Red ShowJumping Jackets

I just bought myself a pink/cerise show jacket.
My gelding is in all pink, so he stands out for that alone :) the colour suits him and at his old yard even his white boots with his name on would end up 'missing' or 'borrowed' or left with the RS boots. So I got pink and suddenly his boots never were 'mistaken' for anyone elses and if they were put in the wrong place, they were given back to me!
As I have pink boots, numnahs etc I thought I might as well match the jacket. My horse stands out anyway as he has an unusual canter and I'd rather people had more to talk about than just his canter. If he is forever known as the pink gelding I'd much rather he was the pink gelding than the horse who can't canter.

I'm not so familiar with BSJA (as if I jump affiliated I have to do it through SJI) but someone did mention to me that they state jackets should be dark/under stated. SJI says any colours but the 'national green' so I'm happy!

If you want red, wear red. There are lots of different shades and cuts and I know a girl who jumps in red and is blonde and does so without looking like Ellen Whittaker or an EW wannabe.

As long as the colour suits you, follows the rules and is flattering, then why not? I am sure you will find worse riders in plain colours who draw just as much attention, be it positive or negative :)
 
I think the people who snigger behind folks backs are the reason many would rather not compete, and personally think it speaks volumes to their character, sadly the equestrian world appears to be full of people who fell from the womb onto horseback knowing everything and riding to an elite standard.
Wear what you like op, as long as its within the rules and youre comfy with it, if you want to give a nod to tradition keep your red but in a more understated shade.
Good luck in your ambitions
 
Traditionally, you could only wear your Country's Colours if you earned the right to wear them. To earn them you had to be selected to represent your Country. This was and is considered a great honour.

When I earned the right to wear my Country's Colours, it was one of the proudest moments of my life. It made the blood, sweat, tears, injuries, dedication and grit determination it takes to receive this privilege worth every second and I can tell you it is one heck of a rollercoaster.

Do I think it's fair for other people to wear their Country's Colours without earning them? No. Would I get bent out of shape about it? No.
 
As long as you are prepared to get recognised and remembered in it (whether you do good or bad) then why not. Personally I agree with the statement that colours should be earned but technically it's not against the rules so who can stop you?
 
well I wear a dark burgundy jacket. Dont care what people think, lol!

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You're damned if you do and damned if you don't in my experience.

When I first started competing I had a too big for me cheap navy jacket with velvet collar, it looked smart enough but was a bit loose as my mother insisted that I would grow to twice the size in a matter of minutes. I got some really nasty and bitchy comments with regards to my family being poor, that really hurt.

I then started working and saved up some money, I bought a very expensive Caldene jacket which fitted beautifully. I got sniggers and nasty bitchy remarks about all the gear no idea and "hey, where's Milton". Evil wenches.

I swapped the Caldene with a lovely tweed which I adored, I then got called Farmer Giles.

Talk about can't win!! After that I grew a thick skin. I couldn't give a damn now and still today (in my mid 30's) I am getting silly remarks from kids young enough to be my kids about wearing a body protector and air jacket for a riding lesson in a sand school.

I love that Burgundy jacket Paint Me Proud, I think I'll get one to wear for my weekly lesson on plod, really couldn't give a hoot :D

Do what you like BitofFluff, life is too short to go around doing things just to please other people, please yourself for once. If you have a thick skin get the red jacket, if remarks upset you then perhaps don't get it.
 
Well done Illusion that's Fab!! I will never be that good!! I completely underand about wearing Coubtry Colours and yes they should be kept for those who really are up there.

The Ellen thing surprised me only cause I saw a woman wearing red the other day and that defo wasn't the first thing to spring to my mind infact I thought how nice she looked and she defo wasn't an international rider representing her country.

So very mixed views in this subject... Will be having a hard think about my colours haha
 
Illusion100 said:
Traditionally, you could only wear your Country's Colours if you earned the right to wear them. To earn them you had to be selected to represent your Country. This was and is considered a great honour.
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This really.The Swiss wear red, the Irish wear green and the Quatari team have now claimed burgundy etc etc. Personally I hate coloured jackets (particularly red and that horrible Animo blue colour) even on professionals at top level. I much prefer a more traditional 'hunting' style and think velvet hats and black jackets look lovely and classy whereas even the most expensive red jacket looks tacky and like you're trying to hard. Having said that it is personal opinion and if you want to buy one then buy one. Just be prepared for the fact that a lot of people think the same as I do :)
 
BitofFluff said:
Well done Illusion that's Fab!! I will never be that good!! I completely underand about wearing Coubtry Colours and yes they should be kept for those who really are up there.

