County show sport horse class help please

AnnaLilly

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Hi there
Please can anybody help me on showing my young sports horse filly in a county show? She's registered with sport horse gb and I had a look online at a county show for next year (a long time away I know!) I wanted to know the dress code for me and my (will be 2yo) filly, I know she needs to have her name platted and her tail pulled? Or platted? What type of bridles do you use ? I've got a nice hunter bridle with a rubber bit, do I do the stencil mark on her bottom?
Any help is greatly appreciated 😊 picture taken at 11 months old IMAG5636_2.jpg
 

conniegirl

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I'm going to be very blunt here. I wouldnt bother with a county show with a 2 yr old.
You will normally be in a class with very mature, produced 3yr olds, and it is very very rare that any 2 yr old will stand even a remote chance

But if you decide to go for it then inhand bridle with flat browband & noseband and small rubber bit, mane platted, tail is normally pulled though for a baby I'd use a tail rake to get the look. You will need quater marks and sharks teeth but they should be hand drawn DO NOT use the stencils.
 

AnnaLilly

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I'm going to be very blunt here. I wouldnt bother with a county show with a 2 yr old.
You will normally be in a class with very mature, produced 3yr olds, and it is very very rare that any 2 yr old will stand even a remote chance

But if you decide to go for it then inhand bridle with flat browband & noseband and small rubber bit, mane platted, tail is normally pulled though for a baby I'd use a tail rake to get the look. You will need quater marks and sharks teeth but they should be hand drawn DO NOT use the stencils.

Thanks. It's actually a 2 Year old class she would be going in with only 2 Year olds in it
 

Pearlsasinger

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I would give her plenty of experience at local/ UA shows and then consider next year whether you want to go forward toCounty level when she will be better able to give a good account of herself, against professionally produced youngstock.
 

conniegirl

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This was my lad as a just turned 2 yr old
AC476345-ECEA-4B84-A2CE-FDA0DE541A21.jpeg
He was very mature for his age but he looked scrawny against the winter season stock (February) even in 2yr old only classes.
By the time the county shows came round (june) he looked like this
ECDE59D0-6004-4B00-A996-2C77B1D71377.jpeg
I thought he looked amazing for a 2.5yr old but compared to the others he looked very immature.
Honestly id wait for county shows until they are 3 and work on getting them well muscled and well mannered.
 

AnnaLilly

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This was my lad as a just turned 2 yr old
View attachment 30466
He was very mature for his age but he looked scrawny against the winter season stock (February) even in 2yr old only classes.
By the time the county shows came round (june) he looked like this
View attachment 30467
I thought he looked amazing for a 2.5yr old but compared to the others he looked very immature.
Honestly id wait for county shows until they are 3 and work on getting them well muscled and well mannered.
Thank-you for your comment, he's lovely thanks
 

ihatework

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I would never put the food and/or work into a youngster in order to be in a competitive position at a county show, it goes against everything that is best for a young developing horse.

Pick and choose the right unaff shows and just go for experience. Better in the long run.
 

AnnaLilly

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Sorry I am confused? I'm not saying I am going to feed her up and work her I put a post asking for help I e what I would ware and how I would show her, everybody has the right to enter it and we are doing local all year, so far she has done well, I feel I am getting negative comments saying I basically shouldn't bother, I posted on here for experience and for those people who are in my position and wanting to give it a go and asking for dress code
 

Rowreach

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Sorry I am confused? I'm not saying I am going to feed her up and work her I put a post asking for help I e what I would ware and how I would show her, everybody has the right to enter it and we are doing local all year, so far she has done well, I feel I am getting negative comments saying I basically shouldn't bother, I posted on here for experience and for those people who are in my position and wanting to give it a go and asking for dress code

Conniegirl gave you a very straightforward reply with good advice, and then posted pictures which show you how you should dress.

My advice would be the same, especially if you do not have any experience of showing at that level yourself - cut your teeth (and your filly's) on local level shows, produce her properly (don't overfeed, overwork, overtrain) and maybe aim for higher level showing when she is a fair bit older, when you both have more experience.

