Novelty Classes and Adults

blitznbobs

blitznbobs

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 June 2010
Messages
6,814
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
I was asked at the last minute to judge for a local show today (inhand) and after the usual, in the afternoon they ran a few 'novelty' classes - including the pony judge would most like to take home and the like. The last class of the day was 'Nicest tail'... In this class I had 4 under 8 year olds and a late 20s (guess at age) adult... The adult got really narky with my when they came last (despite their horses tail being tangled and dirty) and basically told me that I'd chosen the others cos they were kids... This is not totally untrue but to me this kinda class IS for kids and really an adult should know better than to enter...

Maybe I'm wrong???

What do you think??

Blitz
 
Now I’m not sure if I agree that adults shouldn’t enter these classes. For example take My Fjord, he isn’t good enough for anything higher then local level showing. Most local shows don’t have a foreign breeds class, he isn’t a cob, he obviously isn’t a M&M, or is he coloured. So this leaves novelty classes or family pony type classes.

So personally I think as a judge, you should pick the one that actually fits the class best (or you like best, same thing really), whether that be with a child or an adult. Now that’s my pennies worth!
 
Agree with JoBo can only take one of my horses to novelty classes and local shows as she is not registered, i wouldnt take my other one to many local shows as she goes to county shows however if in walking distance no harm in taking her to get her out and about. The judge can normally tell which horse fits the class.
 
JoBo said:
Now I’m not sure if I agree that adults shouldn’t enter these classes. For example take My Fjord, he isn’t good enough for anything higher then local level showing. Most local shows don’t have a foreign breeds class, he isn’t a cob, he obviously isn’t a M&M, or is he coloured. So this leaves novelty classes or family pony type classes.

So personally I think as a judge, you should pick the one that actually fits the class best (or you like best, same thing really), whether that be with a child or an adult. Now that’s my pennies worth!
Click to expand...

We ran a show like this today and any classes we wanted only kids in- we put an age limit on. No age limit means everyone is eligible IMHO. It would have been more relevant to put them down the line for the poor presentation.
 
dad_io said:
We ran a show like this today and any classes we wanted only kids in- we put an age limit on. No age limit means everyone is eligible IMHO. It would have been more relevant to put them down the line for the poor presentation.
Click to expand...

Well as I said, the tail was, to be quite frank, covered in poo... and her attitude stunk but I just wondered what people thought.

Blitz
 
Unless it said that they were childrens classes then anyone can enter. An adult who has a novice horse or pony or might not have done any showing themselves might want to enter something like this. However if the ponys tail was manky then it should have been last and its a bit silly for her to get funny about it. It wasn't a HOYS qualifyer was it?
 
Ignore the bugger he's just being an idiot.

I entered a novelty class today (see my post!!) for prettiest mare. I entered cos it was my first show and my babys first show and I didnt want to a*se people off if she messed around!

I dont think its about age limits (im 20 btw) i think its about experience. There was a lady in my class today who quite clearly had hung around cos she hadnt won anything that day, and she was taking it all wayyy too seriosuly...bit sad really. xxxxx
 
Nash2 said:
Unless it said that they were childrens classes then anyone can enter. An adult who has a novice horse or pony or might not have done any showing themselves might want to enter something like this. However if the ponys tail was manky then it should have been last and its a bit silly for her to get funny about it. It wasn't a HOYS qualifyer was it?
Click to expand...

That's a class I want to see at HOYS... OMG... what a fab idea...

Blitz

(I guess I just see the adult wanting to nick a rossy off a now extremely happy 5 year old and think they need to grow up...)
 
I just don’t get it, surely if there is no age limit on the class, novelty classes are there for everyone to have ‘FUN’ in? Whether you are 5 or 70, if you have a horse or pony that fits the class, why shouldn’t you have a go? I bet the show centres want everyone to enter as its more money for them anyway. Too many people take there horses too seriously IMO. :p
 
Last edited:
I don't agree that adults shouldn't be allowed in novelty classes BUT I think those of us who enter them should be willing to let kids come further up the line.

I've taken my mare into a few novelty classes this summer and both of us are fairly novicey. My girls not an M&M or cob, and at 17 isnt always elegible for veterans. As at the moment the prospect of a ridden showing class where we'd have to walk/trot/canter (in some sort of controlled fashion) is somewhat beyond us, novelty classes, where she only has to walk round and stand in the line is good practice without being too demanding. Although technically there are some ridden classes, like RC horse, we could do and just not canter, as we're going for the experience rather than a rosette, it makes more sense to me to enter teh novelty classes as they tend to be a lot cheaper, so I can do more of them! On saying that, because I'm entering for the experience I'm not that fussed if all the kids are placed above me; when you're 8 getting a rosette makes your day, at 24 having the horse relaxed and schooled enough to walk round and then stand calmly in a show enviroment does the same trick!
 
