am i being punished?

[beetlejuice]

i went to a riding club show recently with my 6 yr old horse that i am planning to compete with at county level next season. He is a stunning looking animal with correct paces and conformation. He went perfectly in his show and i was over the moon with him as he has come on leaps and bounds, yet only came second to a horse that did not go particularly well.

Again, i took him in an inhand class with 14 entries, the judge picked up that he was of county standard and only placed me 6th. she then came up to me and said this was no reflection on the horse it was her personal choice?!

should i bother going locally anymore? i take the horses because its a great education for them as the shows are quite buzzy and loud. As well as much cheaper than the bigger shows.

Now i am no delusional idiot sitting on a donkey, and i know i shouldnt be put down by it but it does make you wonder.

The same thing has happened with my other horse that has been to hoys and the international in which i came second to little riding club pony and the rider was a member of the club.

Shouldnt clubs be encouraging more horses of a good standard to these shows?

There were also a few other very good stamp of horses that went well and were conformationally correct yet were at the bottom of the line up. how?!?

 

[Hippona]

It is very much down to the individual judge....don't take it to heart ( says me who had a **** day yesterday).

I had total strangers and people who hadn't seen the pony for a while coming up to me and saying how great he was looking, asking about the breed etc...didn't follow through into the ring though, he only got fairly low placings. Some of the ones above us were stunners and I completely see why they were placed...but the others? It could only have been down to personal preference of the judge.

Next time you'll probably win everything...thats the way it goes locally I think

 

[Shay]

Thats one of the reasons I don't like showing! I'm sure at top level it is more transparent if you know what you're doing. But I'm afraid I can't fathom the scoring system or placings at all. I was very glad when my daughter "graduated" to show jumping. You knock it over... you don't knock it over. Easy for simple brains like me!

That said I do recongise that showing is an exacting discipline with its own adherants. I just don't understand it!

 

[beetlejuice]

im one of those people who always wants to improve myself and the horses, and ill ask the judge, you know what can i do to improve and they say nothing! eh!?