FMM
Well-Known Member
What a very long weekend (so will be an equally long post ...)
First up was Meadhowhead Scout doing his first proper hunter class - massive classes for the hunters (28 in the amateurs!) - he was second to Lorraine Homer which was fantastic. Very pleased with him.
Unfortunately, Blarney, Patrick, Debs and Ernie were all due in the ring at the same time, so Jayne took Blarney (MW) Jo took Patrick (MW), Gemma took Debs (large hack) and I took Ernie (HW cob - The Cobbler) into their respective classes. We didn't even have enough grooms to go round! Blarney and Patrick were 3rd and 4th which was very good (think Robert Oliver won). Debs was second - it was a small class, but he went well enough to have been placed highly anyway.
Ernie was great in the cobs. I rode him for 3 minutes once in the field several months ago, and apart from that have never sat on him. The ring was the one with the bank in the bottom corner and a coffin fence in the middle of it. It was on an awful slope - the first time we trotted down the slope Ernie was a bit worried, but was great after that. He went really well and gave a great gallop. The two ride judges for the cobs were really get into the spirit. Rory Gilesnan rode him first and Ernie gave him a lovely ride. Then Norman Profitt hopped on and again Ernie went really well. Did the stripping (Ernie doesn't trot in hand for me at all!) The conformation judges thought he was light of bone and gave us the most awful conformation marks - at that point I really couldn't see the point of putting Dinger in the amateur class! It is crazy as some judges have said that Ernie has the best conformation for HWs, and yet this one said he should be a small hunter (will hopefully put some pics up at some point so make your own mind up!!!!) Anyway - thanks to the appalling conformation marks, I ended up on equal 5th place with 2 other cobs and a few points behind Mr Morrow.
Then got straight onto Dinger - he went fantastically, one of the best rides I have had from him. Again, gave the judges very good rides. Then off for the conformation knowing that if thought that Ernie was a "small hunter" then god knows what they would make of Dinger. They loved him. So I am now very confused of Bedford.
Anyway - final results and the first and second had equal marks and Dinger was one mark behind them, so it was really close. 1st was Mr Morrow, 2nd was Tellytubs, then Dinger. There were about 12 in the class - or maybe a few more - can't remember now.
Last one in for the day was The Philanderer (large riding horse). He went well and got 23/25 from both the conformation judges which was one of the highest marks all day.
Will try to explain the championship judging before I go on.
4 judges awarding marks out of 10 for performance, manners and star quality. They are not the judges from the class so have not seen the horses perform on the day of the show until the championship, they do not know who won the classes (no rosettes worn) and do not know what the marks are. Once the marks for the individual shows are given, these are added to the marks won in the class.
Phil did a lovely individual show, but not enough to get past the eventual winner so took reserve riding horse.
Then whizzed back up the motorway - home by 10.30pm, repacked the lorry then off to bed.
Left at 6.15am nexy morning as they had put the start of the classes back an hour. They had also changed all the rings around, so we all spent hours trekking back and forth. Addy was first in with Toby in the lead rein - Toby rode really well, but there were some top ponies in the class, most of whom seem to have qualified for HOYS. We were 7th out of about 12 - winner was Leo Bowen with a beautiful bay show pony. Second was a dartie which I believe is quite well known :unknw:. Marks were very close at the end of the line so we only just missed getting placed (and £50!!!!!) However, Toby has already won £32 showing in the past week, so he wasn;t too fussed.
Meadhowhead Scout went into the large coloureds - I missed watching the class, but he won, beating the horse that won HOYS last year.
Dinger went in and was up against Lynn Russell on Janus - He got 23/25 for his conformation which was fantastic, and also got good ride marks and ended up 4 marks ahead of Lynn.
Jess Pritchard won the small plaiteds with .B(something welsh) Daffodil (won HOYS last year).
As Jayne couldn't ride two in the championship, I got the ride on Dinger
Had a long lunch in the restaurant - excellent facilities and the food was very good. Highly recommend the place providing you are in a decent ring. It started raining quite heavily so it was good to be in a proper building with proper food rather than huddling in the lorry.
Finally got into the main arena and all the horses were very on their toes. Judges were picked out of the hat just as we entered the ring and we had George Mernagh, Roland Ferneyhough, Nigel Hollings and Alwyn Varley. Dinger felt amazing on the go round and gave a fabulous gallop.
We all left the arena for the individual displays. Everyone went well. We were called back into the main arena and were given our marks. At that point none of us had any idea whether we were placed as we didn;t know all the relevant marks. Then they called out Dinger as reserve - I was SOOO not expecting it and took several seconds to pull oursevles together to take the spot. Then Jayne was called out champion which was amazing to get both the coloured placings. Had a great canter around on the way out and nearly took out a part bred arab when I went through the exit still trying to stop.
Threw Patch and Dinger back on the lorry and rushed back to watch Jayne in the supreme. No idea what the final marks were as they didn't read them out, but Louise Bell won on her bay working hunter (Man of War I think?) and there was no reserve.
Basically, think the idea of the marking system is fun - we probably got roughly the same results for our horses as we would have had if they were judged "normally", but much better for spectators to see what was going on.
