tent. I was a little uncomfortable with it at first but by day 2 or 3 began to get the hang of it.
Zara (being the President) sat at C and I sat at B and we judged our dummy rider through the test at 8.45am. The idea of that is to ensure we are on the same wavelength regarding the making of the movements, considering that as we are at different parts of the arena we see totally different things. At B I could see very little in the way of accuracy on the centre line but could see far better the flow of the movements and way of going. We were pretty similar so we kicked on.
52 horses later and a little blurry eyed, we judged our last one for the day at 4.45pm and had refreshment by the scoreboards. There had been a few horses with notes from the first trot up that we kept an eye out for in the dressage and after the dressage we added a few more to the list to keep an eye on for the XC. The dressage standard was good and there were 8 – 10 that stood out of the crowd earning 70% +.
The same crew at the evening before then met up in the middle of the XC course for a BBQ at 7.15pm, which was a surreal in the gorgeous grounds of Houghton Hall. Once again the company and conversations that were had were fabulous and it felt, for some reason, a very comfortable place to be and to be a part of. The wine flowed and the food was exquisite.
Thursday 22nd
2nd day of dressage and another 52 tests with the last one at 5pm. There were 20 minute breaks every 10 riders and we had an hour for lunch so not too demanding, although the fine wine, fabulous food and lack of exercise was beginning to take a toll on my waist-line! There were some brilliant tests and the top two were on identical scores (75.22%). A couple of tests raised concerns for myself and Zara and we discussed them with each other and Des. Our marks were not only posted on the scoreboards but also in the internet within 30 minutes of the test so anyone in the world can compare our marks on a specific movement on any horse. Virtually every test was recorded by a friend, a family member or a groom of each competitor too, so we need to get it right. Fortunately our marks were very similar and there were no complaints regarding our marks.
Later in the evening we were yet again wined and dined, this time at Vicky Ringers house just 4 miles away. A choice of curries, wine and fabulous company again was the perfect way to set us straight for the XC day.
Friday 23rd
I had been looking forward to this hugely. The CCI* started at 11am and there was much to do beforehand. The netting had been removed from the jumps that required them and the ropes either side of the course had been erected. The army of fence judges had been briefed, given their food and drink, radios, stopwatches and were making their way to their fences 30min before the start. Zara’s duty was to stay at control and I was to be the ‘roving’ ground juror with Des. We were ‘on the field’ in a car driving from situation to situation, it was so exciting! The competitors had been briefed about the XC course by the CD and TD the evening before so they knew the fences that risked them crossing their tracks (combinations / water jump), where to leave the course if they had a fall or 3 stops, and the protocol of seeing the vet and doctor following a fall etc.
Des and I were tearing round the course at 10.30 checking that each fence had a fence judge and that they were equipped with everything they needed and that they were happy with everything before the class started. The ambulance had to be correctly positioned, the loudspeakers checked and the stewards in the warm up area ensuring that the FEI rules were being adhered to.
At 11am the first competitor started and everyone (ground jury and TD + commentator) is in ‘control’ (a raised box at the start and finish of the course). The purpose of this is not only to see the way that the course flows but also to see if the optimum time is set ‘about right’. We were very fortunate that the first horse rode a smooth clear round, inside the time by 15 seconds, so we knew it was doable. They set off at 3min intervals so there were either 2 or 3 horses on the course a n any one point in time. We stayed at control to see at least 5 horses so we could assess how the course jumped. Then Des and I drove off to see how the trickier fences were riding. We saw two fall in the water and one unseated at the second. 3 riders made the mistake of continuing after 3 refusals (which contravenes FEI rules) and were later issued with Yellow Card warnings by us, the ground jury, for dangerous riding. There were 4 or 5 that we heard about of fences requiring immediate repair but the course did not need stopping at any time and we managed to get through the 102 competitors in 5 hours, without too much trouble. The team involved in the running of this was extensive and well drilled and the radios were well used.
A few hours following the end of the XC the three riders that contravened the FEI rules that day were brought to meet with Des, Zara and I in a private tent where the rules where explained to them individually and a yellow warning card was issued and copies of the warnings were displayed on the scoreboard. Alec couldn’t remember the last time he’s ever seen 3 warning cards in one section before. It was not only unusual because of this, but also because the 2 leaders after the dressage went clear and were exactly the same time XC to the 10th of a second, so they went into the SJ the next day on level pegging.
The wine and gorgeous food went down terrifically that evening, courtesy of Vicky Ringer once again and I set my alarm for 6am that night as I had a job to do with Des at 6.45am in the riders tent in the morning.
Saturday 24th
Following yet another gorgeous cooked breakfast, this time at 6.15 I made my way to the riders tent to meet with TD Des, Zara and a rider who was appealing against a decision from the previous day. Once again the FEI rules were clear and the appeal was over ruled. We needed to get this cleared up swiftly as the second trot up was due to start at 7.30am and the competitor appealing needed to know is they could attend the trot up and complete the course.
Needless to say the heavens opened at this point and as the reduced field of 94 horses presented themselves to Zara and I in front of Houghton Hall for the second time, we slowly drowned. It is usual to see a few weary (and/or) un-level ones but thankfully they all passed with flying colors. It was then time for a swift change of clothes and a warm up before walking the showjumping course with Des, Zara and the course builder.
We waited for the CCI** section of SJ to finish before it was decided that the course be moved sideways by a few metres as the ground was cutting up a little after the heavy rain. Before the course had been entirely moved a competitor and trainer began walking the course and had to be asked to leave by Zara. Once ready for walking Des, Zara , the course builder and I walked the course, measuring the height an width of each one to ensure they did not exceed the permitted dimensions. We noted the going on the corners, the striding in the related distances and in the treble. There were parts of the route that made it possible for riders to take the wrong course had they not been concentrating but ridden well, it would be a smooth and enjoyable challenge to both watch and to ride.
Zara and I stood behind the commentators in the box for the duration of the showjumping overseeing the complete competition. Many had time faults if they swung too far out on the corners or over checking at the jumps, but those that came into the jumps on an easy stride and were economical on the corners made the time well. Once again the TD Des stood in on the first few horses to ensure the optimum time was suitable and that there were no reason for the course to be anything other that a CCI* challenge.
The rounds were ridden in descending order so the riders with the least penalty points went last and the leading 2 were on identical scores as they went into the showjumping. This was a first for all the CD’s TD’s and ground jurors and the ruling goes that if the leading 2 riders go clear then the fastest round wins. This situation was drawing crowds of both spectators and riders to the ring and only a show jump separated 10 riders as we came into the top 10. The first of the two leaders to jump tried hard to leave them all up but in an attempt to make a faster than average time, flattened slightly over one jump and knocked it, so moving down the order. The last one of the class rode a foot perfect round and was victorious.
Our final job was to oversee and participate in the prize giving, congratulating the riders on producing world-class performances.
Our monetary recompense for the 5 days was £1 per horse that we judged and 40p per mile that we drove to get there and back. The feeling of being part of such a well oiled team of like-minded, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, horse loving and competitive people was however, priceless!!
Alec Lehore, Musketter Marketing who was responsible for the Olympics as well as Houghton International Burghley & Blenheim to name but a few said “You can only have the same team to make up a ground jury 3 years in a row so it is a real challenge for me to keep finding new young capable people. Alex is one of our younger judges and I am really encouraging him to become an FEI judge as we have a growing International problem in that we simply do not have enough for the International circuit and we need more.
