So, how much sucess before being called a pot hunter?

benson21

benson21

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After reading a post on here the other day, it got me thinking. Donovan won his class at The heathfield show last week, we are going to the Ardingly show tommorrow, and I want to know, although I dont expect him to win, but if he did, how many before people start looking down on us at local shows, which we really enjoy doing?
 
I did put a post up about it last night. I have spoken to the vet, and also the farrier has seen him again, and has said he is fine, thankfully. Maybe a bit of an over reaction on my part, panic really, but you cant be to cautious! I had him box rested for 5 days, with bute for 4 days, then he was seen on monday, so back in the field now with a muzzle on, which he seems to have accepted well. Also soaked haynets, and no hard feed.
 
Ah, sorry missed it.

So back to the original question - if your aim is local showing (rather than county) then you are not a pot hunter. You're just out having fun with your pony.
 
But this is the thing, we really enjoy the local shows, but we have the oportunity to go to 3 bigger ones. We won one of them, another is tommorrow, and then another in August,.
 
Personally, I think it means you go to a show and expect to win, rather than just hope to win. Perhaps you'd go to a local and enter classes that you really are too good for, because you want another ribbon.
I must admit, I have done it in the past. Not with horses, but with my drawings. I enter art contests because I know my art is better than the rest, even though I am still within the rules (age restricted etc)
 
It's a difficult one, I suppose.

If you're going to the 'better' local shows then you can justify your entry. However, if they're tin pot ones - then yes, I would consider you pot hunting.

But it's very subjective, and at the end of the day it's all about having fun. And it doesn't really matter what others think.
 
I think, with a youngster, that an amateur 'shower' could not be called a pothunter. If you won every local class this year, then entered the same classes next yr you could be pothunting but it is likely that you will be in different classes because he will be older. I think owners know if their horse/pony far outclasses the local opposition. I will say though that someone local to me has been accused of pothunting because she often wins because of her knowledge of ringcraft but actually I've seen her at county Shows and her horses do NOT stand out there - I've never seen her placed, so don't think she should be denied the chance to exhibit at local shows. Although I think she should take care which shows she goes to and perhaps not enter the same classes at the same shows every year.
 
Hmm, I think with in hand showing it's pretty difficult to draw an exact line - it's not like sj where you might be schooling over 1m courses and competing every week at 60cm in local shows and winning every time, or dr where you might be schooling at medium but competing in unaff prelims to earn points for a local league or similar. There's no real easy progression within classes at local shows like in ridden disciplines. It's not like you could enter "harder" classes at local shows!

In my opinion, if you're going out to a handful decent local shows and doing youngstcok / M&Ms etc type classes, you're not pot hunting even if you compete at a couple of bigger shows each year. If you're going to "novice" shows, RS-type open shows etc week in, week out or doing "novice" classes it looks more like pot hunting.
 
If the type of local shows you are talking about are for example, Great Chart, Chequer Tree Farm and similar where it is relatively common place to see people who compete at Ponies UK, NPS, BSPS etc bringing their youngsters out / dusting off the cobwebs at the end of the winter / keeping their hand in over the winter then I don't see that as pot hunting at all.

Personally I don't see a problem with someone who competes at these type of shows plus say Heathfield, South of England, NPS Area 20 at Ardingly, Kent County and Edenbridge and Oxted because they are the bigger but still 'local' shows.

Riding club level shows where the classes tend to be mainly children or adults new to horses / new to competing (note this is not ALL riding club shows!) might feel slightly less comfortable but this will depend on the show in question.

It might be different if you were taking the same pony all over the country chasing Cuddy qualifiers one minute and down the road to your local have a go show the next minute - but I haven't read anything in your posts that suggests you are doing anything other than enjoying your youngster and looking for a good day out regardless of where you get placed.

Good luck at SoE
 
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