15hh WHP Classes

measles

measles

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Its many moons since I did county workers and in the spring my son plans to do some with his 148cms jumping pony as it has been suggested she might hold her own in 15hh WHPs. I'm all for the idea as it gives him a focus for improving the pony's flatwork, and it's another string to her bow.

I have a few queries about what the class is like nowadays though and it would help us prepare if I could find out answers. The BSPS website says that the 15hh WHP class is 1.05 max height but knowledgable friends who show have said that the tracks are more like 1.15. Might the latter just be the HOYS/RIHS qualifiers or will we jump this routinely at BSPS shows? Looking at the BSPS site again it talks of bullfinches - pony is bold but child hasn't encountered one and I wondered if they are often included nowadays? If so I'd better find one to hire...

On the subject of bits BSPS site says something like any appropriate bit, which is pretty vague. He rides her in an eggbut-type Myler with "hooks" (slots for the cheek piece and reins but looks like a normal eggbut from the side) and 3 rollers (again invisible when in mouth). Would this be OK for these classes?

Any advice would be very helpful, or sources of this kind of info on the internet. If we wait and go along to watch a few classes as common sense would suggest we'll have missed the spring season!
 
open 15hh is very much nearly 1.15m, especially in the qualifiers, but if your pony has done some BSJA you should be ok. Most of the classes at the county shows are won by the only clear round. On the whole most people are shocked now at the height of the workers it is way more competitive than when I was doing it.
 
Your bit is fine, it really is any suitable bit.

The strength and action of the bit may be taken into account, but our bit sounds quite mild
 
Although many of the qualifiers are biggish they are a lot less technical than a BSJA course. We did a few open workers with one of our BSJA ponies who was only jumping 1metre to 110 BSJA at that time and the pony usually jumped clear with no problems. Regarding bullfinches - I would get one at home - pretty easy to make and practice. We did a couple of workers at a local riding club first to ensure there was no spookiness over rustic fences. Good luck
 
Yep, re the bullfinches, have you got a hedge that needs trimming or a local tree that could do with a prune? They'r very easy to set up - we used to stick the 'brush' into strawbales under the jumps (only far enough for it to stand up, so it will knock down).

Cross country schooling is great for getting them used to the more unusual fences.
 
The mixed heights and the novice or intermediates for 15hh WHP didn't seem too bad, its only some of the bigger county shows we did where the fences did look well up to height, though I can say they rode well (not that it was me riding!)

We did this last year - pony went in a myler with hooks - nothing ever said and she went very well in it. When we did the BSPS champs - first time we've ever done it, we did novice classes - nice fence height, good long course - like a mini XC really - and she'd have easily done the intermediate ones.

Might be worth trying a few indoor novices now as most areas will have a winter novice season and its good practise/warm up?
 
Did indoor preseason classes and we used to do some indoor xc comps to get our pony worker used to funny fences, our local indoor school had corners, bullfinches, water trays, a ditch and others and other spooky things that were ideal.
At home we made up fences too, for some reason had one that didn't like fences decorated with flowers so bought geraniums in bulk! hunting is also ideal prep.
 
Thanks for all of the advice. Winter novices seem like a good idea - will need to check when any are on in Scotland over the next few months. Will also get making bullfinches, or rather will get husband off the sofa to do it!

At the Highland Show I've noticed that the ponies arn't ridden on the flat together but instead are taken individually into another ring to do their flat section. Is this now the norm - in my day we all had to hang on for grim life as we cantered together!
 
Quite often after jumping you go to do individual shows staight away, and then all go back in for the go round. I find this a better way of doing things with sharp ponies, because they do a better individual show and then are a bit flatter in the go round rather than when I was doing it and I used to get peed of with!
 
Exactly my thoughts about the individual show, although I do realise manners are important. Also better for the riders if they're children as less mounted standing around involved and I guess this applies to the ponies too.

Fingers crossed it all goes according to plan. Many thanks!
 
Hmmmm. Most of ours were all back in together for the ridden section. Mine was getting really bored with her SHP classes and we went to a big BSPS show at Beamish and she sulked through the SHP then had to dash over for the WHP (lightning quick tack change) and she was hilarious, sulked all the way over to the next ring, the rider put her at the practise fence and suddenly - PING!!! Ears shot forward, sparkle came back and she did the jumping section like it was nothing - all happy and bouncy and really fluent - then that was the only one where she went straight into the next door ring for individual ridden section and she enjoyed showing off on her own after flying round the jumps.

I do think it worked much better like that, then they all came in for the placings after each had done their own ridden, plus it saved on them hanging around in the ring and most likely would help with keeping class clashes down...
 
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