Sunday, August 24, 2008

Cowboy Dressage--Raffaele, as a Circus judge how would you rate these two animals on difficulty, style, and costuming, and overall content

Thank you cwdancing fool. Madame Col., you are going to love this, and you better get busy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9wh3kyMKJU

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8 comments:

Raffaele De Ritis said...

According the international chart of rules of HBZ0AADWF (Horses Bulls Zebroids Ostrichs and Allied Animals Dressage World Federation), I will assign the appropriate points to each, then compare with other judges'.

Wade G. Burck said...

Raffie,
LOL That's funny. And there is safety in numbers, and blaming it on the next guy. God gave us the Ten Commandments, we stumbled upon the dead sea scrolls, and I realize we are still looking for the Holy Grail, but what's the chance's the World Circus Industry could have a peek at a Monte Carlo Circus Festival Best 0 The Best Judging Standards Handbook. It might give us an idea on what the public wants and we can start baling out this floundering Armada.
Wade

Anonymous said...

Good Deal...no body clipping just a little polish on the horns and you're good to go....

Raffaele De Ritis said...

Right.
Oh, I'v forgot to add a think about those two fine cowboys.
In fact, I am a little embarassed because one of the HBZ0AADWF selected judges seems to result the owner of the bull but also at the same time the girlfriend's father of the first cowboy.
Jokes aside; of course numbers, clear categories and established rules are the best thing in the world.
But again, the perfect system can always be shaken too: look at those rotten Olympics, in how many matches results were clearly influenced the international juries toward China teams.
Only concerning the teams from Italy (ok, i take it personal but it was the same for many other teams), we clearly lost at least 3 golds for that, and much other medals. When you judges athletics, a run is a run, a jump is a jump and a throw is a throw.
But when you are in subtle, and rotten, things as boxe, soccer where judges can "interpretate", or (circuswise), diving and gymnastics when "style" is involved....
But, still, at least we are galaxyes far away from the circus parodistic contests.
For example, I suspect that before my death I would never witness the creation of a world circus judges federation.

Wade G. Burck said...

Raffaele,
It is all apples against apples, and the judges have some type of training/qualifications that distinguish them from the public. They aren't judging men against women, boxers against karate, broad jumpers against pole vaulters. Of course China will have the advantage, as another country will in 4 years. It is called "home field/home court advantage". Teams struggle through the year to have that advantage of familiar turf, fans, and the coin toss. What city/country hosted last years Best 0 The Best Circus Artists Awards Festival? What city/country will host it this years, or next year? Oh that's right, Monte Carlo. It was suspect the second year it was held in the same location. Who won the Best Circus Award this year and where was it held?
Don't give me Atlantic City and Miss America. They are not crowned the Best 0 The Best. It is women judged against women for beauty. Nothing more valid then a supermarket coloring contest a fluff.
In an effort at fairness and the same standard for a valid BEST, sports teams are only allowed to spend ex amount of decided upon dollars for the creation of their team. Nobody can spent more, with out penalty fine, or suspension. If you need 10 million for a pitcher, you have to release two 5 million dollar shortstops to sign him.
The New England Patriots were found to be video taping the opposing team. That will cast a pall over their accomplishments for ever. A standard even close to that would gag Princess Stefani and MC.
There are many local and regional qualifying Arabian horse shows each year and 4 major Arabian shows culminating in the Championships in Louisville, Ky. They are the Canadian held in Toronto, Canada, the Buckeye held in Columbus Ohio, the Albuquerque, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the Scottsdale, held in Scottsdale, Arizona. What they all have in common is they are centrally located in the vast United States, giving every participant as much of a fair and impartial playing field in their quest for Grand Champion at Louisville. They even addressed distance having to travel/cost and regional advantage in a quest for fairness. This year the coin is in Chinas pocket, 4 years from now it will be in another country pocket. The Principality has been siphoning the circus coin for over a quarter of a century. The industry is in this state, because we put ourselves there with self serving grandeur. Me I chose long ago not to be a whore.
Judges federation Raffaele? It's not necessary that's for valid championships apples against apples. I was with a dear friend when she was asked to be a judge, as it is so "difficult" to find judges. She declined and said, why don't you ask so and so. The "judge finder" said, "I never thought about her?" And she accepted, judge slot filled.
Hold a world wide lottery, draw 7 names out of a hat, give them a once in a life time all expense paid trip to the land of yachts and villas. Now you have 7 and the Princesss can sit on her hands and stay out of it(see how long she want's to host the goofy thing) Let the public/people decide without advance self serving paper/friendships or back room deal making. After a couple of years we see what it is the public wants/likes and we have a direction to go in refilling the boxes around the track.
Wade

