Etiquette at shows

I spend a lot of time on my pony at shows as I have displaced hips and am very uncomfortable getting on and off or walking. BUT I do losen girth and give her decent length rests between classes, albeit with me sitting on her some of the time. I ALWAYS get off for lunch and if it's an all day thing a couple of breaks where she gets a munch and drink BUT I simply cannot keep getting on and off. This is partly why I bought an all day mid weight cob type (she's a mini warmblood really, honest!!).

I have also been placed 2nd on my imaculate turned out pony in my imaculate own turn out following a damn near spot on show, to a great dirty heavy cob with no indication of being cleaned or brushed with rider with lose hair and half chaps no less.

I DID quietly ask the judge for feed back when she handed me my rosette BUT POLITELY as in 'excuse me thankyou and I'm not questioning the decision but how do I help my pony win next time so I don't let her down'. Sadly the response was that she was 2nd as she was not a prime example of her breed (appy) fair enough, if she had any appy in her whatsoever. She doesn't! And she was at least CLEAN!!

Found out later that the organiser owned 1st place pony and neice was riding it. (Organiser is nice fair lady and would normally be annoyed at favouritism, can only assume judge acted on what is normal expectation at small shows) We won championship though!!

Perhaps I was out of line asking in the ring but I was at least polite! No excuse not to be IMO
 
i quit showing a number of years ago because alot of the riders would cut you up, push into you in the line up and basically got snotty when you placed above them, they would rant and rave at the judge and were downright rude, kids and adults.

i grew up in a showing environment, was taught to respect the judges opinion and accept losing graciously, after 18yrs of showing i told myself it wasn't worth it because of the above attitudes and i vowed never to do showing again as the day was always ruined by ignorance.

anyway i had numerous people talk me into showing my pony (in hand) and i bit the bullet at the weekend and got him all smartened up, ok it was more of a scrub down and fly spray! i had someone else show him for me as i couldn't be doing with that side of things. after the first couple of horses/ponies did their indivdual 'show' an owner decided to go and talk to the judge about her horse, i don't know what was said or whether she was asked to talk to the judge there and then but in my opinion it was rude, she was talking for ages and the horses/ponies were stood in line patiently, alot of people outside the ring were grumbling and we all agreed that she should have waited until after the class.

i saw a few kids just riding non stop going between one ring and another but there were alot that were leading their ponies/horses around and even giving them water out of a squirty bottle (sports top) or offering them an ice cream, i saw the enjoyment on the kids faces from just being able to attend a show and it brought back alot of memories (good ones).
 
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