Showing loser!!!

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LegOn

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Following on from the fixed showing thread... I'm a confirmed showing loser! We get the odd rosette - he has gotten moved up on the ride a few times which is nice, when the ride judge get his say! I love him, love the day out and the fancy photos and have just entered a massive show in a month - a dream come true kinda deal, just to go to say I rode there! Just to say we did it, we will come last but my god we will have fun doing it!!!!

I'm a bit delirious - flipping between 'what the hell am I doing' and feeling ill to laughing hysterically! :D:D:p:p:eek::eek: Oh well - you only live once right!!!
 
My horse and I have entered one showing class. It was a horse/pony most suited to riding club activities or something like that. We won. I didn't really get why as I thought others went nicer than we had. Never done it since.
 
conniegirl said:
That the most important thing! provided you are happy with him then you can't ask for more.

if you want feedback maybe pop a photo/video on here
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Ah thank you! I know we arent world beaters but I love him - he is such a dude! We have a few shows coming up aswell so fingers crossed for some more good experiences!
 
dogatemysalad said:
I absolutely love your attitude. Your horse is lucky to have you.
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Thats a lovely thing to say, thank you!

Dont get me wrong, we still go out to try our best, get lessons, be prepared, get our kit right and have our best hoof forward and turn up respecting the judges with our prep done, but there are people who do this for a living and I do it for fun - so you just have to do that, have fun! My horse comes home knowing he is a winner, which he is! :);)
 
My much loved pony was a New Forest with very poor feet, and just for fun we used to show. To get better you have to watch the best, and we would go to the larger shows, it wasn't that much more expensive and really no more effort. Yes we were often bottom of the line, but not always. We got better with the show, and in the end we nearly always got placed unless in was a really big class. The bigger shows usually have other things on, the judgeing is consistant and you just get your eye in. Its actually less frustrating than when you know your animal is a good one and you are put down the line at local level.
We had a lot of fun with a very cheap pony and I can honestly say I didn't have anymore fun coming higher up the line with 'a good one', I just want a nice day out.
 
As honetpot, I used to show my horse a lot, but I knew that we could never win as he wasn't good enough! He wasn't really a good example of the breed, so I went for classes with more emphasis on doing rather than looking. We did end up winning our class at the local County Show eventually, but only when the horse that always beat him had retired. And I promptly retired as well to finish on a winning note and I have the photo to prove it.

Sometimes he moved up the placings as I did as good a show as possible, in fact that was more often with hunter classes. So even if your animal may not be top notch conformation wise, then you improve what you can - turnout and show.
 
I have just entered for our first County Show. I'm having the same "feeling ill" to "laughing hysterically" thoughts! Particularly at the 5 am start. I've always wanted to do a County Show. Probably come last but, as you say, at least we'll have been and done it!
 
dogatemysalad said:
I absolutely love your attitude. Your horse is lucky to have you.
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Took the words out of my mouth!!

Nothing i love more than someone that genuinely does this sport for the LOVE of their horse. I honestly wish you all the luck in the world OP. You deserve a frilly and even more importantly enjoy every second of it with your pony!!
 
I am one of these people that it depends on what I am showing as to whether I go in all guns blazing for the win or if I just go for the banter! The Wee Coloured Job is so hit and miss with judges I more go for the banter with him with a bit of a competative edge. Gray on the other hand I went for the win! If thing fluffed up then I just laugh and enjoy thr rest of it knowing we have blown our chance - and then end up usually doing quite well anyway!

Racing is a different ball game! Yes I want the horses to do well but first and foremost I go all out to win the Best turned Out prize! 😂😂 and I usually do!
 
I posted in the other thread, I literally always came last 😂 ridden, in hand whatever. We must be awful! the only show thing I ever did well in was tack and turnout, I used to spend ages cleaning her, I love grooming. My favourite rosette ever is beautiful and I got it for that in a class of 40 odd people, it was 5th place but I was so pleased, she had a big bald patch on her bum for a kick they day before too, but they said she was just so clean and immaculate 🙂
I'd like to try one showing show again for fun with my new horse just to get some pics of her looking pretty if nothing else. But I'll never enter my pony in a show again, obviously they don't realise how gorgeous and amazing she is 😂
 
We turn up every year to show in the pleasure driving classes at Chatsworth Country Fair; scruffy native beast in scruffy carriage (although our harness always shines - OH is a dab hand with the Brasso!). We never win but I did once get a red rosette for the young driver class (I was the only one in my age division but I don't care!), and we came third in the fancy dress last year! He has zero manners and no idea at all how to behave in the show ring, but it's good fun and we only enter so we can go and camp for the weekend; a rosette is a bonus!
 
