Is it because i didnt wear tweed?? :s

[WelshD]

I always think the best way to ask for feedback would be 'is there anything that I can improve on that may help me do better next time?'

I show chickens and the amount of people that ask a judge 'why wasnt my bird placed higher?' is unreal - there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to ask for feedback so as FF says above ask politely if you do ask!

 

[Equi]

I've asked for feedback before (if the judge has hung about in the class long enough) to have them look at me as if I'm daft or trying to pick a fight! I genuinely do enjoy showing and wanted to get better, so many judges though do a runner after a class! Best feedback ever was at the Royal highland in the side saddle class, we got a wee written feedback from the judge, perfect, but not possible at every show understandably

I do like feedback, i had one lovely judge who was very honest in a nice way and just said shes too tubby! lol

 

[conniegirl]

Carrots&mint have pm'd you

 

[Carrots&Mints]

I once had a judge get hold of my pony and make him stand how he should and made me judge my own pony! Went into another class 2 classes after with the same judge and took all his information in and needless to say we got 1st! Also gave us some more tips off him, would love to know his name! Told us if we kept practising we would make it! Been placed in every show ever since!

 

[asommerville]

I've had funny looks for asking if I can do anything to be better even at local level. When mine was 4 and winning u would still ask if there was anything that would make him better, dolove showing but it's all about having fun!!

 

[minesadouble]

Carrots&mint and The Wife, its nice to know I'm not alone.

I'll have my splodgey SHP out hopefully doing some of the later RI & HOYS qualifiers, he had his first year under saddle last year so stuck to Local shows mainly with the odd Equifest or CHAPS qualifier. He is striking enough that even the bad judges have placed him quite well, I did however get one or 2 judges who seemed to know absolutly nothing and the judging was at least entertaining!
I'm also currently teaching him to jump so we might do a few WHP classes as well.

If you don't have a pressing reason to go for qualifiers this year (e.g. jockey's last year in class) I would stick to the smaller affiliated shows,, area shows, qualifiers for BSPS Champs etc. Your pony will still be a novice and if I were you I would just take my time, get a few miles on the clock before throwing him in at the deep end with the big boys. Make the most of his novice status

 

[conniegirl]

Minesadouble, He denoviced himself last year in the coloureds (on his first ever affiliated show!) and I'm too old for the SHP classes.

 

[minesadouble]

Ahh, I thought you were showing him as a SHP! I have no idea about CHAPS novice rules. Good Luck for the season and keep us posted

 

[conniegirl]

CHAPS novice rules are not to have won any affiliated class prior to 1st of jan in that year, he won his first ever affiliated novice class so technically not a novice anylonger however I been told that it might change this year to not to have won an open affiliated class (which he hasnt).

Am just waiting for CHAPS to let me know!

 

[NeverSayNever]

when I asked my instructor (who also judges) what may have caused me to be at the end of a line up, I was told, really.. if you’re at the end of a line, buy a different horse Good job I love my horse and don’t really care

 

[Lizzie66]

Working Hunter is typically marked:

50/100 on the actual jumping round (so if clear you get 50, losing 10 for knock down and 15 for first refusal and 20 for a second refusal).

10/100 marks for jumping style

30/100 marks for conformation / type

10/100 for show / presentation

Sometimes at lower level shows they may reduce the conformation/type score and put more emphasis on show/presentation (may go to 25:15 or 20:20) but they should leave the jumping marks alone.

So if you all jumped clear then it comes down to the judges opinion on jumping style, conformation/type and show/presentation.

Maybe you tried to "showjump" rather than go for it on the jumping, your horse might not be the right type and you would have been marked down on show/presentation for not being in tweed. It could easily be just one or two marks that separated you.

 

[FinkleyGladiator]

I used to show my redwings pony locally (who'd been a county level show pony before being mistreated) and got hugely mixed views. He was true to type for some judges and for others he should have been doing show hunter (which is what he did at county level)

Some judges loved his forward way of jumping and said they could see him being fun hunting, some said he was too forward for a childs pony

Some judges marked entirely on jumping faults, others on way of going (I remember being particularly annoyed at one riding club show as the judge seemed to place entirely on faults. Finn did a fluid round and lovely show to have one down and we were dressed correctly but came 4th out of 4 to horses who'd all gone clear but been 'sticky' and one of them was wearing a multicoloured hatsilk! The horror!)

Some judges seemed to mark on dress (when doing show hunter at one local show we were placed 3rd behind 2 ponies (who were being shown at county level at the time) in a class of over 10 and I was thrilled…..until one of the lower placed riders asked why the show pony they'd just bought hadn't done better and the judge stated she wanted to see horse and rider correctly turned out with the correct tack for the class. Ruined my high!), others didn't at all (for my first working hunter on my first pony I wore a black jacket, no hairnet and it was the 2nd time I'd ever plaited so they were pretty shocking. However we won both of our classes and the championship and the judge made an example of the way my pony went (his first ever working hunter as well!) to the other mums. Cue my me and my mum being incredibly proud )

Some said he shouldn't be shown due to his massive scars (one looked like you'd used an ice cream scoop on his neck), others didn't care

I guess what I'm trying to say is - if you're going to show do it because you enjoy it. Fair enough look to better yourselves but your pony is lovely and you're successful in other disciplines so don't dwell on it! Good luck in the future

 

[The wife]

Working Hunter is typically marked:

50/100 on the actual jumping round (so if clear you get 50, losing 10 for knock down and 15 for first refusal and 20 for a second refusal).

10/100 marks for jumping style

30/100 marks for conformation / type

10/100 for show / presentation

They have actually just changed the marks system for workers for 2014, whether the local shows follow suit is a different matter, although appreciate the judge probably won't ride at grassroots. It's the 33% for ride and confo and 17% for go round that gets me. Who thought up of these numbers, seriously!

 

[magicgirl]

It seems to be the way of first shows. I think the judges smell it and put you last to find out if you're going to be a return customer. If they weed out the ones who are going to give up cause they didn't place then they have the serious showers left. I placed last out of about 15 horses in my very first show, despite a lot of people saying i shouldn't have, so i can only think that it was my handling skills and nerves showing through (even though i was told it didn't look like my first show!)

Just the way it goes.

I have never read such rubbish in my life. Judges judge what is in front of them. They have an ideal horse and/or way of going in their mind and compare what is in the ring to their ideal and place accordingly. People who are new to showing often see their own animals or performances through rose coloured spectacles and don't like it when they are placed down the line.