Coloured ridden classes

[lol40]

I wonder if someone may be able to answer a question for me? I know this may sound like sour grapes but I'm just baffled at the results of a coloured ridden ( native/non native/general) class I entered my daughter into on Sun. We dont do showing as a rule! We own a 6 yr old 15 hh irish sports horse, Not a cob, but a nice middleweight. He has lovely markings, more black than white although has gone a bit roany flecked during the summer. Have been told by others to show him as he is well marked. He has good confirmation, moves straight, does not dish etc. My daughter was in a class of 8. Various shapes and sizes. We were plaited up, his tail is pulled. black tack, cavasson noseband, no martingale, plain black numnah. Mollie wore a black jacket, white stock and white jodphurs ( really brings out his white against the black) , she did a lovely show, aside from needing a little more inside bend, was in a lovely outline, cantered on correct leads and he stood totally square. We came LAST! Am baffled. The one which won was morbidly overweight, dished in canter and hardly had any colour in it. 3rd did her own thing and not what judge asked for. 4th could not canter on right lead at all and 5th took off round the ring and bucked! Did we commit a huge error in dress or something, the judge did not even speak to my daughter so could not get any feedback

 

[frazzled]

Technically your daughter should have have worn tweed or blue and cream or canary johdphurs, tie not stock , brown tack etc. However if it was only local level a good neat turnout should be sufficient. Showing sometimes feels like a world of its own and don't worry too much about not being placed. We have been in classes where someone actually bumped into the judges during their show and still got moved up from last to second. Be proud of your daughter for doing a good performance and riding well. We hardly ever show now ,just sometimes for fun and always take the result ( even if we do well) with a pinch of salt.

 

[be positive]

Showing is a judges opinion on the day
Try another day and it may be a different result.
If you want to get into it more you do really need to wear the "right" kit to look more professional.
Your daughter should wear tweed jacket,cream jods,shirt and tie.
The pony sounds very smart and well turned out although for more serious showing should have brown tack to be correct.
I hope you go out again and the judge is more approachable next time ,its always good to have some feedback especially when its your first go.
If you post a picture on here you may get some more tips.

 

[lol40]

Thanks for that. I did wonder if it was our dress. There seemed to be a mixture of tweed, black, ties and stocks. We were only playing about really, showjumping is more our thing, just thought it would make a change. Dont think will be going to the expense of brown tack etc. Tho we do have a blue tweed jacket so could try again with that and tie, cream jods etc. I just thinkg they look good with him being piebald and Mollie in black and white. But Im not a showing judge ha ha. We did laugh about it, just was wondering!

 

[Lucinda_x]

As the others said Judging is a matter of opionion and at the end of the day we never know what the judge is thinking but i have this picture from a coloured class on Sunday to show what everyones wearing

Me and my boy are down in 4th

 

[Kat]

I wouldn't worry too much about the tack colour, a piebald in a coloured class is ok in black tack, I think it is mentioned in the CHAPS rules, if not it was certainly mentioned during the showing demo at YHL last year....

I'd just adjust your daughters dress to fit the class and make sure your tack is of the right type. Your horse and daughter should be turned out according to the type of your horse, so this could also be where you are going wrong, if he is chunky he should be turned out as a hunter with workmanlike tack and tweed, if he is fine then he should be turned out as a riding horse or hack. If he is a hack then your daughter should be in navy and he should have a coloured browband and fine tack.

Maybe post some pictures of him (or better still both of them at the class) and we can all try to give you some pointers.

 

[Erin]

Markings are not taken into account in coloured classes, so it doesn't matter how much white/colour they have.

If you can post some pictures we can probably give some better feedback.

Showing a horse well is an art and the only way to really learn is to watch plenty of top level classes.

Unfortunately local shows can get any random stranger off the street to judge so I wouldn't completly write off showing again based on one bad result

 

[lol40]

I will try to find a picture, Ive only got one on my phone but this was later when she was show jumping so got flash on and martingale but will try to find ones taken by prof photgrapher. thanks for all the advice folks.