The first day of competition at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 26, with the dressage phase at Rolex Stadium. Before the dressage tests can get underway, an essential step in preparing the Ground Jury for two days of dressage judging is the dressage test ride, sponsored this year by Hylofit.

The dressage test ride is an FEI standard for all CCI events. The horse-and-rider combination that performs the test rides as if they are competing. After the test ride, the three judges compare how they scored the ride—a process designed to help them achieve uniformity in how they score dressage rides during the competition.

Marilyn Payne, a two-time Olympic eventing judge, elaborated, “This test ride provides an opportunity to establish communication between the judges, allowing them to discuss the requirements and subtle aspects of the test and agree upon what is expected from combinations in competition. This does not guarantee that judges will score each movement the same, as the location of the judge can affect how they perceive the execution of any given movement. A test ride typically takes place approximately 30 minutes before the first competing combination enters the ring.”

This year, Elizabeth Halliday-Sharp will perform the test ride on Deniro Z. In an unusual twist on the test ride, horse and rider will wear the Hylofit heart-rate monitoring system. The horse and rider’s heart rates and other key metrics will be visible in real time on the dressage arena’s large screen.

The 2018 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage test ride is set for 8 a.m. on April 26. Watch it live on USEF Network, and then stay tuned for full coverage of both days of the dressage phase, April 26-27!

An up to date schedule can be found here.