Raffaele De Ritis said...

I agree. And apples-oranges is just the first half of the MC absurdity.
The other one is selection of participants. This is completely casual, according the best contract deal or available dates, as for each normal winter circus.
"What do you do next winter"? Oh, Stuttgart, a TV in Italy, MonteCarlo,and February Krone" (the dates of the last two hazardously fitting at perfection).
At least, in the first 10 years of that festival, the peoples who at the time were in charge of selection, did their efforts to find only the best, and to bring from Russia and China never-seen premieres for the western world.
And for the judging panel too: even with an inthrinsecal anomalie, you were sure to see the most prestigious circus directors around, not even thinking to put in there representants from the plethora of small-time producers or Est bureucreats often there.
A better example is the Tomorrow Circus Festival in Paris.
Even here they follows the concept apples-oranges, but they are sensitive to selections. They really travel overall the world to find young and best acts possibly not yet into the market: always in circus schools or from young peoples of traditional families creating new acts. It's two peoples travelling the world all-year round, and with an almost zero budget compared to MC. The Paris concept and spirit is to present something new, stimulate the youngs (the age limit is 24) and award them with a medal that can help to start a career. At least, this I can accept. And this explain the fact that in the last 15 years we saw a migration of agents, fans and directors from MC to Paris, and not a single new act revealed from the happy coast of yachts and money-washing banks.
The rule in Paris is that the jury must be composed only by peoples having before performed in the ring, and rarely you find connections between them and the participants.

Wade G. Burck said...

Raffaele,
Get them out of nursery school or the old folks home if you like. If it is men against women, troupe against single, trapeze against juggler, it is fluff. Also, by not using animal act's you are discriminating against them, and showing the world that they may not be necessary. Nobody has ever addressed that issue, in the world of "I just gotta have a Festival." If you are only looking at the schools, and "traditional" families, you haven't even come close to what's available. I have suspected for a number of years a movement to create a self serving cottage industry of Festivals and Festival Judges, with the support of government run schools, similar to the creation of the Cirque Solei phenomena.
Judges made up of ex performers??? Are you kidding me. I'm dishonest enough to publicly tell you, if I was a juggler I would judge that juggler against my skills, valid or perceived. Which would make me to hard or not hard enough. Six jugglers judged by a great juggler, possibly we would crown the best.
If you give a judge anymore then a discount coupon for a Big Mac at McDonald's and a round trip ticket, they are in your pocket.
Your surest bet is a random lottery, of the people after all they by the tickets. Even then given the nature of this business you would have to sequester them tight, or there would be fruit baskets delivered to each room, with a note that says, "I hope you have a great time, and enjoy Paris. If there is anything I can do to make your stay once in a lifetime, please let me know. From Marco the Cloud Swing Guy from Serbia, where we would like you to judge our Festival next year, in the second program with the blue costume."
"Medals to jump start a career?" For over a quarter of a century, I have been told the same thing, a gold or silver clown doesn't mean anything, it doesn't matter if it is valid or not." I have never to this day every been told anything different. The public may not have picked up on it initially, but rest assured they started putting two and two together about 20 years ago when they looked for other things for their competition/entertainment dollar.
Wade

Wade G. Burck said...

Raffaele,
If you want to know who the participants/judges are each year at MC, or a "real" close idea, check flight/train/rental car schedules/autobahn usage in Germany the end of May. Spend the last two weeks visiting Krone, and you will be one of the first to know.
Wade