Rider Rankings and Rider Awards

Rider Ranking and Rider Awards

The Rider Rankings and the Rider Awards are calculated in a similar way and there has been some confusion around this matter and so the dressage committee decided that we should clarify the difference.

The rider ranking will take your six best scores in a 12 month window period for a grade that you ride in (refer below for full explanation). This is irrespective of your official WPHS grading. So, if you ride Novice this weekend, then your score will go to novice ranking and if next week you decide to try an elementary test, then it goes to the elementary ranking. This means you could appear on different rankings depending on which tests you ride. The rider rankings are published once a quarter i.e. September, December, April and June.

The rider awards are calculated exactly the same way, but it uses the rider rankings as at the end of the WPHS financial year i.e. at the end of July and the awards are handed out at a function normally held in September.

It is important that when you enter that the horse and rider names are the same each time you enter another show as the results are captured into a database. So, if you enter your horse as Rusty one week and Avis Rusty next week then the database doesn’t see it as the same horse!

Rider Rankings Explained

The Rider Ranking competition is based on the FEI format but is expanded to include our age groups and grades.

A computer database has been set up and the results of all our members are captured at all graded shows, even if they are out of Province. The results are computed on the basis set out below.

The results are computed for a rider/horse combination in each grade and in each age group. To qualify the rider/horse combination must have at least 3 scores in the grade. The Ranking Index is calculated by taking the best 6 scores over the last 12 months and dividing by 6. H/C scores are not valid.

Obviously the more scores you have the better your chances are of having 6 good scores and therefore rising up the Rider Rankings. If you have less than 6 scores the computer will still divide your total by 6. That means your ranking will be lower than your average mark.

Below are some results that will help you understand. The scores below are taken from the period 12 months ending 30 April 2006 in Adults Elementary Medium.

You will notice that while Jack Daniels has a higher average mark than Cecilia Saunders, he does not score well in the Rankings. That is because his total score is divided by 6. In Cecilia’s case the six best scores (marked with *) were selected and that total was divided by 6. (Names of horses and riders are fictitious.)

Jack Daniels

Cecilia Saunders

This “competition” is intended to heighten interest in the discipline, promote rider participation, and motivate riders to improve their standards. Rider Ranking reflects the most consistent and worthy horse/rider combination over the last 12 months.

The results will be published every three months and the latest results from the past 12 months will be reflected. That means you will always have a chance to improve your ranking by getting a few good scores in your grade.

It should be understood that riders at the top of the ranking will not automatically be selected for teams. Current form and other selection criteria play a major role. The database will also provide a valuable source of information for analysing the current form of our horse/rider combinations.