Do you think a "posh" name makes a difference in competition? Discuss

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1928sky

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I'm a bit bored this afternoon!
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When I bought my horse donkeys years ago as a 6 year old all she had ever done literally was hunt- no lunging, no schooling nothing and hence trotting a 20m circle was a challenge without falling over! Unfortunately her posh name was Absolutely Fabulous, which I quickly ditched as I thought it a bit pretentious and likely to lead to much embarrassment in our early competition career
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so stuck with her stable name and thought no more of it. However i know when i look at a list of entries I am much more relaxed if its names like Bob, Fred, Daisy etc as I just assume (I'm allowed to say this because i am in this club!) they won't be as good/ competitive as horses that have name in french
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or have a fancy stud prefix in front! What are your views on this, do you think judges think the same either in the showring or the dressage arena? Is it all in a name- did you ditch an unsuitable name?
 
1 I will never change a horses name
2 I really dont think it matters, a judge in the show ring rarely gets to see/hear the name, my mum had a very good show cob who was simply Harley, I have had the downright stupid names, always makes a good commentary point on xc if they get their tongue stuck round it but they just wont bother with all of it if unpronounceable.
 
I don't think it makes much difference, i certainly don't think my section will be more competitive

I do however avoid names like 'Absolutely Fabulous' for my own horses. You are asking for jokes from the commentator etc if you have a bad day!!!
 
I have changed horses names in the past and I would again as my horse had one that was just asking for trouble if you ask me.

I tend not to associate performance with a name - there are loads in my PC with a posh name that don't exactly have talent to burn
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I've never really thought about it TBH. I dont expect fancy-named horses to be very good though! I had one horse who I can think of had a specifically "posh" name (warmblood, why do they all have silly names?) and he was a useless competition horse!!

I have changed first names of horses (ie. usual stable names) and have made up show names for them which I dont think are particularily posh.
 
Rosie's SJer is called Poncz (which is pronounced Ponch but she calls him Ponce) - I gather he's Polish bred. The commentator at Towerlands stumbled over the name and then decided to introduce him as Ponk Zed. Daughter had an SJer called Be Good - you can imagine the comments when he wasn't
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Don't think fancy names are scary but they can be quite embarassing
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I just use the name Pickle came with for comps. It is slightly posh for him, but I think its slightly funny so kept it. So he is Eagles Pick Pocket. I don't tend to judge a horse by it's name. Mainly as I know an "eric" who has done medium level dressage and was amazing.
 
When I want the 'sympathy vote' or I want people to say 'thats a redwings pony?!' Ill put Redwings Finn
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But otherwise its Finkley Gladiator because when hes been 'Finkley' or 'Gladiator' I've fallen off !
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tend just to use Frank unless I dislike the dressage writer or the commentator!- t'other one is v welsh!, tend to only have to use it for RC champs

I think using a posh name makes it seem like you should at least be able to get over the jumps etc.
 
Try going cross country on 'Playing Dirty' !!!!!!!!!! I am always embarrased every time they read it out! Curse you wetherebys!!!

but on that note I did register my old chap as 'the flying flump' he was called Rex and TFF was an embarrasing nickname he aquired and our dressage was so laughable I thought the judge might also have a giggle at our name too!
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I agree with marymoo! never change a name! however we had a section c with a welsh full name of nantlais mellten,, nobody could say that,, and unfortunatley a stable name of fanny! it was tweeked to sammy for competitions to avoid emmbarrasment!
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I like silly / double meaning posh names, I like Miss...... names you'd notice from the ones I have named for BE, Miss Placed and Miss Chief, Miss Stress, Miss Ingafoot (she severed her foot as a 2yr old )there are so many you can think up!!
I really want another coloured so I can call it Miss Moo, Moo cows mummy wouldnt let me call her that - spent long enough getting her to call her Moo at home
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Also really want to call something Dick or something along thoes lines...or maybe some gorgeous movie star, as I would find it amusing to hear the x.c commentator stumbling over saying .... well im sure you can imagine
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Ok think I may be a little bored now to
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I soooo wish my new little mare could have a posh name. She is on her passport as Poppy XVIII - and they won't let me change it - arrgghh!
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Her old owner only ever meant Poppy to be her stable name, then give her a posh name when she started competing but now the rules have changed at Sport Horse GB and you can no longer change it. At least I know there are at least 17 other people with horses who will only ever be called Poppy I guess......
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my TB is called Ohnonothim which was always quite amusing when he did something wrong
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My grey was called Diamond Diozamor which was awful as it always ended up as Diamond Dazzler
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(not helped as i am called Jodie Beswitherick and it was always commuted to Judy Boswick- WTF?!!!
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new horse is rather unfortunately called Redhill Bandit. sure there will be a few smirks at that one...

ChloeGHE- i LOVE 'Playing Dirty'
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If you have an 'opposition' or ODT horse in your section then i always ave a look at their record (this is coming from a former OPN person
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), but its performance that matters!
 
Show judges arn't allowed to ask the name, I dont think
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Likely to be wrong.

Pip is just 'Pippin' and TBH I really don't think the name makes any difference, although having a well named horse can attract more attention, that could be postive (Sponsors approaching you etc.) Or negative, as you get the pressure, and people expect you to be good.
 
I think in showing it might make a difference. Although I often wonder whether some of the "names" deliberately give a horse an awful name to just show off that they can get away with it.

I don't like changing a horse's name but changing their show name is different. My mare has 3 show names, the one her breeders registered her with for SHB(GB), her first BSJA name because they didn't like the original one and her new BSJA name because I didn't like theirs.
 
My old event horse was "screamin lord such". It was a joke name and we were a bit of a joke, it was always touch and go whether we left enough show jumps up to go XC, once we did the fun kicked in
 
My boy is "Saunders Dragon's L" on the harness racing scene people know that Saunders in a stud in wales that's got a reputation for good horses and Dragon's L came from his grandfather Dragon's Lair who was a record holding racer. It doesn't count for toffee in 1ft 6 jumping classes????? lol he's entered as Dragon where ever we go!
 
I gave my horse a "posh" competition name when I got his passport done. Couldnt bear entering BE with "Henry", as he looks like he should be good, even though he isnt!
 
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