I've never really done any showing before but we've had a go at some veteran classes for the last two summers. We have done quite well but the main thing is we've enjoyed ourselves. M is quite laid back but he gets all bouncy and excited in the show ring, it's lovely to see an old boy loving being out and about. The best bit about the shows I've been to is it's cheaper to enter a horse than it is to pay for entry as a spectactor. M is happy as larry on the trailer with a big haynet so we go for a look around for an hour too!
 
I had a very old fashioned type of clydesdale and we live in shire country. We used to enter all the heavy horse shows and know that I'd come last 85% of the time no matter how good he was.

But - I got to go in the main ring at the county show, parade my horse in front of various royals and bigwigs, and pose for loads of photos for horse mad kids who'd never seen a clydesdale in real life. We had loads of fun (except for the show where there was a downpour in the collecting ring and my sports bra filled up with rain and I had to run like that...that was no fun.)

I think some of the results were very unfair, but if I wanted to win, I wouldn't have had a minority breed! I've got lots of photos instead of many rosettes but I still smile remembering him bouncing around.

Have loads of fun.
 
i showed my horse in youngstock classes as part of her education so never expected to win, just loved getting her ready and enjoying the day. i was lucky as i won a few times but it is very much who the judge is drawn to on the day...i did show in ridden as well but found that a bit more nerve wracking as i was being judged as well...its all about enjoying the day and we all know we have the best horse whatever the judge thinks....hope you enjoy your shows and keep the same attitude as fun is what it is all about for us amateurs...
 
Friend and I used to do veterans classes welshie and pa always down the line as they were too lively for the class said the judge.😊
 
Thinking back, I nearly always ended up as "best of the rest." So the judge would pick the top two or three and then with luck we ended up 4th. Of course we were sometimes higher and sometimes lower, but I know my horse's weaknesses and rarely felt hard done by, and generally agreed with the judge.
 
I am such a showing loser! I entered a county show for this week, practised and practised, got some professional help with my show, wrote lists, got ready to get up at 3 am to plait - then realised the forecast had changed to 40-45 mile an hour winds and lightning and thunder threatened all day, so didn't think it safe to take the youngster to the show. I'm such a showing loser, I can't even make it to the showground!
 
Marigold4 said:
I am such a showing loser! I entered a county show for this week, practised and practised, got some professional help with my show, wrote lists, got ready to get up at 3 am to plait - then realised the forecast had changed to 40-45 mile an hour winds and lightning and thunder threatened all day, so didn't think it safe to take the youngster to the show. I'm such a showing loser, I can't even make it to the showground!
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But you lived to be able to go to the next one! I'm sure you know the saying about discretion being the better part of valour! Good luck for next time!:)
 
I got my first 3rd place rosette at the weekend! It was a part-bred class & there was no judge ride but the judge told me he gave me the highest mark for my ridden show piece - talk about floored! You would swear I won!! I was literally deliriously happy!! What a little rockstar my boy is!!

The mega big show is next week - we have a date with last place!! :p:D But we have had the most fun training and prepping ourselves for this moment so I'm gonna just put our best hoof forward and enjoy every second! I'm so excited, so many friends and family are coming to cheer us on - what more could we want!! :)
 
Marigold4 said:
I am such a showing loser! I entered a county show for this week, practised and practised, got some professional help with my show, wrote lists, got ready to get up at 3 am to plait - then realised the forecast had changed to 40-45 mile an hour winds and lightning and thunder threatened all day, so didn't think it safe to take the youngster to the show. I'm such a showing loser, I can't even make it to the showground!
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All still such amazing prep and valuable stuff done with your lovely youngster! You're always doing better than someone who isnt trying so well done you! :D
 
My vague philosophy is........do you want to be that oldie in the care home moaning and saying I could have done xyz....or do want to be the person who said I did try, had a blast but it wasn’t to be.....I am trying to be the latter within reason it is better to try and fail than not try at all.

The only exception to this has to be wire walking over Niagara Falls, when it’s best not to fail...........:)
 
I suspect that some people who do a lot of showing don't really enjoy it much 😐

It's brilliant reading your post OP, crack on and have the best of fun, knowing you're on the "horse the rider would most like to take home" 😀
 
Fantastic attitude and I wish you the best of luck. If attitude won prizes, you'd certainly get a red rosette from me!

I'm taking my horse to his first ever show the weekend after this. His conformation is pretty lousy, he's got lumpy legs and is unlikely to behave at his best but, hey, we're having a go to accompany a friend who is taking her boy for the veteran classes.

A lady from the village where I keep him stopped as she was driving past a couple of weeks ago, opened the car window and shouted: "That is a magnificent tail"! If only there were classes for magnificent tails we might win something... As it is, I'll come home knowing he probably had the best tail in the class ;)
 
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