GENERAL
See also Music, Choreography

Dear Klassic Kur:
I noticed from your website that you give advice on how we can put a freestyle together for ourselves (thanks for the tips). But you are also a professional who helps other people put freestyles together. Which way is best for a beginner like me?

Terry Answers:
There is no definite answer to that, because it depends on the individual. The most arduous part of the process is finding the right music, so if this is something that you would enjoy exploring on your own, than I say, "Go for it." (You may just want to hire a professional to do the editing.) Some people find that they can only get one piece of music that works, let's say for trot, but then they can not find a suitable canter to match. Some may feel that the whole process is tedious or too time-consuming for their schedule. In the last two cases, it would probably be beneficial to get professional assistance.

With some "out of the box" thinking, you could probably do your own choreography. The greater problem is making the music and choreography look as if they are related. Again, it is a matter of patience and/or time constraints.

Dear Klassic Kur:
I heard that judges do not give artistic scores higher than the technical marks. Is this true?

Terry Answers:
That is a misconception. Judges will most likely keep the collective marks in line with the overall technical marks. Since the collective marks are on the artistic side of the score sheet, it is my guess that that is what caused the confusion.

Of the other three categories that are part of the artistic score, it is very possible to do well on Choreography and also on Music Choice & Interpretation, regardless of the execution. Difficulty, however, will be rewarded only if the attempted movement has been done well.

Dear Klassic Kur:
What is the greatest problem I can expect to encounter when designing my own freestyle?

Terry Answers:
Time. I have a large music library at my fingertips and the entire process is done directly from this studio, making the development of a kur very efficient. Even so, the oddest things can sometimes get in the way, such as unexpected ouchies or a string of bad weather (not being able to ride in a full arena, if the indoor court is short). The next thing you know, it's show time and the freestyle is not ready to go.

Since you (or most people) will probably not have an efficient system available to you, plus needing to allow for the unexpected, my advice is that you leave lots and lots of time to research, develop, and finalize your kür. Having ample time to prepare will save you and your horse a great deal of stress.

Dear Klassic Kur:
Where can I get a copy of the freestyle tests?

Terry answers:
The USDF has copies of all the tests plus a nifty booklet on freestyle guidelines. For a very modest price, they will send you a copy in the mail. You can contact them at (402) 434-8550 during regular business hours. In Canada, the test are put out through the CADORA and are printed in the Omnibus.

Dear Klassic Kur:
What is your opinion of freestyles already prepared (including movements) and distributed by CD?

Terry answers:
I know that there are people who do this, but I have not heard/seen the results. I do know that the judges are very keyed into watching that the beats of the music match the footfalls of the horse.

At canter, that is not such a big range, but at trot, the range can go from 138 to 172 footfalls in a 60 second time period depending on the degree of collection, stature of the horse, engagement, etc.

Also, different horses cover different amounts of space per stride (same reasons as above). If a company has figured how to make all that work for every horse, my hat goes off to them.

Dear Klassic Kur:
I recently did a lower level musical freestyle. I thought the kur went extremely well, but the judge didn't. I used Beetlejuice for trot and Ghostbusters for canter, which both fit my horse perfectly. I had fairly simple choreography, but I did make use of my quarterlines and centerline. I am trying to figure out why the judge didn't like it. If you have suggestions I would love to hear them.

Terry answers:
If you feel the music is well-suited for the horse and matches his footfalls, than you are well on your way to a good freestyle. If there were no comments on your score sheet, we would only be guessing at the reasons, but perhaps the judge saw your choices differently. As in medicine, get a second opinion by trying your freestyle at another show. One judge's artistic sense may be different than another's.

Or, check your freestyle against the following: Lower level freestyles should not have more than four music changes (along with the corresponding gait changes) within the body of the kur. Unless you or your editor is very experienced, your music can end up sounding very choppy otherwise. The music should be edited smoothly, with clean transitions, and have a nice crisp, clean sound quality. While your patterns do not need to be symmetrical, they need to be understandable to the judge, and also not be test like in nature.

Or, it could be execution. The collective marks will not exceed the overall technical marks, and they are on the artistic side of the score sheet. Also technical execution that is not strong can sometimes makes it difficult to see the intention of the rider.

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