Amateur showing?

Pippity

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I was having a browse of the Cheshire Horse Show schedule, plotting what to aim for next year, and saw this:

Amateur Owner Rider/Home Produced Cob - Mare or gelding 4 years or over, exceeding 148cms. Open to Horses, which are either stabled at home or in a DIY yard and which since 1st January in the current year, have not been shown by a Professional during the current season or stabled in a Professional yard at any time in the current year.

I'm not sure whether I'd be excluded or not? The yard staff do the daily chores (turn out/bring in, muck out, fill/give haynets, pick out feet, etc) but I'm the only person who rides or lunges my horse. Is this DIY enough for me to scrape in, or should I scratch the class off my list of possibles-to-aim-for?

Obviously, I'd check with the show before actually entering, but I wondered if this is a standard phrasing with commonly-understood exceptions.
 
Definitely you pass for amateur, it's the home produced part of the description that's more of a grey area, as you say it's part livery rather than DIY.

However as long as it's not a professional showing yard, and you are the only one to ride, I think you should be eligible under the spirit/ethos of the class if you know what I mean.....

Fiona
 
No you wouldn't be eligible for that class as you don't meet the Home Produced criteria. If it was just and amateur class you would be fine but the Home Produced part means you must be completely DIY.
 
I think it's only if your horse is ridden and schooled by a pro which yours is not so I think your ok.

Read the small print it should have a section on the entry form saying who is eligible for what, I would imagine it could vary depending on the show and the societies that run the classes.
 
My understanding is it's fine as long as you are the only one riding! I think it is basically to stop amateur owners/riders riding horses that are being produced/have been produced by professional to make it fair for the true amateurs who are just wanting to try competing at something a bit bigger than local. It also doesn't exclude you if are taking lessons from a pro as long as the horse is not stabled there. I have also looked into this class for next year (see you there maybe!) and I am on a DIY but have occasional help from someone to turn out if I can't be there. Just FYI - this Cheshire Horse Show is what was Warrington Horse Show. Cheshire county only has a Novice cob class not an amateur. I am going to both this year to see whether it is worth entering as my cob is bang on the height but is dwarfed by the others but I really want THE picture!
 
Just FYI - this Cheshire Horse Show is what was Warrington Horse Show. Cheshire county only has a Novice cob class not an amateur. I am going to both this year to see whether it is worth entering as my cob is bang on the height but is dwarfed by the others but I really want THE picture!

I'm dreaming of the Cheshire, but think it's a while off yet. If I make it to either, it really will just be for the experience and, as you say, the photo! I'm under no illusions that her conformation is good enough to win, and her schooling still has a long way to go. Her saving grace is that she moves very nicely.

I'm definitely hoping to at least go to watch this year, but I work in Germany so have to finagle a little to get British bank holidays off!
 
I'm dreaming of the Cheshire, but think it's a while off yet. If I make it to either, it really will just be for the experience and, as you say, the photo! I'm under no illusions that her conformation is good enough to win, and her schooling still has a long way to go. Her saving grace is that she moves very nicely.

I'm definitely hoping to at least go to watch this year, but I work in Germany so have to finagle a little to get British bank holidays off!

It's a bit silly really, I don't know why they decided to change the name (maybe to trick people into going there instead!) I don't think the classes were overly big last year from what I remember, only 5 or 6 in each of them. I was tempted this year but had a confidence knock so pushing it back to next year hopefully!
 
As with all these things it is a weird one as someone could have their horse at home and have paid staff do all the work and not be excluded under those rules. Someone I know who runs her own competition yard did amateur home produced because she doesn’t normally do showing so was an amateur ... interesting interpretation of the wording !
 
No you wouldn't be eligible for that class as you don't meet the Home Produced criteria. If it was just and amateur class you would be fine but the Home Produced part means you must be completely DIY.

I don't think this is correct in the OP's position. Her horse is on a yard that is providing some help in the basics, they are not working the horse, schooling, producing or in any other way preparing the horse for the show ring. If the horse was on a yard where there was a professional rider that was on the horse that would be different.
 
All the societies rules will be different just look up which one is running the class and the rules will be either the schedule or website.

I know with Arabs you can't be on a pro yard or have them ride or compete for you with the same horse you want to do amateur classes with in that year.
 
It's a bit silly really, I don't know why they decided to change the name (maybe to trick people into going there instead!) I don't think the classes were overly big last year from what I remember, only 5 or 6 in each of them. I was tempted this year but had a confidence knock so pushing it back to next year hopefully!

Maybe 'cos it's not in Warrington anymore?
 
Maybe 'cos it's not in Warrington anymore?

It’s not been in Warrington for years, just seems weird to have changed it this year and basically called it The Cheshire Show given that’s what everybody calls Cheshire County.
 
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