Sore Losers

Carrots&Mints

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What is it with people who cant accept defeat?!

Friend took her horse out to its first ever dressage test, did the intro and prelim and won both.... this was there first time out together doing dressage.

Next news theres a facebook post from a fellow competitor saying that people who win at prelim shouldnt be aloud to enter intro.

Bad sportsmanship if you ask me
 
Well done to your friend, excellent result ! She must be quite rightly, very chuffed.
The bad losers aren't worth a second thought. OH was asked to take his horse to a ODE with someone who needed company for her horse in her horse box. He wasn't competitive but when as a favour. He came 3rd and the other person didn't speak to him for the rest of the day. The journey home was very uncomfortable.
Silly thing was that he didn't care two hoots about it and only went to give his horse a nice day out.
 
Geez, you need the hide of a rhino to do anything involving horses!

Your friend did really well, and it matters not a jot what anyone else thinks. I'm sure said moaners and whingers would love to be in her shoes, jealousy really is a very unpleasant trait.

Congrats to you friend, bullocks to the moaners!
 
A touch of the green eyed monster I believe!

Well done to your friend on her two wins! :)
There is an awful lot of it about.

Most people would do a prelim and a novice on the same day or a novice and an elementary so what is the difference?
One is the natural progression of another. If it was an intro and a novice then I can understand!
 
I did my first dressage test for thirty-odd years on my daughter's horse. It was a Prelim. Much to my surprise we won it. As I picked up my frilly I was given a *******ing about it being unfair to enter Prelim and that I should do Novice next time :(
 
I could understand if this was the 5th/6th time she'd gone out and won both but not the first time! I never really pay much attention to placings with dressage, I just go by my %. As really, you could be in a class full of people who don't know one end of the horse from the other (bit extreme but you get my point) so out of all of those you would be 1st, but only because the others were of a lower standard. I use this same train of thought when I come last lol.
 
Shes really chuffed to pieces, its the first time hes been out in a snaffle, as hes usually in a double at shows so I thought she did impecibly well to control him in a new place.

Next time she is out shes doing the prelim and novice so fingers crossed shell do equally as well :)

Its abit of fun at the end of the day, it was un-affiliated dressage to get her horse out whilst the show season has finished.
 
I also think, if they are open classes then you can't really complain.

I hold my hands up and admit I do find it a bit annoying people entering 2 different levels; I know we can compete (maybe not competently lol) at Prelim level so I wouldn't enter the Intro test too. However, if the class is open then really there isn't anything stopping you so no point getting too upset by it.

They can't really make comments about your friend though when it is first time out, you don't have previous form, don't know how things are going to go etc. Clearly it went WAY better than expected!
 
I also think, if they are open classes then you can't really complain.

I hold my hands up and admit I do find it a bit annoying people entering 2 different levels; I know we can compete (maybe not competently lol) at Prelim level so I wouldn't enter the Intro test too. However, if the class is open then really there isn't anything stopping you so no point getting too upset by it.

They can't really make comments about your friend though when it is first time out, you don't have previous form, don't know how things are going to go etc. Clearly it went WAY better than expected!

We were expeciting to be a disaster tbh lol!
 
If i was a competitor i think i would be a little annoyed too. Bearing in mind i have never done any sort of ridden comp, but if you are a higher level entering a lower level comp it is quite unfair for the ones who are only on that lower level. It would be like WFP coming in and doing to 50cm rounds lol the other riders were not to know that it was a first outting (and thats a fab result for that!)
 
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Ridiculous to get so hung up on others achievements! Well done to your friend. I think It's all a bit of fun at the end of the day u less you are riding as a professional. I often enter 90cm classes and 1.10m classes on the same day and don't care if others enter every class and win them all. All I care about is my horse doing their best doesn't matter if they win or not as long as I'm happy with their performance.
 
Not dressage related but similar.