The Ellen thing surprised me only cause I saw a woman wearing red the other day and that defo wasn't the first thing to spring to my mind infact I thought how nice she looked and she defo wasn't an international rider representing her country.

So very mixed views in this subject... Will be having a hard think about my colours haha
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:) Once you've earned the right to wear your Colours you can wear them at future competitions, not just when you are representing your Country.

However, I would only wear my Colours if I had a good gut feeling horse would go well in competition that day, if things didn't go well, having Colours on could leave me feeling a tad embarrassed!! ;)

Rules are what they are, if they allow various colours of jackets to be worn, then pick the colour you want and go out and enjoy yourself.

I think it is important to look and feel smart when competing, gives the rider self-esteem and encourages better performance. Being confident, staying safe and having fun is more important than what people think of the colour of your jacket. :)
 
Thanks Illusion...

It did make me a little angry that it was implied that my views were that earning the right to a red jacket could be brought... that's really not who or what I am about... I've over come my own serious health problems and never thought I'd be at this point so for me that's my own blood sweat and tears and my own accomplishment... And I'm sure many others will have theirs and we should be supportive of people in the equestrian journey no matter where we are at and your so right... Who cares about the jacket it's definitely about the feeling you get from our wonderful sport
 
Well, here's to you for getting to where you are now. :)

Money can buy a lot of things, but it can't buy earned pride. If you earn it, you own it, no matter how big or small the achievement is.

Wishing you the best in your endeavours!
 
Wear whatever you want. Red wouldn't be my first choice, but if you like it then wear it!

The moral if this thread alone is that some people will judge you either way and to be honest - do you really care what a complete stranger who is rude enough to comment thinks?! Chances are, no. So you may as well wear something you like & have fun :)
 
BitofFluff said:
Thanks Illusion...

It did make me a little angry that it was implied that my views were that earning the right to a red jacket could be brought... that's really not who or what I am about... I've over come my own serious health problems and never thought I'd be at this point so for me that's my own blood sweat and tears and my own accomplishment... And I'm sure many others will have theirs and we should be supportive of people in the equestrian journey no matter where we are at and your so right... Who cares about the jacket it's definitely about the feeling you get from our wonderful sport
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If you like it, wear it, unless it would actually disqualify you or such. Obviously wearing it near bulls could be unwise, but there's not much point in paying any heed to people that mock others as it only enables them.

Get on with having fun with riding, etc. It's too expensive a hobby not to enjoy yourself. Well done for achieving your goals, OP :)
 
One thing to be careful of is where you're going to be competing. RCs quite often have a rule saying "traditional jackets only" or similar, and PC is very strict. So it's worth checking out your local comps and seeing where you'll be competing and if you'll be allowed to wear red.

For me, it looks a bit meh. But I don't really like black let alone something less traditional. If red floats your boat, then go for it. We love going to the local SJ place because it's pretty much the only time my little sister will be easily spotted in her tweed on a plain bay horse (or a small grey one, but he's easier to pick out) as everyone else zooms about in their bright jackets and extreme bling!
 
Life's too short to worry about a colour as long as it's legal. But then, I use a blue & white bridle and martingale, have a blue hat.

I found even local sj very b7tchy, that's why I got out of it. They should be more interested in riding than what colour jacket you have on, but they wont be.
 
Personally, I do think red jackets look 'all the gear, no idea', partly due to the 'team colours' idea, but also because MEN wear red traditionally where women wear navy. I do therefore see it as a bit of a bloke colour for a riding jacket...

Funnily enough, red jackets actually are my least favourite - bright pink or purple or blue look garish but that's modern BS. Red does look confusingly like team colours.

Then again, I wear tweed - I looked at navy jackets and I felt that was pushing the boat out.

I am much less opposed to sparkles and bling than I am coloured jackets.
 
I am so confused about this team colours thing haha i thought it was Navy with Red collar?

I have decided against the red jacket I feel there's much too much controversy surrounding it and would rather jump in something that going to give me confidence not cause me grief... I have enough to worry about with my rather hot Diva mare!

So canary yellow it is them :P
 
Wear whatever you want.

