ROR showing experts - please advise!

[Poorlypony]

I have entered a couple.of ROR classes at local shows and now fancy entering a couple of county shows (just for fun). I have studied the schedules and ROR website and am confused! Please help!

Show 1 is a Tattersal and ROR show class - hickstead qualifier. Show 2 has this AND a Jockey Club ROR novice class. In the first class the Judge rides but it doesn't mention a show - do you still do one? (The novice class specifies what should be in the show).

Also the novice class says never to have won. I won a ROR at a local show that was NOT listed as a qualifier on ROR website but I was given a slip saying we'd qualified for TARRA at Aintree. Can I still enter the novice class and if so do people do both or just one?

What exactly is the judging criteria? She's been impeccable at both we've done and won the first as judge said she went the best. Today she went just as well but was moved down from 2nd to 4th. I asked why and judge said she was too weedy - the winners looked like hunters but she only came out of NH training last year so does lack muscle compared to them.

Thanks

 

[be positive]

I am not up on all the rules for the ROR clases, hopefully someone who is can answer more specifically, if the judge rides then unless it is a hack class or sometimes a riding horse then you will not usually do a show as well but ROR may differ, the novice class probably does not have a ride judge so a show is required.
I think if the schedule states "never to have won" rather than never to have won under ROR rules or before a given date, sometimes before the start of the current season, then you are not eligible to do the novice.

Today you moved down after the show and were given a rather unclear reason, are you turning her out as a hunter/ RH or hack? if as a hunter then she may not be true to type, possibly the judge liked her but felt she looked more like a RH or hack and you are not showing her correctly, hope that makes sense but it is part of producing a show horse to turn out and have them going in the correct way for the type they are, if you are unsure and have some photos to post I am sure you will get plenty of advice as to which type she is, it may be that given another 12 months she will make up more but the judge has to judge what is in front of them not what they might be.

 

[humblepie]

The ROR novice rules seem to have changed this year and winning a TARRA qualifier does take you out of novice ROR. It's somewhere in the rules but well done on winning that. Sounds like you are doing a lot right and just needs some more time to change shape / muscle up good luck.

 

[Poorlypony]

Thanks both. BePositive I don't think they judge on whether they are a riding horse or a hunter, rather on their suitability for being retrained for a life after racing - but could be wrong!

 

[Poorlypony]

Humblepie - that's a pain, it was quite low key and not a listed qualifier - I suspect we will look green and grass in the big boys class but it is really just a day out with a bonus of a county show entry so it doesn't really matter!

 

[be positive]

Thanks both. BePositive I don't think they judge on whether they are a riding horse or a hunter, rather on their suitability for being retrained for a life after racing - but could be wrong!

I have scanned the rules now and although they are judged under the usual format of a riding horse class the horse should be turned out to type, so a hunter in a plain bridle a RH or hack in coloured browband, riders in appropriate turnout for the type they are riding, they are being judged as a show horse as seen on the day not their potential.

 

[Poorlypony]

Oh ok thank you. I better investigate that further!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

You cant do the novice due to wining that class. Its stupid. A friend won her novice class and now darent enter any other class before the final in case she wins which !would then disqualify her from to

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

From entering the final.

My god I hate this phone! I've only had it 2 days!

 

[Poorlypony]

Grrr, that is stupid. I thought the idea was to deter pros. These two classes are the only 2 showing classes I've ever done!!

 

[be positive]

You cant do the novice due to wining that class. Its stupid. A friend won her novice class and now darent enter any other class before the final in case she wins which !would then disqualify her from to

Now that is stupid, surely once you have qualified you can then denovice, how will she get the miles on the clock that the horse may require to do well at the final, you cannot really go HC in a show class as you could in most spheres to get a few more outings under the belt, ridiculous rule.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

It also shows that they don't give a damn about their own rules as a certain horse has been out winning a fair bit and yet was still allowed to do the novice classes. I did point this out to them but surprise surprise I never got a reply! The novice rules are a stupid. You can't have won ANY open ridden class - racehorse or not to compete in the novice classes. Its not to deter the pros. What's the point in that? Its just to give horses a level playing field.

Except where you only have 1 novice qualifier in Scotland because the Scottish rep is beyond useless so you can't get your horse out to more classes to see the world for fear of not being allowed to do the final. Numerous people have complained about her, myself included when she told all and sundry my horse should have been shot before he left training when he was having an off day but they won't do anything about her.

Be glad you don't live or compete up here as you would have no qualifiers to do!

 

[humblepie]

Pretty sure that if you have qualified and then win another class after you can still do the novice final. It would mean you couldn't do any more novice ROR classes though. There is a horse that has won one of the novice classes which has done another novice class since but many of this year's schedules were out before the 2015 rules were in place so under last year's rules was okay.

 

[Lanky Loll]

Grrr, that is stupid. I thought the idea was to deter pros. These two classes are the only 2 showing classes I've ever done!!

Given the large prize money on offer to the top horses, what was previously more open to amateurs is growing increasingly professional, which can be a good and a bad thing.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Taken from the ROR's website:

Novice status applies to a horse which has not won any RoR qualifier (including a novice class) or any other showing class with any other society at the close of entry stage. If that horse wins an open class and then a novice class on the same day it is eligible to do so at that show, but afterwards will no longer be considered a novice. This rule will be in force for the 2015 season.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

When questioned if you could compete on the Final if you won open classes AFTER qualifying for the Novice the answer was No. You are no longer deemed a Novice the moment you win an Open class.

 

[Wouldibemad]

That is a crazy rule