You might even be able to find showing clinics locally, or ask a local producer for some practical help, or go and spectate at some of the bigger shows to see how other people do it.

Showing can be very demoralising and at county level you will be up against people who do it for a living. Local level is much more fun!
 

ihatework

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Sorry I am confused? I'm not saying I am going to feed her up and work her I put a post asking for help I e what I would ware and how I would show her, everybody has the right to enter it and we are doing local all year, so far she has done well, I feel I am getting negative comments saying I basically shouldn't bother, I posted on here for experience and for those people who are in my position and wanting to give it a go and asking for dress code

Of course you have the right to enter it and if you are happy to pay biggish bucks to stand down the line in the name of experience then you should go for it.

If you want to see how it all works I’d suggest going to spectate at a couple of classes first.

But I stand by my comments, I’d recommend just going unaff
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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OP, if you have a very local county show, then yes, I'd take her along. Its something I did with mine just to see sights and sounds, but only after doing a couple of dummy runs to local shows. If they cannot behave at local show, then forget about big show and lose the entry fee.
I wouldn't take a 2 yr old on any long drives tho.
Dont be tempted to be sitting on any showground for long, this bores them or winds them up.
One or 2 outings as a yearling, then 2 or 3 as a 2yr old. I consider it part of education, particularly if a show career is planned for future.
Arrive an hour before class, then head home again.

V good advice above about turnout etc. Enjoy your horse :)
 

AnnaLilly

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OP, if you have a very local county show, then yes, I'd take her along. Its something I did with mine just to see sights and sounds, but only after doing a couple of dummy runs to local shows. If they cannot behave at local show, then forget about big show and lose the entry fee.
I wouldn't take a 2 yr old on any long drives tho.
Dont be tempted to be sitting on any showground for long, this bores them or winds them up.
One or 2 outings as a yearling, then 2 or 3 as a 2yr old. I consider it part of education, particularly if a show career is planned for future.
Arrive an hour before class, then head home again.

V good advice above about turnout etc. Enjoy your horse :)
Thank-you 😊
 

AnnaLilly

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This was my lad as a just turned 2 yr old
View attachment 30466
He was very mature for his age but he looked scrawny against the winter season stock (February) even in 2yr old only classes.
By the time the county shows came round (june) he looked like this
View attachment 30467
I thought he looked amazing for a 2.5yr old but compared to the others he looked very immature.
Honestly id wait for county shows until they are 3 and work on getting them well muscled and well mannered.
Thanks for that, he's lovely
 

lottiepony

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Some very good points on here. The standard at county shows will be high and I agree with ihatework there are some serious 'over topped' horses in the ring which will make your own look poor - even though they are not! I did a couple of county shows with mine for education purposes (some went better than others lol)
In the sports horse class you will be expected to walk and trot round a triangle - this is worth practising as it is easier said than done! My boy as a 3 year old (2017) so you can see what I wore. I would always wear a hard hat as you can't be too careful when youngster and busy shows are concerned.
18879927_10155191676892184_3753530864838769611_o.jpg


Trotting triangle action!
18839876_10155191676902184_8560876872575715611_o.jpg
 
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HufflyPuffly

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I also showed my then youngster, and I was that person fully expecting to be at the bottom of the line lol. I actually showed her at three and she still looked like a yearling compared to most!

Even at riding club, people will feed up, but we had fun and she learnt some excellent life lessons!
11295772_10153404156469925_6045271489249668284_n.jpg


Later in the year she did a little better!
11822304_10153592635929925_209616768169719682_n.jpg


Obviously I showed her as a riding horse rather than a hunter/ sports horse so slightly different turnout for the horse, but handler wear is much the same :).
 

