A brand new examine has revealed insights into how dressage judges focus their consideration when assessing rivals at completely different ranges – with hopes this might assist inform choose growth and coaching.
The analysis was led by Dr Inga Wolframm, professor of sustainable equestrianism at Van Corridor Larenstein College of Utilized Sciences (VHL) within the Netherlands, in collaboration with Tobii Eye Monitoring Know-how.
The researchers used eye-tracking know-how to file the attention actions of 20 judges – who had various ranges of expertise – as they assessed grand prix dressage exams on video.
The analysis group calculated how lengthy and the way typically judges “fixated” on completely different features. Fixation on this context means how lengthy the eyes targeted on a sure space lengthy sufficient for the mind to course of the detailed info being checked out.
The examine discovered that total, the judges concerned targeted extra on the entrance of the horse, in comparison with the again finish, toes, or the rider. However for actions in trot and canter, higher-level judges paid comparatively extra consideration to the horses’ toes, whereas lower-level judges targeted comparatively extra on the rider.
“Dressage judging is cognitively very demanding. Per motion, judges solely have a restricted period of time by which to evaluate a horse-rider mixture,” mentioned Dr Wolframm.
“Which means judges must develop their very own strategic visible search patterns, specializing in the features they contemplate important when assessing horse-rider combos.
“Whereas we had been capable of detect overarching patterns of visible search behaviour, we additionally noticed appreciable variation between particular person judges.
“That is one thing we’ll examine additional within the months to come back. At a time when equine welfare and transparency within the sport is more and more necessary, we have to know what judges engaged at completely different ranges of the game concentrate on.”
The examine concluded that though the completely different visible patterns “could also be indicative of the better experience of superior judges, they could additionally replicate variations in task-specific patterns and their subsequent interpretation by judges”.
“The examine underscores the significance of investigating visible gaze patterns in equestrian dressage specifically and highlights the potential of eye-tracking to reinforce judging accuracy and transparency, particularly with a view to prioritising welfare parameters,” it added.
“The findings recommend that present judging practices may benefit from the event of recent tips incorporating these insights. By refining these tips, the judging course of may turn into extra clear, serving to to advertise equine welfare by guaranteeing that horses and related behavioural expressions are judged extra precisely and pretty.”
Peter Reuter, from Tobii and affiliate professor at VHL, mentioned: “By figuring out the visible cues and patterns related to efficient judging, academic supplies might be designed to reinforce judges’ observational abilities and decision-making accuracy.”
British Dressage (BD) coaching and schooling supervisor Charlotte Osborne instructed H&H that insights from this examine will assist BD to raised perceive how judges make assessments of a mixture’s efficiency.
“The main focus and priorities of our extra skilled judges, who’ve lengthy careers as officers in dressage, will in flip assist the event of those that are beginning out on their judging journey,” she mentioned
“We are able to use this knowledge to assist us outline optimum judging in any respect ranges, considering different necessary components such because the psychological load and cognition of judges, measured over completely different durations of time, together with size of take a look at and variety of rivals per class.
“We’re all the time on the lookout for new and progressive methods to enhance the coaching processes for our judges and welcome such a evidence-based method to help the following phases of growth for our schooling programs.”
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H&H senior information author
Lucy is an skilled information journalist, reporter and presenter. Since becoming a member of the Horse & Hound group in 2015, Lucy has reported from main international sporting occasions together with the Tokyo Paralympic Video games and a number of European Championships, in addition to Badminton, Burghley and London, to call a number of. She has coated present affairs and sports activities information throughout the complete spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, in addition to human and equine welfare, trade information and courtroom instances.
