Test Caller
For most shows and classes, you may have a test caller – a person who stands adjacent to the competition arena, often at B or E, and calls the test movements as you ride the test.
USEF Rule DR122.1 Execution and Judge of Tests covers caller requirements:
All Federation Tests may be called during the competition except, under penalty of elimination, at any Final or Championship Event at which time all tests must be ridden from memory. If test is announced, it is the responsibility of the competitor to arrange for a person to announce the test. Unless an exception is made by the judge, the announcing of the test must start with the first movement. Lateness and errors in announcing the ride will not relieve the rider from “error penalties”. Announcing the tests is limited to reading the movement as it is written once only. However, the repetition of reading of a movement is acceptable if there is reason to doubt that the rider heard the original call. Calling of these tests in a foreign language must receive prior consent of the show committee and the Ground Jury. A competition cannot require competitors to use callers employed by the competition management. All FEI Tests (including FEI Junior Tests), the USEF Test for Four-Year Old Horses, the USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Test, the USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Test and all Freestyle Rides must be ridden from memory. FEI Para Dressage tests must be ridden from memory unless an exemption is listed on the rider’s Dispensation/Classification Certificate. In all tests, all movements must follow the order laid down in the test.
Key to the above rule is that “announcing the tests is limited to reading the test movement as it is written [on the TEST column] once only. However, the repetition of reading of a movement is acceptable if there is reason to doubt that the rider heard the original call.” Also, errors on the part of the caller “will not relieve the rider from “penalty errors’.”
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