I organise the yard shows and i wish more adults would join in but most of them are too embarrassed or think their horses would play up so i think the woman was a good egg for joining in...
However a bit of a bad sport and wasn't a great example to the kids if she kicked up a fuss...you can't win every time and these novelty classes are a great way for kids to learn the importance of "it's the taking part that counts" whilst gaining experience for bigger classes for the future.

Our yard shows we split the Best Turned Out in to snr & jnr's as well as the equitation but the games, horse and hound and chase me charlie are all mixed.

The games, the kids always win and it's quite funny listening to the adults coming out with the excuses of why they didn't do well...
 
Surely the person who wins is the one thats done the best?! I.e. the idiot with the horse with the pooey tail shouldnt win (PARTICULARLY in a best tail comp!!!!) whether he's 3 or 300!
 
I entered fun classes with Genie at a show earlier this season... for me the reasoning was that it was a fair old way to go for one class, and it served a purpose - the show was indoors and Genie isn't great indoors, so I wanted her to do as much in there as possible. I guess that's similar to those with county horses getting their horses out at local level first. I didn't care if I came anywhere in the classes (although I'm competetive and like to do well!!!) and turnout at the show was very low anyway.
 
I think adults should be able to enter but they have to be prapared to let kids come before them. After all it is just for fun and kids will benefit so much more than adults about having a rosette, also adults probably have baby ponys (usualy) and should, quite frankly be thinking about the experience not a rosette
 
If there is no handler age limit or restriction on the experience the pony has (for example some novice classes say never to have won a 1st etc) then I will enter these type of classes sometimes (I am 36). In fact I entered my mini Shetland in prettiest mare/filly and Thelwell pony at a show earlier this season and she came 1st in both of them :D If I got beaten by a better pony or whatever then fair enough but I think it is totally wrong to place a child above an adult in any type of class purely because they are a child.
 
I agree that everyone should be entitled to enter as personally I have taken one of mine into handsomest gelding recently for show ring experience. However I'm not sure it really works for adults to do fancy dress. My 8 year old daughter entered a fancy dress class recently and one of the other entries was a man in his late 20's. To top it off its not like he had spent time on his costume as he was dressed as a jockey and was a jockey by profession. He did get placed last though.
 
If there isn't an age limit then I think anyone should be able to enter. There are a lot of adults who are first horse owners and novice riders and why shouldn't they enter a fun class? It's also a good introduction for baby horses and for those who haven't many classes they can enter.
Our riding club once had a fun Christmas show where everyone (including adults) were encouraged to enter everything - from fancy dress to the games. It was the best fun I had in ages and the kids loved it that the adults had joined in.
 
JoBo said:
Now I’m not sure if I agree that adults shouldn’t enter these classes. For example take My Fjord, he isn’t good enough for anything higher then local level showing. Most local shows don’t have a foreign breeds class, he isn’t a cob, he obviously isn’t a M&M, or is he coloured. So this leaves novelty classes or family pony type classes.

So personally I think as a judge, you should pick the one that actually fits the class best (or you like best, same thing really), whether that be with a child or an adult. Now that’s my pennies worth!
Click to expand...

Agree, as I also have a fjord and sometimes it is really hard to find any classes we can go in! It depends on the show, and I am very lucky round here now, but last year I really struggled. Judging should be fair, based on the criteria of the class, not who is showing the horse. Most of the kids always do a better show than me anyway, and I would certainly not complain if they are all placed above me (unless they had mucky manky horses!)
 
badgerdog said:
If there isn't an age limit then I think anyone should be able to enter. There are a lot of adults who are first horse owners and novice riders and why shouldn't they enter a fun class? It's also a good introduction for baby horses and for those who haven't many classes they can enter.
Our riding club once had a fun Christmas show where everyone (including adults) were encouraged to enter everything - from fancy dress to the games. It was the best fun I had in ages and the kids loved it that the adults had joined in.
Click to expand...

Sorry, me again! Want also to agree with above, I have only been showing since last August, at the grand old age of 31! I never had a pony when I was little, and was never in ponyclub, so I am kind of having my pony childhood at the moment. I fully intend to do a fancy dress class just once, just so I can say I entered one!!
 
They're open to everyone, but obviously are for diddies! We run a show and in these classes we generally make sure all the under 9s get a rosette for turning up! Of course you can take a youngster in or get some experience, but don't take the rosettes away from the kids. Most beautiful tail etc perhaps IF YOU REALLY MUST.

I don't understand why a fjord can't enter novice equitation or walk and trot dressage, or clear round, or riding club pony, or any number of other classes that these dinky kids and their shetlands obviously can't do???

