Day 1

The exam didn't go as planned for anybody, including me. The pressure of being on the spot and fast paced atmosphere got to most of us. Everybody made mistakes, the question was how many and how fast we recovered from them.

On Friday at 7pm we had our closed book written test of 200 questions at the conference room of our hotel. It was true or false test, but with multiple possibilities of "true" and "false" answers for each question. Questions were about USDF Rule Book rules, about the Biomechanics of dressage, about correct dressage training basics, methodology of judging and essence of the test movements. Some of the questions where redundant, so if you misunderstand one of the concepts or don't know one rule - you will end up with a handful differently phrased questions answered incorrectly. Examiners collected the tests and made notes on what we answered wrong to drill us later about those areas. Tests were sent directly to the USDF and scored there. The passing score was 80% for written exam.

Day 2

On Saturday our hands-on part of the USDF final exam began. Starr Vaughn and Golden State Dressage Show graciously allowed the useof their show ground for our final testing. Thank you for having us. It was a hot day, the weather was 106F and we sat outside in the full sun for the whole day.

We started to judge right with the second level - the hardest and most fast-paced level for us and our scribes. Eight of us with scribes settled on the chairs on the side of arena at E. One of our examiners was judging as well and another one was walking behind us listening, observing us, and taking notes on how we judge.

The presiding judge at C was quite quick to ring her bell and I really had to rush to form and write my Further Remarks for the second level tests. I had a highly experienced scribe, still both my and her fingers where shaking and we started to freeze up when one of the examiners stood right behind us closely observing both of us and writing something in her note book. I realized that that was it - that is the final exam of what I learned in the "L" program for the last year as well as exam of my 20 year dressage riding experience.

I've been scribing myself for the last 7 years and I know that 2nd level is the most difficult level to scribe for, even harder than FEI levels. Right after the walk the scribing speed picks up and there is not a spare second left in between the movements. At one point of our test we noticed that we were one movement off. While I was looking down on the test sheet, I missed a movement and had to give a 7 for that score, because of the benefit of the doubt to the rider. My scribe and I took a deep breath, both drew on our many years of scribing, calmly put a tick next to the problem area and kept on going judging and scribing. After the test was finished, the examiner stood right behind me gesturing with her hand that she needs to collect my tests now! Panic set in when I realized that I still need to straighten the scores, comments and write the Further Remarks. I managed to do that with the examiner breathing down my neck and the next horse turning down the Center Line. It was one of the tight moments of my final exam.

Judging of the First Level was better, the show was running on time and we got used to judges breathing down our necks and making slight "uh-oh" sounds while writing something in their notebooks. My and my scribe's hands finally stopped trembling. But now the 106F heat started to get to us and by the end of the class we both didn't care much about anything, but getting out of the sun and getting a drink of a cold fluid.

By the time when both of our bodies were burned to the crisp (even with the sunscreen) and our lips got chapped from the dry heat of 106F - our examiners announced that they would like to have 15 minutes, one on two, personal oral questions before we can crash in our hotels. Most of us had splitting headaches by that time. I went and stuck my face under the running cold water, washing my make up of and ended up looking beet-red.

From people that I've talked to - everybody froze up on one oral question or another. I was asked by examiners to recite a USEF Rule Book definition of "on the bit" then "medium walk" then "free walk" then "stretchy circle" --- I did those, but
then I froze up on the Training Pyramid, giving them a correct ingredients, but in the wrong order. DUH!!!!!

On the photo, "L" candidate sitting between two "L" examiners and "S" judges, during the oral test judging exam, while examiners watch, listen and take notes on judging skills.

Day 3

Sunday was easy compared to Saturday. We had our oral judging early in the morning. You sit in-between two examiners and orally judge a full test for them, preferably from memory, without the diagrams in front of you. I judged one 2nd level and another 1st level test oraly. I did well on those. I gave on-time, correct, non stop comments, appropriate scores, with matching collectives and useful Further Remarks. I sounded confident and was able to remember all of the ingredients from the collectives marks by memory.

Then we judged Training Level Class. Even we had several scratches and one rider had to be eliminated, it was slow paced and easy, so both my scribe and I did quite well. That was the end of the three-day final exam for the USDF "L" program. I was worried how I did on "collective marks", that one of my 2nd level rides got messed up, and I froze up on an oral question asked by one of the examiners. We had to wait 2 long weeks before our results got mailed back to us from USDF. I was happy to be done and satisfied with how much I learned from the "L" program.

Final Exam Evaluation Form

"L" candidates are evaluated on seven combined aspects and each of them gets a score, some are coefficient of x2. Then those scores are added up and divided by the possible points (100) so the final total percentage is drawn - just like at the dressage tests. To pass "L" program you need to score 65% and to pass with distinction you need to score 70%+. Think of it just as your dressage tests scores and percentage. I wrote a shortened and paraphrased version below: