Sutton
Advanced Poster
Advanced Poster
Posts: 349
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Post by Sutton on Aug 11, 2005 9:20:17 GMT 1
Local shows are dying. We used to have at least 8 or 9 within a radius of 8 miles. Now there's only a couple. Our Riding Club only does combined training at prelim and novice level and anyone who comes first in the dressage on two occasions can't enter the restricted class again. This was as a result of complaints that the same person kept winning and not giving anyone else a chance. I echo that you should support your local show - they are now few and far between. Even our local agricultural show, which is on County level, had reduced numbers entering. So where have they all gone?
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andy
Olympic Poster
" a right devil with the muck fork"
Posts: 718
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Post by andy on Aug 11, 2005 10:08:11 GMT 1
Beki,
Difficult to plan classes as you never really know how many will turn up. We do look at "how many entered last year" and try to look at trends over the years. Still very dependant on factors of- weather, ground conditions, other shows. I do agree as a rider that it is frustrating to hang around - once spent 4 hrs waiting for a class as the one in front had 70 in it. Ring hazards should be considered and there is a BSJA Risk Assessment for guidance. Riders in 2 rings at once can **** folks off but they should organise themselves and prioritise which class comes first. Judges - can be very difficult to find, particularly for showing classes. I work with a chap who is a hunter judge, this year he has done the Royal Cornwall, Bath & West,Peterborough + Great Yorks. By the time he gets back to work he is totally fed up with riders attitude & manners- read his coments @ Cornwall in H & H as to why he did not gallop on a wet greasy ring- would you gallop a strange horse on that surface? If local riders do not support local shows they will fail - it took me years to get the committee to understand that most local enthusiasts & happy hackers want to have some fun and maybe stretch themselves if they feel like it. We are fortunate to have "Jump For Joy" as a local sponsor who provides a set of jumps for one ring. We don't use them in the Novice ring as they scare the hell out of the horse & rider so we use them in the second BSJA ring for BN,BD etc. & it sounds like a demolition derby as these are young horses as well - albeit with experienced jockeys.
Louiseb, I came to riding in my mid-30's and suffered the same way- the massed ranks of kids who have yahoo'd through Pony Club have no idea of how nerve racking it can be. Why not help out as a ring assistant at shows and learn the ropes at close range? Help at shows is like gold dust and will be appreciated and the course builder will explain why he puts jumps where he does and how he expects the riders to approach them. In the past years I have learnt a lot about how the course builder challenges the riders and what routes he knows they will take - safe / clear / slow - short cut/ fast / clear - lunatic / clear / winner how the ground condition will affect it and how riders will use the ring space. Ever wondered why the last jump usually is an upright with planks and goes away from the ring entrance?
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horsemad
Intermediate Poster
IH Member
Louis
Posts: 146
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Post by horsemad on Aug 11, 2005 10:08:42 GMT 1
I thought that i was completely alone in thinking that shows have become too serious - and it doesn't give people like myself any chance to win, or even get close! Thanks for putting up this thread, as it has made me feel better!
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Post by ba on Aug 11, 2005 10:31:21 GMT 1
id like fun classes for adults, most handsome horse, horse and rider who look most alike ya know something to break the nerves but get horse and rider used to a ring!
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andy
Olympic Poster
" a right devil with the muck fork"
Posts: 718
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Post by andy on Aug 11, 2005 10:38:00 GMT 1
Horsemad
I have no desire to set the show world on fire but I do want to have a crack at having fun and do it to the best of my ability, as the horse is far better than me! We have 3 local shows on subsequent week-ends all within 3 miles of each other. The show I was roped into ( 2) had seen the signs of support & cash reserves slowing down at an alarming rate. When I was first asked to get involved, my OH and I were in a local pub one night and overheard 2 chaps at the bar who I recognised as members of the committee. The commentary was along the lines of " well if folks want clear round, novice jumping etc. they can go to show 1& 3" My initial reaction was that they were short sighted, ignorant bigoted snobs and no wonder that the show was dying on it's feet. The folks who run show 1 are quite insular and to be honest too much "up themselves" to see they were a dying breed. It has been a real struggle to overcome the suffiness & bigotry to make show 2 stronger, but in doing so we try to offer something for everyone- last year Show 1 made 50 quid-
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