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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Not My Bell

8/26/2016

 
For those of you who don't know, I teach 5th grade. School started last week, so my life has been turned upside down. Something kind of funny happened yesterday at work that brought my dressage life and work life together in an unexpected way.

We are doing boatloads of assessments right now - poor kids. The test I was administering is called DIBELS. Each child reads a passage for 1 minute while the teacher marks any mistakes they make in their reading.
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Not a passage my kids read.
There were three of us administering the test in the same room - myself and two reading specialists. Since the test is timed, we all use the timers on our phones. I prefer the stopwatch, but they were using the timer with a bell to indicate when the time was up.

As my students were reading, they would pause after a time until I encouraged them to keep reading. Their score is calculated based on the number of words they read. Finally it dawned on me that they were pausing because they thought the bell at the next table was their own.
Picture
A Speedy pic from 2014
I almost laughed out loud. The same thing has happened to me while showing. I can't tell you how many times I've mentally halted during a test when I've heard the bell ring. Was that for me? Did I go off course? Why hasn't the judge said anything? I never actually stop though since I know the bell might not be mine; it usually isn't.

​Please tell me I am not the only one who does this!

Tracy link
8/26/2016 06:25:24 am

This is one reason I love Hunters -- they actually call your name over the loud speaker to tell you that you messed up. No bells or chimes or whistles. They tell me exactly what they want from me, LOL

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/3/2016 04:42:22 pm

That would make it easier for sure!

Jan link
8/26/2016 06:27:10 am

I've been out of school for a while... and that timed reading test makes me queezy even though I should have no trouble with it. My oral reading fluency was not good in 5th grade (my parents had to bring in language/hearing specialists to help me differentiate sounds). It's been super tough and I still have trouble sometimes hearing the right sounds. Thank goodness I'm good with context clues!

I've false started dressage tests before because I heard a bell, forgot what my ring's sound was, and just went in. At least the judge found it humorous and didn't disqualify me.

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/3/2016 04:44:44 pm

We actually make the test as low stress as possible. The kids actually seem to enjoy the time with the teacher. :0)

At one rainy and windy show that I did a few years ago, Hilda Gurney, who was the judge, simply said out loud, "This is your bell." She knew no one could hear it!

jenj
8/26/2016 07:12:53 am

This is why I think it's really important for the judges to have different signals at each arena... bell, whistle, car horn. I have DEFINITELY had that queasy thought of "wait, was that for me???" and then realized nope, it's for another arena.

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/3/2016 04:45:41 pm

TOTALLY!!! I try hard to look at what kind of bell the judge has so that I'll recognize it when I hear it.

emma link
8/26/2016 07:34:50 am

honestly my most anxiety-inducing moments are when i'm circling the ring waiting to be rung in. i'm always POSITIVE that i will miss my bell, and get all kinds of jumpy when i hear the bells from other rings lol

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/3/2016 04:46:54 pm

I try to hang out near A for that very reason. I can't believe the people that hear the bell and then take an entire lap around. THAT freaks me out!

lytha
8/26/2016 09:20:52 am

Wednesday was the first day of school, and the first day of high school for the 5th graders (here high school is 5-13 grade).

Apparently the kids were sharp on their first day. Or nervous?

J said, "I told them I wanted them to gather into a circle for instructions within 10 seconds at my call." His call being 10, 9, 8..

Apparently it worked, but he continued...

"At freetime I stood up and raised my hands indicating 10 fingers, and then folded one, to 9, and so on. The kids jumped up and ran to the circle, I never had to say the word 'ten'.!"

Apparently that isn't the norm with high school kids, so I'm pleased for him. One day of cooperation is so important for a teacher, who faces strife from parents and principals year long. (the worst being, graduation day parents harrassing the school into passing a failed student, and succeeding! Holy crap, if the teachers don't have their principals supporting their grades......*sigh*)

Tonight he's in Bonn on a "teacher's field day" that he helped arrange. He's very pleased. He'll be out til midnight. I asked him if he had any team building exercises planned but he's not familiar with the term. Of course they do, though. So happy that teachers get a play day on the first week of school! However, it's 33C out, which caused some to cancel. But not my man, he's gonna give them a tour of Germany's formal capitol, Bonn, tonight. Yay!

Best wishes to you and your little brats, I mean hard working kids, this 2016-17!

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/3/2016 04:48:00 pm

I actually have a really nice class this year - so far anyway. it could change at any moment, but I am enjoying it while it lasts. :0)

Austen link
8/26/2016 10:14:35 am

I have totally done this! I've also entered, thinking my judge had run her bell. Nope!! Ack! That was almost the dumbest disqualification of my life.

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/3/2016 04:49:04 pm

I am surprised you were disqualified. It can be really hard to tell which bell is yours, especially when the arenas are side by side!

Carly
8/26/2016 12:44:36 pm

I'm so paranoid I won't know the right signal to enter the ring at events that I was quadruple check which my judge has--bell, whistle, horn, etc. Better annoying than eliminated!

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/3/2016 04:49:32 pm

Totally!!!!!

Justine Image
8/28/2016 04:52:13 pm

In Australia, (at the low levels I compete at) the judges sit up in their cars at C, so if you can work out the particular tone of their horn before your test you are right.

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/3/2016 04:50:19 pm

That is soooo funny - thank you for sharing!!!!

Saturday link
9/4/2016 11:50:07 am

I've always wondered if dressage riders had trouble with the different arena bells!

Bakersfield Dressage link
9/5/2016 05:57:12 am

If you read the above comments, you now know that it is a bigger problem than you'd think. I wondered if I was the only one who had trouble knowing which bell was mine. Apparently it's a universal problem. :0)


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
    ​Welcome to my dressage journey.
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    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    About Izzy

    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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Among other things, Karen is a Wife, Friend, Reader, Writer, Rider, Traveler, and Dog Lover
Contact her at bakersfielddressage@gmail.com
  • Home
  • About
  • My Horses
    • Horses
    • Imperioso
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Show Results
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