Is there any point to showing?

Well i love showing!! I've met some of my best friends from all over the country showing.
When i was at school doing school sj, i was competing on my 13hh whp without spurs against my class mates on their 16hh with spurs & what not over the same courses & did just as well, & oven better than them!

The cost of showing as well also comes into it - people spend £1 million on a top class sj or dressage horse & can compete for their country - whereas in showing, you can spend £12,000 can do exactly the same & be at the top of your chosen discipline.

I remember one year when the whole of the BE pony team was made up of all showing jockies or ponies. Look at Laura Collet to just name one person who came from showing who has dominated the eventing yr world.

Showing is what it is - i took this from the BE webite for Advanced height of fences 'Note: only one upright and one ascending spread obstacle may be included up to the maximum height above. No other obstacle may exceed 1.25m in height' - this is exactly the same as HOYS, the RI and the Desert Orchid intermediate whp who are restricted to 15.2 & riders under 15.
I'm not implying that don't sj kids etc jump bigger etc, but track some spurs off a horse, restrict its rider age & its height, you your on a different ball field.

Like it or not, you shouldn't knock it just cos you don't under stand it. There is a HUGE difference between local showing & county shows & then another difference between county showing & HOYS/RI showing. Personally, i like to see a beautiful horse jump mannerly over a 1.20m track than a horse that bucks or throws its head jump over a 1.60m track - but thats me.

I remember a few years ago when H&H did famous riders riding famous horses when Lucinda Green rode Louise Bells Cruise Control - Lucinda was so ride about showing & how she thought the horse would be no good etc, bur after riding him, she realised what an athlete he was how well & big he could jump etc.

Some people just get the wrong idea about showing - they either just see a few photos, or watch a bad class & make up their mind.

How many people have been killed whilst showing? How many have been killed whilst eventing? How many horses have broken a leg or have to be pts when showing? How many horses have broken a leg or had to be pts when eventing?

Thats one of the reasons that IDoShowing.
 
As with any equestrian discipline you could ask 'whats the point' and with all the disciplines unless you are involved you might not get the point. But as with anything regarding horses the end result is and can be very subjective.
Those involved with showing take huge satisfaction from finding and producing their horse, especially those that are to be ridden by a judge, something that many Olympic riders appreciate as a very difficult thing to do and are glad its not required in their chosen sport. You only have to watch the finals of the showjumping when they swap horses to see how the 'easy ride' with its own jockey becomes a nightmare ride for the others.( I can not imagine dressage being any different if it was required of them). One on one horse trainer/ riders can have a multitude of hidden sins, that become very apparent when someone else gets on board.
Skill is required to be involved in any equestrian discipline whether you TT see 'the point' well that is up to you so 'what is your point'?
 
Just wanted to add my little part in, i've just started showing this season, although previously done everything, due to the fact i'm a nervous rider and find showing the only form of competition that does not bring me near of a heart attack. My horse lives out in a field all year round, jumps, hacks, does everything any other horse would do. And in my opinion people chose to show because it is mainly about taking pride in your horse and believing they could be they best.
 
I agree with most of what you say, however that is not how classes are judged. having competed a couple of weeks ago in an equifest qualifier i was told my conny was too fat. This is a conny who hunts, is currently doing x/c and ode and has qualified for naional prelim champs in his first year of ridden work. I have ridden to g.p.level (although have had 10yrs off of riding) and am BHSII so hope am qualified enough to know fat from muscle. (My horse was once used to demonstrate correct musculature of the dressage horse for eastern dressage group). I am not a fan of showing as looking at the results of a lot of showing none of the line up would in my opinon stay sound after one season hunting let alone eventing. Judges do not know the difference between fat and muscle and the judge of my class actually pointed to his trapezius muscle and said it was a cresty neck - glad I spent all winter working on developing his neck and back muscles. I train with International trainers who have never said he is fat. This is not a sore grapes note as I only show when I have nothing else to do - but from now on won't waste entry money and also advise clients not to buy show horses as they are not always sound. (At this show i was with an equine vetrinary nurse who was pointing out all the lame horses in the line up. One I know well and is not right behind and very stiff and hollow as was all the class bar the winner who was a nice type.
 
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