Junior jumping in the olden days

[Maesfen]

That's what I meant I just didn't put it the right way, it was something of a big deal to go out to shows and it was generally the really good kids who were out jumping.

Yes, you worked hard at home and had to prove to yourself (and your parents, instructors etc) you were good enough to go to a show which is why I find it hard to get my head around how appallingly bad some competitors are nowadays even at affiliated level. Back then they wouldn't have been allowed off a yard let alone compete as they just weren't of a competitive standard.

was there less affiliated on at the time? less transport therefore those locally who these days would only do BS would have been doing the local shows (+actually some prize money maybe?)

Very little affiliated back then and at most shows the opens would be contested by affiliated riders as well as local hopefuls so it was a big coup if you beat them; it was what most aspired to do and if you didn't, you didn't attempt to affiliate as that would have meant needing transport for shows further afield when there were local shows most weekends and you had a chance of cleaning up at them, maybe winning a class which would net you a tenner if you were lucky.
There were usually restrictions in that you couldn't have won x amount of classes or money at that level so people tended to stay in their section and learn their job a bit longer but nearly everyone had the aim of going up the ladder, you didn't get the same amount using a class as a comfort zone which seems to be done a lot lately.

PS: great thread BTW!

 

[siennamum]

I agree Maesfen. The other big difference was due to the competition being based on height of ponies/age of riders. Especially when jumping 14.2's I would have to jump clear round a 3ft 6/3ft9 course before I got to go against the clock. There were 5 or 6 other kids who were 14/15 yrs old who I regularly competed against and it was highly competitive.

When I moved to horses open show jumping at the village shows was huge. the biggest course I jumped was at an agricultural show it was bigger than the Foxhunter at our local county show. It was again highly competitive and there was a big challenge cup and decent prize money.

I used to go to a village show and win a few classes and come home having made decent money. That was a big difference to nowadays.

 

[small]

siennamum your riding at 8 was better than mine is at 42 sadly. I have a news paper clipping of my mum(now dead i am afraid so cant check the details) but she looks to be very young maybe 8 or 9 hat with no elastic ,holding a cup nearly as big as she was. Her pony was a 12 hh fell called Jo, and they had won the open 4'6. She always said that they were just normal height jumps at the time and she never gave it a second thought-eeek! this would have been late 1940's.Maybe we have dumbed down;I mean if most of the jumps you come accross are 80 cms then when you do jump a metre it looks reasonably big.

 

[measles]

Great pic, Siennamum Agree with the other comments - you proved yourself over what would now be considered large tracks at local shows before affiliating. Those shows were one offs in fields rather than regular formats run by show centres, and you jumped virtually regardless of weather or ground conditions.

 

[Suziq77]

This is me on my 12.2hh doing the Novice jumping 14.2hh and under at a local show. It started at 2' 9"

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l601/suziq77ponies/DoverampDistrictshowAug88_zpsce5a99e3.jpg

Sometimes I can't believe how small the jumps are these days, I'd worry my horses would trip over in the 50 - 60 cm class

 

[BeckyD]

Even when I was little (born in 1978) the local SJ comps were slightly meatier than you'd see nowadays. I remember taking my little 20+yo 10hh shetland x loan pony along and quaking somewhat at the prospect of starting at 2'6"-2'9" (in the under-12 class). Sadly I only managed to start, but not finish, getting over the princely total of one fence (which wasn't even the first one as after numrous unsuccessful attempts they let me skip that one). That's nothing like the 3'3" that you all remember, but compared to nowadays where classes seem to start at 6", it's big!

 

[Littlelegs]

Even in the late 80's & early 90's, there seemed to be far more on, even without transport you could find plenty to get out to, & the courses were much bigger. But, I'd say less technical. One local show (unaffiliated fun one) used to run a cr that was 3' in the morning & 2'6 in the afternoon, & it was popular as a great first outing. Also not unusual for lr kids to do their first course round the 2'6. Whereas little fun shows I've taken daughter to, cr is raised poles for kids now. Also loads of small sj rounds. I think certainly for kids, unaffiliated local level being bigger but less technical was better.

 

[ann-jen]

As a child I remember local shows running the 14.2hh section at 3'6" then the novice was 3'3" and the open 4'. Hunter trials ran novice at 3'6" and open at 4'. Wouldn't dream of doing that now. Was a lot braver back in the day!

 

[ann-jen]

Can't get link to work :-(

 

[SpruceRI]

One of my friends regularly jumped her 12.3hh pony in Open classes at local shows which started at 3ft 6" And she used to do really well in the Chase-Me-Charlie classes jumping well over 4ft, I think 4ft 8" was her record.

I didn't meet her until her pony was in its late teens though and jumping classes were a lot smaller in height. But I'm still gobsmacked when I look at her photos.

 

[glenruby]

In my pony days in the 90's, novice ponies started at 1.05m for 14.2hh. Most of the ponies in this class would have been 4-5years old. This was the smallest affiliated class. Then there was 5/6/7yo classes which were usually 1.29m though i do remember the minimum height being reduced to 1.15m vefore i finished ponies. 13.2hh novice was 95cm and 12.2hhs jumped 85cm.

 

[glenruby]

1.20m that should say!