Is this trophy chasing? Should I go HC?

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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I want to enter Louie in a pc run ODE in the middle of September to do the 2ft3. He's 5 never done a ODE in his life or xc competition, has done 3 show jumping competitions. We school over 90cm sj and about 2ft6ish xc. But he gets stage fright and can be a bit spooky so I like to keep the jumps small and inviting as he's so keen I don't want to frighten him. I haven't done an ODE since 2008 and that was on a push button pony. The dressage test is a walk and trot test. We've been xc schooling 2 and a half times (I say half because the first time all we managed to jump were two telegraph poles 6" off the ground.) But do plan to do a bit more now dressage is on hold.

Would this be perceived as trophy chasing? I don't like competing against the young kids (even though they're probably much more likely to get around better then me.) Should I enter hc or should I put brave pants on and enter 2ft6? He's more than capable but I want to give him a nice experience.

ETA: Also if people could suggest nice friendly ODEs we could do end of this year or next spring local to Gloucestershire let me know :)
 
Gosh no; why would that be pot hunting? If you were a pro event rider maybe but definitely not in this case! Do the 2'3" to give him a nice experience - no reason to push him out of his comfort zone at 5 and so inexperienced!
 
Did write a long reply then computer deleted it! But in short no I don´t think it would be pot hunting, it will be a good experience for him and there will be plenñty of kids on experienced ponies who´ll jump round clear and not be bothered by you.
 
I dont see how it can possibly be trophy chasing with the experience you describe. I would do the 2ft 3 as it sounds as if that is sensible for his stage of training.

I suppose the only problem will be if some over-zealous mums of tots think its unfair because you are older and if you are really worried about that then go h/c.

I am 50 and often find myself competing against 8 year old children - but they always beat me!! :-)
 
No its his first one, if he had done lots of eventing in the past it might be different. Pot hunting is the FEI eventing ponies going round a PC 90.
 
Sorry stupid mine I meant to say he's 6 :p

I do feel a little less bad now, my only worry is that (not sounding big headed) he looks a smart little boy who looks like he could be popping around a novice track with his eyes shut. Sadly bold isn't exactly a word I'd use to describe him which on first glance you wouldn't know and it would look like we're pot hunting.

Well fingers crossed, we'll hire out the xc next weekend for a bit of schooling and see how we go. :)

Thank you all :)
 
i'd go hc if i was in your position. I don't think adults competing against kids is fair, even on a green horse. If the aim is for the horse to have a good experience then the prize is irelevant anyways. I'd just go hc, enjoy the day and give the horse a nice starter run.
 
If the pc event is open to adults then go for it. They often run a section for adults and a section for pc members.
 
paddi22 said:
i'd go hc if i was in your position. I don't think adults competing against kids is fair, even on a green horse. If the aim is for the horse to have a good experience then the prize is irelevant anyways. I'd just go hc, enjoy the day and give the horse a nice starter run.
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If it's a PC Open event then it's an Open event. Is it an Open event Kokopelli?

If you want to see kids competing against adults go to any BE80 event - yesterday I saw some real diddy ones absolutely trouncing the adults ;)
 
If the classes are split into PC members and non-members then no problem at all. If not then the kids will be fully aware they will be competing against adults when they enter, it's their decision whether they are happy with this when they enter and as long as your horse meets the entry criteria of the class I don't see the problem. I've competed against Oli Townend and piggy French in a BE100 section, I know there may be pros in my class when I enter and have no problem being beaten by them, they have as much right to be there as I do
 
It is open yes :) and it did say it may be split adults and children dependent on entries. I think if it splits I'll go normal but if not I'll go HC.

I went to a show on saturday and felt like people were not happy with us doing the small classes. I trotted around the jump off in the first class and came last (only 4 got into JO) and withdrew from JO in second class and would rather go HC then feel like that again.

ETA: I am a pc member but 20 so not your typical one :p
 
i'd feel bad about taking a prize from a kid that worked and trained really hard. As an adult you get used to rosettes and prizes etc, but to kids it can mean the world to them to win.
 
paddi22 said:
i'd feel bad about taking a prize from a kid that worked and trained really hard. As an adult you get used to rosettes and prizes etc, but to kids it can mean the world to them to win.
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Really? I work & train just as hard as any Pony Club child. In fact if not harder because I also have to work to pay the entry fees whereas their mummy & Daddy pay theirs :D ;)
As an adult I never tire of winning rosettes, no matter how scrappy or cheap they are, they always mean the world to me as well.

That said it's purely academic....I tend to get trounced by the PC kids anyway :(
 
I think you should do it kokopelli and why HC in an Open section? Children need to get used to competing against all sorts of people.
Rosie is still a pony club member (she's 22) and she takes her youngsters to PC ODE events before she registers them with BE and she's a professional in so far as riding/producing eventers is how she earns her living. She beats some of the children and some of the children beat her - such is life.
 
Age doesn't equal experience for horse or human. I've only owned my horse for a year and have such little experience with jumping that a 'clear round' or 'special' rosette would be a big deal to me, a place would blow my mind!! Some of those kids have probably been out competing every weekend for years.

If the class is open to adults then go for it, welcome to real life kids!
 
Another one who thinks you should go for it. Open means open in my book. Kids doing XC are hardly little babies that need to have special treatment and they usually beat the adults with their super dooper wizzy ponies anyway :)
 
I'm with you - I work blooming hard to try to do well but always get beaten by kids ;) I don't see why being an adult gives you much advantage; eventing it's offset by the crazy brave little kids!! Do it and don't go HC I see no reason why you should. It's his first ODE! Of course you would start small :)

Enjoy and be sure to do a report!
 
If it's an Open class, don't go HC just because they're kids. When I was doing riding school SJ, many of the other competitors were juniors, and you can bet I gave no quarter in the JO! They generally had the advantage anyway, riding ponies in a tight school vs. the 16.3 or 17.1 I was sitting on! :D

If I were a kid and thought adults were riding HC just so that I could have the rosettes, I'd feel pretty patronised. ;)
 
Don't you dare go hc you wally!

I'm 33 and ride a pony and get beaten by kids all the flaming time. If you were out beating the kids every weekend that might be different!!!
 
Its not so much the kids I worry about but the pony club mums, they are pretty terrifying :p

If it wasn't a walk trot dressage test I wouldn't feel too bad either.
 
Don't stress so much about what other people MIGHT be thinking. ;) Perhaps they will think how great it is of you to support their competition by bringing your young horse to do the most suitable class for his level.

As others said, don't necessarily assume you're going to beat the kids! I'm always a bit taken aback when I see how well mounted many kids are these days. In the nicest way, I suspect none of them will give you a second thought.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Obviously if you don't win it now we will laugh :p
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No pressure then! Lol tbh I would be happy if he just atleast tries to jump one xc fence and doesn't have a meltdown if there are lots of fillers. Thankfully if we trot into a scary fence we can jump it, the issue is if we're cantering and it takes him by surprise :L lots of time penalties im thinking :)
 
mandwhy said:
Age doesn't equal experience for horse or human. I've only owned my horse for a year and have such little experience with jumping that a 'clear round' or 'special' rosette would be a big deal to me, a place would blow my mind!! Some of those kids have probably been out competing every weekend for years.

If the class is open to adults then go for it, welcome to real life kids!
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Agreed! I never got any rosettes as a kid - non horsey family who wouldn't stretch to hiring a box out! So when I get them now it's a huge deal, particularly as they are from the first horse I've brought on myself.

Go for it Kokopelli, and good luck! Let us know how you get on :)
 
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