AnnaLilly

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Some very good points on here. The standard at county shows will be high and I agree with ihatework there are some serious 'over topped' horses in the ring which will make your own look poor - even though they are not! I did a couple of county shows with mine for education purposes (some went better than others lol)
In the sports horse class you will be expected to walk and trot round a triangle - this is worth practising as it is easier said than done! My boy as a 3 year old (2017) so you can see what I wore. I would always wear a hard hat as you can't be too careful when youngster and busy shows are concerned.
18879927_10155191676892184_3753530864838769611_o.jpg


Trotting triangle action!
18839876_10155191676902184_8560876872575715611_o.jpg
Nice, your horse is lovely, yes I understand it's real and there will be alot of experienced people there, it's not far from me and we are doing more locals this year for confidence 😊
 

cundlegreen

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I'm going to be very blunt here. I wouldnt bother with a county show with a 2 yr old.
You will normally be in a class with very mature, produced 3yr olds, and it is very very rare that any 2 yr old will stand even a remote chance

But if you decide to go for it then inhand bridle with flat browband & noseband and small rubber bit, mane platted, tail is normally pulled though for a baby I'd use a tail rake to get the look. You will need quater marks and sharks teeth but they should be hand drawn DO NOT use the stencils.
Not in Sports Horses classes. They stay in their own age group.
 

cundlegreen

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Sorry I am confused? I'm not saying I am going to feed her up and work her I put a post asking for help I e what I would ware and how I would show her, everybody has the right to enter it and we are doing local all year, so far she has done well, I feel I am getting negative comments saying I basically shouldn't bother, I posted on here for experience and for those people who are in my position and wanting to give it a go and asking for dress code
Never mind about how mature the horse should look. In a Sports horse class, there is a marks system which is much fairer. Temperament plays a big part, and my horses have beaten some very smart types because they behaved when going around the triangle. These type of classes don't want to see over topped youngsters, more in line with the Futurity. The experience is also very good for them, and will make them easier to break in, and ride away.
 

cundlegreen

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I also showed my then youngster, and I was that person fully expecting to be at the bottom of the line lol. I actually showed her at three and she still looked like a yearling compared to most!

Even at riding club, people will feed up, but we had fun and she learnt some excellent life lessons!
11295772_10153404156469925_6045271489249668284_n.jpg


Later in the year she did a little better!
11822304_10153592635929925_209616768169719682_n.jpg


Obviously I showed her as a riding horse rather than a hunter/ sports horse so slightly different turnout for the horse, but handler wear is much the same :).
Please, OP, don't wear long boots like those in the photo!
 

conniegirl

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Not in Sports Horses classes. They stay in their own age group.
I did sports horse classes with that lad and the coloured and the shp clases. Very rarely were the 2yrolds separated in any of his classes and even when they were my lad who was a very mature lad all round looked quite weedy.
 

cundlegreen

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I did sports horse classes with that lad and the coloured and the shp clases. Very rarely were the 2yrolds separated in any of his classes and even when they were my lad who was a very mature lad all round looked quite weedy.
Not my experience in County shows. I would never put a 2 yr old up against a 3 yr old except in a Championship where you just have to accept what will happen..
 

HufflyPuffly

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Please, OP, don't wear long boots like those in the photo!

Funny, I’ve shown up and down the country, riding club to county level and clean leather footwear that allows you to run a horse out in sometimes muddy conditions has never been commented on 🙄.

Joddy boots are probably less controversial OP, considering no one thought to mention what is the more traditional thing to wear...
 

conniegirl

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Funny, I’ve shown up and down the country, riding club to county level and clean leather footwear that allows you to run a horse out in sometimes muddy conditions has never been commented on 🙄.

Joddy boots are probably less controversial OP, considering no one thought to mention what is the more traditional thing to wear...
Ditto this, I’ve won quite a few championships and supreme championships wearing long country boots. I’ve also fallen on my arse a few times when wearing Jody boots and running on grass.
 

conniegirl

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Sorry I am confused? I'm not saying I am going to feed her up and work her I put a post asking for help I e what I would ware and how I would show her, everybody has the right to enter it and we are doing local all year, so far she has done well, I feel I am getting negative comments saying I basically shouldn't bother, I posted on here for experience and for those people who are in my position and wanting to give it a go and asking for dress code

You absolutely have the right to enter, and no one has said that she isn’t a nice horse.
What I have said is that with ANY 2 yr old I generally wouldn’t bother paying the much larger entry fees of a county show (often £40 to £60 a class) plus registration fees (check the rules of the show you want to go to but often the horse has to be registered with shgb to be able to enter, registration is £75) to go up against horses who have been over topped and professionally produced to look extremely mature.