First up was Meadhowhead Scout doing his first proper hunter class - massive classes for the hunters (28 in the amateurs!) - he was second to Lorraine Homer which was fantastic. Very pleased with him.
Unfortunately, Blarney, Patrick, Debs and Ernie were all due in the ring at the same time, so Jayne took Blarney (MW) Jo took Patrick (MW), Gemma took Debs (large hack) and I took Ernie (HW cob - The Cobbler) into their respective classes. We didn't even have enough grooms to go round! Blarney and Patrick were 3rd and 4th which was very good (think Robert Oliver won). Debs was second - it was a small class, but he went well enough to have been placed highly anyway.
Ernie was great in the cobs. I rode him for 3 minutes once in the field several months ago, and apart from that have never sat on him. The ring was the one with the bank in the bottom corner and a coffin fence in the middle of it. It was on an awful slope - the first time we trotted down the slope Ernie was a bit worried, but was great after that. He went really well and gave a great gallop. The two ride judges for the cobs were really get into the spirit. Rory Gilesnan rode him first and Ernie gave him a lovely ride. Then Norman Profitt hopped on and again Ernie went really well. Did the stripping (Ernie doesn't trot in hand for me at all!) The conformation judges thought he was light of bone and gave us the most awful conformation marks - at that point I really couldn't see the point of putting Dinger in the amateur class! It is crazy as some judges have said that Ernie has the best conformation for HWs, and yet this one said he should be a small hunter (will hopefully put some pics up at some point so make your own mind up!!!!) Anyway - thanks to the appalling conformation marks, I ended up on equal 5th place with 2 other cobs and a few points behind Mr Morrow.
Then got straight onto Dinger - he went fantastically, one of the best rides I have had from him. Again, gave the judges very good rides. Then off for the conformation knowing that if thought that Ernie was a "small hunter" then god knows what they would make of Dinger. They loved him. So I am now very confused of Bedford.
Anyway - final results and the first and second had equal marks and Dinger was one mark behind them, so it was really close. 1st was Mr Morrow, 2nd was Tellytubs, then Dinger. There were about 12 in the class - or maybe a few more - can't remember now.
Last one in for the day was The Philanderer (large riding horse). He went well and got 23/25 from both the conformation judges which was one of the highest marks all day.
Will try to explain the championship judging before I go on.
4 judges awarding marks out of 10 for performance, manners and star quality. They are not the judges from the class so have not seen the horses perform on the day of the show until the championship, they do not know who won the classes (no rosettes worn) and do not know what the marks are. Once the marks for the individual shows are given, these are added to the marks won in the class.
Phil did a lovely individual show, but not enough to get past the eventual winner so took reserve riding horse.
Then whizzed back up the motorway - home by 10.30pm, repacked the lorry then off to bed.
Left at 6.15am nexy morning as they had put the start of the classes back an hour. They had also changed all the rings around, so we all spent hours trekking back and forth. Addy was first in with Toby in the lead rein - Toby rode really well, but there were some top ponies in the class, most of whom seem to have qualified for HOYS. We were 7th out of about 12 - winner was Leo Bowen with a beautiful bay show pony. Second was a dartie which I believe is quite well known :unknw:. Marks were very close at the end of the line so we only just missed getting placed (and £50!!!!!) However, Toby has already won £32 showing in the past week, so he wasn;t too fussed.
Meadhowhead Scout went into the large coloureds - I missed watching the class, but he won, beating the horse that won HOYS last year.
Dinger went in and was up against Lynn Russell on Janus - He got 23/25 for his conformation which was fantastic, and also got good ride marks and ended up 4 marks ahead of Lynn.
Jess Pritchard won the small plaiteds with .B(something welsh) Daffodil (won HOYS last year).
As Jayne couldn't ride two in the championship, I got the ride on Dinger
Had a long lunch in the restaurant - excellent facilities and the food was very good. Highly recommend the place providing you are in a decent ring. It started raining quite heavily so it was good to be in a proper building with proper food rather than huddling in the lorry.
Finally got into the main arena and all the horses were very on their toes. Judges were picked out of the hat just as we entered the ring and we had George Mernagh, Roland Ferneyhough, Nigel Hollings and Alwyn Varley. Dinger felt amazing on the go round and gave a fabulous gallop.
We all left the arena for the individual displays. Everyone went well. We were called back into the main arena and were given our marks. At that point none of us had any idea whether we were placed as we didn;t know all the relevant marks. Then they called out Dinger as reserve - I was SOOO not expecting it and took several seconds to pull oursevles together to take the spot. Then Jayne was called out champion which was amazing to get both the coloured placings. Had a great canter around on the way out and nearly took out a part bred arab when I went through the exit still trying to stop.
Threw Patch and Dinger back on the lorry and rushed back to watch Jayne in the supreme. No idea what the final marks were as they didn't read them out, but Louise Bell won on her bay working hunter (Man of War I think?) and there was no reserve.
Basically, think the idea of the marking system is fun - we probably got roughly the same results for our horses as we would have had if they were judged "normally", but much better for spectators to see what was going on.