My entire yard started out the show season together in March and every time someone didn't place or place where they wanted, they stopped coming as it was unfair/stupid/fixed etc.
I have just completed the last show and collected a lovely set of frillies in various colours and had a fab time. It is presentation night soon and I am going on my own as all but a couple think its a waste of time as its fixed. Apparently I am very lucky to be in with a chance of end of season trophies as my face must fit. We have a different judge each and every show so in my case at least, what I have won has been deserved and I have no prior involvement with any of the judges. I did try and point out that the lessons, hard work, baths, grooming and turn out is more than likely the cause of my success, but it fell on deaf ears!

So I will be off to enjoy myself and hopefully get my 5 minutes of fame and possible trophies and know I deserved it :D The rest of them can sit at home in a grump!
 
If i was a competitor i think i would be a little annoyed too. Bearing in mind i have never done any sort of ridden comp, but if you are a higher level entering a lower level comp it is quite unfair for the ones who are only on that lower level. It would be like WFP coming in and doing to 50cm rounds lol the other riders were not to know that it was a first outting (and thats a fab result for that!)

If it is your first time and you had know idea how it would go, that is fine by me. If you keep doing the intro after that, knowing you are suited and have won prelim classes, I think that is unfair.
 
If i was a competitor i think i would be a little annoyed too. Bearing in mind i have never done any sort of ridden comp, but if you are a higher level entering a lower level comp it is quite unfair for the ones who are only on that lower level. It would be like WFP coming in and doing to 50cm rounds lol the other riders were not to know that it was a first outting (and thats a fab result for that!)

It was the first time she had ever done dressage

Not dressage related but similar.

My entire yard started out the show season together in March and every time someone didn't place or place where they wanted, they stopped coming as it was unfair/stupid/fixed etc.
I have just completed the last show and collected a lovely set of frillies in various colours and had a fab time. It is presentation night soon and I am going on my own as all but a couple think its a waste of time as its fixed. Apparently I am very lucky to be in with a chance of end of season trophies as my face must fit. We have a different judge each and every show so in my case at least, what I have won has been deserved and I have no prior involvement with any of the judges. I did try and point out that the lessons, hard work, baths, grooming and turn out is more than likely the cause of my success, but it fell on deaf ears!

So I will be off to enjoy myself and hopefully get my 5 minutes of fame and possible trophies and know I deserved it :D The rest of them can sit at home in a grump!

Golly gosh, some people are really just pathetic! I take my pony out inhand (youngster) and weve been placed every time, never not come home without a ribbon and I dont know any judge and not a member of any commitee ect, heard rude remarks behind our backs 'its not who you are its who you know'! Couldnt belive it! People cant face the facts that theyve lost and try to blame it on something ridiculous.
 
I can't believe people are actually saying they would be annoyed by this? I always do two tests with Topaz, she needs two to settle and generally I wouldn't expect to be that competitive in the first, but we have at various stages done well in both.

It might be unfair but I've found that the people who get most upset about what they perceive as people stealing the wins are the ones who haven't put the effort in to be competitive themselves, and so when they see a good combination they cannot see that it could be their first time out, or they might be a new combination, or the level above is a big step up for them, or any number of reasons!

Your friend should be proud and not care a jot what others think!

x x
 
If the class rules permit your friend to enter then she she can do as she likes!! How can others comment when they don't know her personal journey? Her horse may have been unrideable 6 months ago. Her horse may have come back from injury and is only capable of the lower tests. Someone actually complained about me winning too many prelim classes and that I should compete novice and above.!! This particular venue upheld the complaint. Their schedule stated prelim not to have won more than 3 prelim classes at the venue. We had won plenty but not at this venue. This ruled us out of competing there as they only held on prelim class, one novice and an elementary. Due to ongoing issues my horse wasn't able to school on to elementary. If your jealous of people beating you, go home and work harder!! Not in a great mood this afternoon, can you tell!!
 
I can't believe people are actually saying they would be annoyed by this? I always do two tests with Topaz, she needs two to settle and generally I wouldn't expect to be that competitive in the first, but we have at various stages done well in both.