I would wear a fluoro yellow jacket with diamantes and reflective strips and really stand out if I could just get my horse fit/sound enough to compete again, I truly wouldn't give a stuff.
 
Rather depends on the horse too a red jacket would look really silly on a rider on a native pony or a cob but then I am an old fashioned aged traditionalist and do like to see natives in traditional coloured Tweed, hunters in tweed, riding types in black or blue and lady showjumpers in black or blue and men in red or black. I guess it is just because traditions are going getting lost in modernism and although the bright colours are likely here to stay they look cheap and tacky. It smacks of being amateurish too
Do as you wish to buy which ever colour feels comfortable and enjoy your riding that is what it is all about but don't be surprised if there are others who will want to uphold tradition and may not be very forgiving of its loss
 
According to BS rules: Jackets:
The following are permitted:
Traditional style tailored jackets in dark colours (black, navy, green, brown, burgundy, grey
or red) with the exception of British Team colours (see below).
Riders may apply to the National Sport Committee to register alternative, single colours.
Traditional style tailored hacking jackets.
New styled jackets consisting of one or two base colours with piping in a different colour must
be approved by British Showjumping. No other rider can ride in jackets of the same colours which
have already been registered and no rider, owner or sponsor may register more than one set of
colours.
Up to 3 sponsor logos can appear on the right hand sleeve, all three to be contained
with in a space of 14 x 6cms and one sponsor logo on the breast pocket
(approximately 3 x 4cm). The British Showjumping logo will appear on all left
hand jacket sleeves supplied by Brirtish Showjumping to licensed companies in colours red, white
and blue. Rider's full names may appear on the back of the jacket in upper and lower case letters,
using the type face Cosmos Light and letters to be 4 cms in height. New styled jackets must be
fully zipped up during competition.
Members of the Armed Forces or Police Force may wear their uniforms however, headgear must
conform as above.
N.B. Jackets of the following description are reserved for the members of the British
Nations Cup Team or Championship Team.
• Dark Blue
• Red collar with white piping
• Red trim above pockets
• Brass buttons106
No jackets, other than as detailed above, may be worn in the arena at an affiliated show, for example:
New styled jackets that DO NOT have the British Show Jumping badge on the left hand sleeve.
Traditional tailored jackets with sponsor logos on the sleeve of the jacket or names on the back.
Any jacket in the colours reserved for members of the British Nations Cup Team or Championship
Team.
In hot weather competitors may be permitted to compete without jackets, at the
Judges' discretion, but they must wear white shirts with either long or short sleeves,
no braces, and ties must be firmly secured, also when in the Collecting Ring and walking the course.
 
I've done a lot of BS with my old horse and just starting again with my new one. I mostly wore a grey tailored jacket, but in the winter wore a jazzy grey tweed with a pink stripe through it! Having currently piled on a few pounds I am in my boring navy "fat jacket " lol
I can honestly say in the 30 odd years I've been show jumping I've never even noticed what anyone else is wearing. There's a lot more bling these days that's not quite my style but who gives a stuff. The only thing I'm thinking of at a show is how MY horse is going and how I can warm her up appropriately, trying to get a handle on my nerves and survive the warm up when I'm generally on my own! Admiring other peoples fashion is believe me the last thing on my mind and I doubt I'm alone! Loved the previous posters burgundy jacket!
I thought traditionally the men wore the red jackets as tradition from the hunting field and it's not as common these days as it was. Can't say I've seen anyone wearing red in a long time.
I saw Ellen competing at burgham a few years back and she was in a pale blue jacket. Which I have to say, if I had her figure I'd have been very tempted by. I was also totally embarrassed by my non horsie boyfriend, who accosted Ellen on a trip back from the portaloo and asked her where she got it from! Haha!
 
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My horse is a grey 16.3 diva red looks AWESOME on her.. In my opinion anyway haha it's ok she will go to the ball in red... I however may not :)

HAHAHAHA that's hillarious about your bf I could imagine mine doing the same! Xx
 
I haven't read all the replies but personally if I really liked it, I'd buy it and stick it in the wardrobe. Once I was happy that I wouldn't make a fool of myself (i.e. I was confident in the level we were competing at, I am a nervous wreck particularly over fences!) then I'd put the jacket on. I would hate to be known as "the girl in the red jacket who's horse ran out at every filler then she fell off at the second element of the double"! ;)
 
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