I wouldn't dream of taking a youngster in these classes. I'd take it down to the shows and ride around letting it get experience generally until it was capable of doing a few clinics or lessons before competing.
 
Honey08 said:
I don't understand why a fjord can't enter novice equitation or walk and trot dressage, or clear round, or riding club pony, or any number of other classes that these dinky kids and their shetlands obviously can't do???
Click to expand...

Umm, maybe because we are talking about local showing shows, doh! :rolleyes:
I don’t know what you have at your little local showing shows (ours are mainly at Riding Schools) but you name classes Fjords can enter then apart from the family pony and novelty classes????
 
I am shortly going to post about a family show I went to yesterday. (when pics are up! :D)

Zoom and I have done lots of xc at about 2'6 but she has only been over coloured poles 3 times. We entered the 1'6 scurry :) Zoom loved it and we won! When I noticed that most of the other entrants were kids I asked the organiser to give us a clear round rosette and the kids could have the proper rosettes.

She insisted that we had the first place :)

Zoom is a one-eyed polo pony and the only thing we can enter are local shows like this. There were several classes with age limits but the others were open. There was even an adult gymkhana!!!!

I think that there are alot of people like me who don't have horses that can do anything higher than local shows so I don't think that people shouldn't enter. However this adult in particular sounds like a knob!
 
fjordhorsefan said:
Sorry, me again! Want also to agree with above, I have only been showing since last August, at the grand old age of 31! I never had a pony when I was little, and was never in ponyclub, so I am kind of having my pony childhood at the moment. I fully intend to do a fancy dress class just once, just so I can say I entered one!!
Click to expand...

ABSOLUTELY agree!!! I only got a horse when I was 21 and had never been to a gymkhana or a local show. I honestly had the best day ever yesterday at a local show, just being there!
 
ohh, interesting post as I am 30 and planning on entering the local shows fancy dress with my mare. I do think the adult in the op's post had a bad attitude, but I think the one with the best tail (or who best fits the class description) should win, regardless of age. Some shows round here put an age cap on some of the novelty classes and the smaller sj (just becuase I am older doesn't make me braver though!). I think if there is no age limit noted in the schedule then anyone who enters should be aware of it and consider it before entering. Also I agree that it is lovely that the smaller ones get rosettes, it is also an important lesson to learn that the one who puts in the most effort wins, not the youngest cutest rider!! I wouldn't mind if some classes have an age limit as it helps you to know where you stand when entering. I would be so embarresed to enter if I was the only one over 10! I do like the novelty classes for adults too as most of the local shows here don't have dressage, I'm not brave enough for a 2'6'' 'novice' sj class and I'm not under 16 for the gymkhana games! This leaves me with family pony and fancy dress and clear round - I hope I don't stand out when I go to my and my mares first show next month!!!
 
This is quite an interesting post, i am 24. I used to go to shows as a kid. As a teenager i couldnt do a lot with my arab as he wouldnt travel and so i was limited to one or 2 shows that i could hack to so i didnt really do alot with him. I had a break from horses for 7 years (as in i did a bit of hacking on other peoples horses and also some lessons but no shows etc) This year i bought a horse and was hopeing to do some shows, and i would love to enter the novelty classes just for fun etc.
I dont see why adults shouldnt, and i think that it should be judged on whos best for the class.....i wouldnt mind one bit about being beaten by a child.
Thinking back to when i was 15....i took my arab to an indoor show in the winter and i did the best turned out competition.....i thought i was reasonably presentable....but got my butt completely kicked by a 7 year old child.....who i saw cleaning their own tack on arrival at the show. The pony was amazingly turned out and i saw the child wiping the bottom of their boots once mounted and checking everything was perfect. So they totally deserved to win! and good on them! so i think the person who kicked up about children coming before them in the ribbons when their tail was filthy is really ridiculous.
I think adults should be able to enter novelty classes if there is no age limits....but they should be aware that some of theses kids are seriously seriously good and should be prepared to be beaten!!
 
I'd pull their pigtails if I didn't win :p

Each to there own and unless otherwise stated you should be able to enter whatever you want. Shows are ment to be fun!

If an adult wants to enter a novelty class because they are new to showing or even if they feel they have the prettiest mare/longest tail etc let them!

I saw a small kid, who goes to every show under the sun, being told by their mum that they were doing handsomest gelding as the judge loved their pony and would breeze another win. They had already cleared up in five other classes, best condation, tack and turnout, M&M small breeds, best child handler and WHP. :eek:

You get pot hunters and sore loosers everywhere. They know who they are :mad:
 
jobo most of ours have foreign breed classes :) though equally I think badger would win best mane quite a lot ;)

Mum's palo is unbeaten at prettiest mare..... it is the one thing she is actually quite good at :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top