Appalled - local show season here again !

[Cinnamontoast]

Saw the same thing last week, a girl got told to leave a class with a lame horse and the girl refused. She was then put last in the class and after went straight into to warm up and proceeded to canter around on the lame horse for 20 mins before the show organiser asked her to stop and insisted she dis-mount. The horse was then left tied up to the lorry fully tacked up for a further 2 hours! It was clearly very lame behind.

I do wish the steward or whoever would be given the right to kick riders like that out.

It's all terribly subjective and I find it depends on what the judge likes.

 

[kinnygirl1]

Been victim of the stopwatch saga lol local show and we did a cracking jump off - to come 4th to a very steady one :s course builder came up to me in the line up and said I had the fastest time but they didn't stop the clock as I crossed the line!

Ah memories - this happened to my sister about 15 years ago in a scurry(fastest round) class. My dad timed all the rounds very carefully and my sister was the fastest by about 5 seconds. The girl who won it every week won it My dad did quietly ask the judge about it at which point the hysterical mother of the winner came over and started screaming at my sister and my dad that we were accusing them of cheating - Erm, no we were just querying the times recorded - guilty conscience much?

 

[pansy]

A bit Off topic maybe @ local show this weekend didn't see it so can only comment on what others have said - a stressed out horse tied to trailer broke free & ran tried to jump someones car & took side out of car - as far as I know horse is not injured - I have only been to watch local shows not compete - the 1st question I heard asked was - is the horse / rider insured obviously re damage to car I know show organisers have to be insured but shouldnt they be ensuring that all riders taking part have liability insurance ?

 

[xxMozlarxx]

My personal favourite showing fail was a few years ago. I have a reg N.Forest pony, forest bred and branded with the letter B in a circle on her saddle area. She's a reasonable example of a Forester, she's been successful at county level. I took her to a local show and went in in hand M+M large breeds. The judge (who claimed to be a Welsh sec B breeder) came over and told me I was in the wrong class. I asked him how so, my pony at 13.2hh was the smallest in the class, but we were in with the Sec Ds, Highlands etc. Judge is admant I'm in the wrong class. I asked was he aware that a New Forest was a large breed. No, he says to me, that's not a New Forest, that's a Welsh sec B, that's what the letter B on her back means

Doesnt surprise me, the day a local judge knows what constitutes a good example of a forest bred Reg NF is the day we clean up. They usually haven't got a clue.

 

[Tarte Au Citron]

Now i don't show very regularly but must say last season the local shows i went to were all pretty good, no lame horses or terrible judging - some i would disagree with but that's differing opinions for you . I'd say the worst judging i've seen have been the bigger shows, the last one being a county show where the winner of a 3yo hunter class reared several times. The judge actually ran away from it when she tried to give the rosette to it! And that's where i see a lot more biased judging to, i won't ever bother entering one of my local-ish county shows cause although it would be great to give it a go you have to pay an extortionate amount where the judges are blatantly biased to 'named' riders.

 

[diluteherd]

Tarte au citron... I have indeed seen this kind of thing too - a rearing, bucking basically piggish 3 y/o .. got placed reserve champion. Pfft!!

 

[Cottontail]

Showing smowing, is more often than not a case of who you know, rather than who has the best pony/performance. Particularly at county level where it often seems that judges don't want to not place a known pony/producer in favour of a an unknown, even if they prefer the unknown one. Not always the case, but often. At least this is how it was 20/30 years ago, very much doubt it has changed now?

 

[dizz4]

Yes I have seen some very dubious judging at local and not so local... one show my daughter was judged in a ridden class alongside lead rein....? How is that fair....???? Still trying to get my head around whats wanted in ridden classes, so am probably destined to wallow around at the bottom... hey ho....!!

I have also seen a poor pony kicked very reluctantly around a jumping class only to see that he had red wheels on his sides from the riders obviously completely mis-use of her spurs, I was absolutely appalled.....!!!

I have never used spurs in my life and whilst I am sure they have their place (a debate for another day perhaps) but I would ensure that they were used with the utmost care and would be so ashamed if that was my horse, if he is reluctant to jump maybe there is a good reason....

I have already competed at a local show this year and came home yet again empty handed, still I always blame myself and really must try harder next time.....

 

[Redd]

I agree with the comment about people jumping too high for the class by about half a mile, it happens so much. I've even seen mum's putting the front pole of the spread higher than the back one! Suffice to say I'm not going back to this (main-stream, not local!) show ever again! Not sure I'm allowed to name centre names though?

At another centre I politely pointed out to the mum that we were jumping 2foot6 not 3foot6 and could she please put the jump down as most of us there didn't have horses who could/were going to jump that. She then got very uppity and claimed that her daughter needed to jump higher as she was 'nervous'. I've never seen a less nervous rider lol!! I've seen several such pot hunters though... I couldn't help but laugh when horse had a pole down since the rider needed some lessons rofl...