It might be unfair but I've found that the people who get most upset about what they perceive as people stealing the wins are the ones who haven't put the effort in to be competitive themselves, and so when they see a good combination they cannot see that it could be their first time out, or they might be a new combination, or the level above is a big step up for them, or any number of reasons!

Your friend should be proud and not care a jot what others think!

x x

Totally agreed!!

What about those who go out and have done prelim previously and had some success, but want to push themselves to see what a novice test is like?! Or a rider who has had years off and is competing at a lower level just to get their confidence/the feel of competing back? Or what about those more experienced riders riding younger/stressy/inexperienced horses who just need to get out and do a test, but a higher level would be too much for them? I think it cases like this- there is absolutely nothing wrong at doing two tests at different levels! Heaven forbid a beginner actually winning..... :D

I never compete really and have not for years, but first time out on my first horse (and my first time out ever at dressage) we placed 4th through sheer hard work and planning!

Don't let your friend feel down trodden by a few snarky comments. She clearly deserved her wins, especially on first time out!!
 
Gosh, what a storm in a teacup.

I will often do two levels of tests, merely because I want to do 2 tests and there are not 2 at the level I want. As long as I am eligible to enter then I do.

My horse was doing quite well at elementary in winter, including wins, but then he is not now as well practised, and we generally just do one novice test. As we are not doing as "well" as before (been concentrating on BE and doing more XC/ SJ in training) I would not dream of pressing on with Elemantary, or of paying extra to do BD when we are just ticking over at Unaffiliated. I have checked and it is within the rules to do Novice Unaffiliated, so we do.

I also have an injury so even at BE we were fine at 100, and I have personally competed up to Intermediate in the past. Right now I struggle with a numb leg, so we are having fun at 90. All within the rules.

I would be furious if someone tried to make me do what would not be enjoyable or safe because they perceived I was in the way of their rosette.
 
Some people just love to bitch, end of. I take no notice. However, one thing that really got my goat was turning up to my local riding club dressage test day, a woman was practicing 3 time changes in canter in the warm-up area - and then then promptly went in and did prelim 6 and not surprisingly won the class hands-down! Several people recognised her and said she was well known for going around the local clubs doing the same. SHe could have gone hors concours if she just wanted to use it to warm up. The girl who was second was riding a 4 year old and it was his first competitive season
 
Err, what's the problem with doing two tests at consecutive levels? and how is that any different to doing two height classes showjumping? Makes a lot of sense, and has been a standard exercise for many many people for many many years (at least the 40 odd years I've been competing horses anyways)

Well done your friend OP.
 
Some people just love to bitch, end of. I take no notice. However, one thing that really got my goat was turning up to my local riding club dressage test day, a woman was practicing 3 time changes in canter in the warm-up area - and then then promptly went in and did prelim 6 and not surprisingly won the class hands-down! Several people recognised her and said she was well known for going around the local clubs doing the same. SHe could have gone hors concours if she just wanted to use it to warm up. The girl who was second was riding a 4 year old and it was his first competitive season

Yard we were on before our current one used to run unaff dressage most weekends. We used to have a young lady turn up who was rising up the ranks in BD on one of her horses. Always used to win. It was unfair, but not against the rules and did put some of us off competing against her.

On current yard we have gone through this ourselves with my daughter. Its a long, long story and includes horror of horror Pony Club mummies, but my poor daughter was never able to celebrate her BE successes as her friend on the yard of the same age, had entered the same event and had not done as well as her. It taught her a good lesson though (plus me as well), but a bit unfair to a keen and competitive 14 year old who wanted her achievements acknowledged by her mates.

As they say, let the sore loser get on with it - life really is not fair sometimes.

Well done.
 
Brilliant first outing for your friend :)

I don't ride tests, but I score them regularly and I can say without doubt it's more common than not for folk to ride at two levels.
 
I would ride two levels, the one I am at and the one I am working towards. One win at any level does not mean you are out of that level, it may be a slow day,( no offence to O Ps friend) Sore losers are just that , sore losers.
Well done to the OPs friend for doing so well, good luck with her next. In her shoes I would drop the intro but still do the prelim.
 
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