2 yr olds are at that strange stage where one week they can look amazing and the next you wonder if they were put together by a committee! Given that most county shows require entries 4 to 6 weeks prior to the show, it can be a very expensive exercise if they are in thier “omg what the hell is that” week. I personally didn’t take mine out when they were looking less than amazing.
 

AnnaLilly

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You absolutely have the right to enter, and no one has said that she isn’t a nice horse.
What I have said is that with ANY 2 yr old I generally wouldn’t bother paying the much larger entry fees of a county show (often £40 to £60 a class) plus registration fees (check the rules of the show you want to go to but often the horse has to be registered with shgb to be able to enter, registration is £75) to go up against horses who have been over topped and professionally produced to look extremely mature.

2 yr olds are at that strange stage where one week they can look amazing and the next you wonder if they were put together by a committee! Given that most county shows require entries 4 to 6 weeks prior to the show, it can be a very expensive exercise if they are in thier “omg what the hell is that” week. I personally didn’t take mine out when they were looking less than amazing.
Yes the class I would enter states 2 Year olds only, it's a long way away yet anyhow her breeder recommended me to enter with her temperament being so lovely
 

conniegirl

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Sports horse classes (affiliated) are scored out of 100
There are a max 40 marks for conformation
Max 20 marks for movement at walk
Max 20 marks for movement at trot,
Max 10 marks for type
Max 10 marks for temperament.

So unfortunately a lovely temperament is not enough on its own, though 10 marks is not to be sniffed at if she is a nice well behaved, but bright and alert youngster. You need to gain as many points in the other categories as possible.
You can’t change her bone structure for the conformation mark however once you have identified her weak points there are a few tricks to improve the look or draw the eye away from the weak bits and onto the strong parts. Take a really good critical look at her a few days before, decide if her neck looks, too long, too short, too weak, too cresty (unlikely given her age) etc, the way you plait can create an optical illusion. Many small plaits can make a neck look longer, fewer fat plaits can make a neck look shorter, if the neck looks weak you can do cobra plaits to make the top line look better.
Quarter marks can be used to make a bum look better, but equally if you get it wrong it can make them look weaker, you are best looking on YouTube for how (I think supreme products had a good video, as does total impact equestrian) as it is very much a trial and error process.
Equine makeup is controversial so apart from a bit of gloss is probably best avoided unless you realy know how to do it subtly.
As for getting them looking thier best, I used to take mine out for walks inhand up and down the massive hills we had near us, or lead him from a much older horse, this helps build muscle and it had the added advantage of introducing him to traffic and hacking out early
Mine used to get a couple of mugs out outshine a day to encourage the coat to look amazing and he was on good grazing, but other than that he didn’t get anything else feed wise until he was sent for backing at 3.5yrs old.

To maximise the movement mark Get her realy striding out in-hand (this does not mean just going very fast, it means finding the speed/rhythm that shows your horses paces off to best advantage), she will need to show a lovely free action and will need to be moving well from her back end. You should not have to drag her round and should be able to be at her shoulder the whole time. Try to discourage her from curling her neck towards you as many inhand youngsters do as it can make them look like they don’t move straight.

Practice trotting on a triangle, make sure that when you come to the corners, you steady up in plenty of time, take the corners fairly wide and leave at least one stride of straightness after the corner before asking her to stride out again to show off her movement.
If you go round the corner too fast or too tightly or are still bent when asking to stride out again you can make the horse look unlevel or like they don’t move straight.

The type mark you really can’t do much about as it is the judges opinion on whether your is suitable for the discipline (normally dressage, eventing or showjumping)

Hope that helps
 
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