vee
Junior Member
Posts: 170
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Post by vee on Oct 18, 2011 14:52:40 GMT
I am thinking of writing to the Bsps to suggest a change to their olympia qualifiers. I am not sure about the other breeds but know for certain there is only one Newforest representative. I don't understand why they cannot continue to put ponies through at each breed show instead of sending them off to the semis where in this case the breed didn't get a look in! They could still keep the breed qual at the champs, it would just make each breed better represented at the final.The society could generate more cash by allowing non members to enter breed shows (as did the nps) which would also generate more cash for the breed shows as clearly more people would enter. The qualified pony and owner would then have to join the Bsps if through to the final. Any views on this?
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Post by rockysullivan on Oct 18, 2011 14:58:08 GMT
I'm totally not au fait with the rules but I was also a little surprised to see only one NF down as qualified as I thought I'd seen something early on saying the new procedures would ensure more from each breed would qualify - or am I getting confused with the NPS HOYS qualifiers? Whatever - it seems hard to be able to justify this as being the showcase for our native breeds when the numbers of each are so unequal
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Post by haggismarmite on Oct 18, 2011 14:59:19 GMT
Funnily enough I have just written something querying the spread of qualifiers across the breeds on another thread - this is a copy of what I wrote there... (By the way the other thread has a list of all the qualified up to this weekend's class - which if it is the definitive list is very weighted to certain breeds......) ....That's interesting - it's not that even across the breeds if that's the complete list (apart from this weekend). I admit I haven't particularly been following the Olympia qualifiers apart from the two people I know - (well done to them!) There's a lot more large breed than small - 12 vs 27 (bear in mind I'm dyslexic with numbers so don't' shout if I've added up wrong!) and not very even between the breeds either. I know there are fewer small than large breeds but even so it definitely seems to be certain breeds are more popular/frequent? How does the judging/class work at Olympia now? Are they all in together or split between breeds? Sorry clueless but would be interested to know. Thanks. Read more: www.horsegossip.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=olympia&thread=103608&page=1#848927#ixzz1b95JHIYJ
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Post by StephWheway on Oct 18, 2011 15:57:27 GMT
I agree that Breed Shows should hold Olympia qualifiers for the individual breeds (along with the breed quals at Heritage Chaps) as this would, as you say, see a more equal number going through from each breed and would also, you would hope, mean that the judge responsible for putting that pony through would be a specialist on that breed?!?
I definitely think that the way the classes are run needs to be looked at again - I can not see how having that many ponies qualify all at one show, under a very small selection of judges, is the best way forward. To put 3 ponies through from just 2 judges opinion seems ludicrous to me - as you say, the New Forests did not get a look in in the New Forest/Connie Semi final, giving the impression that those 2 judges preferred connemaras as a type (which is fine) but to give them (not those judges in particular, just generally) the responsibility of 3 qualifying places really does seem baffling.
Showing is, afterall, mostly down to the judges opinion on the day and we all accept this but surely we want a larger variety of 'opinion' at the final?
I do think the idea of a semi final is a good one, like the 'wild card' that NPS, did but think that to many of the eventual qualifying places were left down to this.
On speaking to one competitor who qualified on the day she said that she did not feel at all that she had qualified for Olympia as she was just one of so many that had qualified over the weekend and that the prestige had been lost.
Sorry of this is a little garbled - have just noted my thoughts down quickly.
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Post by hs on Oct 18, 2011 16:21:36 GMT
I do wonder perhaps if the lack of New Forests going through is because there are fewer of them being professionally produced in comparision to the other breeds? Are new forests really being discriminated against or is it that there are just not enough of the top producers either professionals or really good home producers who like them enough to have them?
I am not entirely sure if more positive descrimination and quota's is the way forward, though I do think it is good to have one representative of each breed put through by via the breed society. Another alternative might be to make sure in say the new forest connie qualifier if it not already the case that at one judge is a connie expert and the other a new forest expert.
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Post by radleybaglady on Oct 18, 2011 17:34:12 GMT
I think it seems to work out the same as when there was one breed qualifier at a breed show which of course ensured at least one from each breed would be represented at the final.
For example this year there are 2 Exmoors qualified, 1 by winning the Exmoor breed qualifier and 1 who qualified the day before in the DES semi final.
It could therefore very easily have been that only one Exmoor went through this year the same as has happened in New Forests - I suppose the only way you could ensure at least 2 ponies from each breed were forward would be to have 2 separate breed qualifiers, one at BSPS Heritage and one at a breed show.
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Post by StephWheway on Oct 18, 2011 18:34:07 GMT
I do wonder perhaps if the lack of New Forests going through is because there are fewer of them being professionally produced in comparision to the other breeds? Are new forests really being discriminated against or is it that there are just not enough of the top producers either professionals or really good home producers who like them enough to have them? I am not entirely sure if more positive descrimination and quota's is the way forward, though I do think it is good to have one representative of each breed put through by via the breed society. Another alternative might be to make sure in say the new forest connie qualifier if it not already the case that at one judge is a connie expert and the other a new forest expert. I think your judge selection suggestion (glad i am typing that not saying it!) is a very good idea. I do believe that when so many ponies are going through from such a small amount of judges the selection of said judges needed to be extremely well considered and thought through to ensure that the correct and fairest outcome is achieved.
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Post by Guestless on Oct 18, 2011 19:38:39 GMT
I'm definitely in favour of breed societies having a direct qualifier....and opening it up to non-members would be a good move too.....it's IMO far too expensive to join BSPS unless you're seriously contesting the champs, particularly if you have more than one pony.
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