CenterlineScores v. USDFScores

The USDF recently launched a score tracking site quite similar to Jay Steven's CenterlineScores.com. They're calling it, USDFScores.com.

Dressage-News wrote a great article about the USDF's site here, but to save you the trouble of finding their site, I've just cut and paste the article for you to read down below.

I've posted about CenterlineScores several times; I like the site. It's easy to use, the available data goes back quite a few years, and best of all, IT'S FREE. I can't say the same about USDFScores. I wanted to give the USDF's site a fair shake, but in all honesty, it's not as user-friendly as Steven's CenterlineScores, and it's nowhere as inclusive.

First off, to use the USDF's site, you have to be a USDF member. What if you're new to dressage and simply want to verify a trainer's credentials? You won't be able to if you're not already a USDF member. On the other hand, to use CenterlineScores, simply type in the name of any horse or any rider and you have access to all scores from as far back as 1993. No membership required.

Let's say I want to use USDF's site to check out the scores of a horse from 2010. I am a USDF member, but since I am only a Group Member, I don't have access to that horse's scores. I only have access to the current competition year's scores. Once again, CenterlineScores will get me the data I need. Once I've entered the name of the horse or rider in whom I'm interested, I can look at every score available since 1993.

I know that USDFScores "is the official source for the most accurate and complete dressage scores," but I'll stick with CenterlineScores; it's more on my level.

If you're not quite sure what the big deal is, check out COTH - this is obviously a controversial topic that many riders care about. The argument over there is that USDF shouldn't provide the data for free. I am on Jay's side here; his site is much easier to use, and it's much more inclusive. Let's hope the USDF figures it out.

Dressage-News.com

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Oct. 3–The United States Dressage Federation on Wednesday launched USDFScores.com as its official source for complete dressage scores and available free of charge to members of the organization, competing against a privately developed site that has been available to everyone at no cost for more than 15 months.

The USDF said its new web site features expanded search functionality, customizable reports with advanced sorting and graphing options and access to USDF qualifications and standings. It is similar in appearance and functionality to Centerlinescores.com that was launched in June, 2011, that was funded by solely by the owner, Jay Stevens.

USDF said its Group, Participating, or Business members can access current competition year scores and additional related information. Participating and Business members will also have access to Lifetime and Regional Championship Qualifying Ride score.

“As the only official, and most complete, source for USDF scores, this site will be a valuable resource for competitors, horse owners and show managers,” USDF Executive Director Stephan Hienzsch said. “This enhanced member benefit also makes lifetime score reports available to Participating and Business members at no additional cost.”

He said USDFScores.com is a dedicated site providing a new and improved version of the USDF score check and report function that the organization had made available to members for 10 years.

“The biggest investment has been the meticulous creation of a unique score and competition data base for dressage scores earned through USDF recognized/USEF licensed competitions,” he said. “This is data that USDF staff has been processing for over 35 years and verifies and maintains on a daily basis. This is why USDF has the most complete and accurate data and where the biggest investment is for USDF.”

Jay Stevens of Centerlinescores.com said that he began work on creating the program to easily access the USDF database in November 2010. It took him about eight months to complete the project for launch in June 2011.

He described the creation of the site and its maintenace as a “labor of love” on which he had spent a great deal of time and effort but had virtually no revenue.

“I didn’t expect it to be as successful as it has been in terms of popularity and the tone of the feedback from the users,” he said.

The USDF’s Stephan Hienzschhas said that Centerlinescores.com has no authorized connection to either the old or new version of USDF score checks. USDF requires membership to access the service to its members and “as such USDF has a responsibility to provide a certain level of integrity to how member information is made available.”

Jay Stevens of Centerlinescores.com said: “The degree to which they (USDF) have tried to create an exact copy of CenterlineScores.com is really astonishing. Honestly, more disconcerting to me than the blatant copycat implementation of my screens and tables is the claim that USDFScores.com is somehow the ‘most accurate and complete’ source for dressage scores.

“Over the last year, I have fielded hundreds of support emails from riders concerned about incorrect or incomplete data on CenterlineScores.com. In all of those cases, there has not been one case where we showed data that was different from USDF’s.

“I know, because I’ve paid to pull multiple lifetime score reports when there was a question. Often, these are simply cases of miskeying of USDF numbers by someone at the show or at USDF and we are usually able to correct the errant data (riders submit copies of tests, etc.). As a result, we have made corrections to over 400 scores in the database to date, so I am confident that the historical data presented on our site is the most accurate available anywhere.”