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Post by WKponies on Jul 27, 2014 20:32:55 GMT
I've been to a show this weekend where the same FR class was judged over two days but with different judges on each day.
This may be a novicey question but on the first day he scored a 38/50 for conformation but then a 28/50 on the second day - the same combinations were forward both days so.... How can there be such a great difference in confirmation marks? I can understand the performance of the pony can vary but surely not the conformation to that extent??
One of the competitors conformation marks were double on the second day what they scored on the first day - how does that work? Feeling very confused that I'm 'not getting' this showing lark!
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Post by bubbles1822 on Jul 27, 2014 21:15:17 GMT
I know the feeling I had a pony that scored 46/50 and then 32/50 with the same judge and different handlers. I know they can use a different benchmark against other competitors but i did check my pony hadnt lost a limb!!!
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mopsy
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Post by mopsy on Jul 27, 2014 21:33:51 GMT
With it being 2 different judges, it could be that the 2 judges had different opinions on your ponies strengths and weaknesses. One judge may mark higher or lower than the other if they pick up on a particular feature of your pony. As well as it could be that as all judges are different they will all start off with a various benchmark. Some may start at 0 and work upwards. Some may start at 50 and work downwards etc. I would say it's just different judges having different views. I hope you had a good weekend and got some good results! :-)
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Post by WKponies on Jul 27, 2014 21:48:34 GMT
Good but mixed results, my son (8) and his pony produced the best performance they have ever done on a show day, first day came 2nd but then today came 6th but went equally well both days. They were placed below a very sweet pony but did have reins fixed to the d rings and only showed canter on one rein and napped to people. I know it's 'just showing' but it's so hard to assess sometimes whether our combination have promise or not when the results are so varied. Perhaps thinking we could do with some proper help to decide whether we are perhaps aiming beyond our abilities at the moment
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mopsy
Full Member
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Post by mopsy on Jul 27, 2014 22:06:42 GMT
It is very hard and sometimes disheartening when trying to get involved and make a break in the showing world! Reins fixed to the saddle is against BSPS rules but not sure about trailblazers. In showing you have to try and remember there is always another show on another day with another judge! Easy to say I know! Keep at it, as long as you enjoy it that is most important and it's what a lot of people seem to be forgetting. Children need lots of positivity and encouragement and as a judge myself I always try and give each child some positive feedback even if their show that day did go completely wrong, you must always try and find a positive so it encourages them to have another go. After all they are the future of showing.
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Post by WKponies on Jul 27, 2014 22:21:53 GMT
Don't get wrong my son loved both of his shows regardless of the outcome, and I was delighted with his performance as was he. I suppose the greatest concern I have is that I pitch him too high beyond his or his pony's ability and put him off or that I do t give him the best chance by being naive to the rules and regs and general lack of showing world knowledge. . The feedback he had was that he was too strong with his hands and granted I'd take that as we have been trying to get him to work on getting his pony on the bit and working through and I can see that's made him too reliant on his hand and not enough on his leg - something to work on.
For a while we've decided to ease off showing and hit pony club to let him learn and have some fun with his pony, after all he is a boy that just wants to gallop :-)
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Post by WKponies on Jul 27, 2014 22:23:59 GMT
Perhaps also I need to stick to just one governing body so I only have one set of rules to learn
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sarahp
Happy to help
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Post by sarahp on Jul 28, 2014 7:04:11 GMT
Getting a pony correctly on the bit comes from seat and leg rather than hand anyway, and for most children comes at a later stage in their riding ability anyway. It tends to be the requirement in showing for ponies to appear to be on the bit that muddies the waters here.
Why not let him do what he enjoys in his riding? Showing isn't the be-all and end-all of riding, only one discipline. PC is great, fun with friends, great variety and lots of use of venues you couldn't otherwise be able to - or was when my daughter was in it anyway, she's adult now. When she was 8yo she had periods of riding with no reins in her lessons (in an enclosed arena) to encourage use of seat and leg over the hand, and at that age I had jumping lessons over lines of cavaletti with no reins or stirrups. Both now maybe banned by Health and Safety, certainly cavaletti are! Some Riding Clubs have flourishing junior sections too, branches of both PC and RC do vary hugely.
And if you are competing, always useful to read the schedule for the rules under which the competition is run and then mug those up.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Jul 28, 2014 7:14:25 GMT
As for your conformation question - different judges may have different opinions on the "values" of faults. I'm not a judge but for example a personal hate in a ridden class would be ponies thick through the throat and/or heavy along the bottom of the neck, both of which affect its ability to work in a correct outline and give a good ride, but would be more forgiving on other things, but other people may be more forgiving on those are harder on other faults - no pony is ever perfect.
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Post by Dipsy on Jul 28, 2014 9:17:31 GMT
Just put it down to judges preference.
One of our coloureds scored 41/50 and 28/50 at the same show under two different judges.....
and remember the ones who give you the good scores lol
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Post by WKponies on Jul 28, 2014 9:43:40 GMT
Fair enough I just wanted to check to see if it was something we needed to (or could) work on but from the sounds of it it's just one of those things.
We only do the occasional show just for the fact that my son likes the sleeping over shows, it's a little mini holiday with his pony to him, but it's still helpful to get a few pointers from people on here that have a wealth of experience in showing.
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Post by honeypot on Jul 28, 2014 13:59:07 GMT
Going ' on the bit' is a very difficult concept for some adults to understand never mind an eight year old, because when a pony is truly on the bit its very light in your hand. I would concentrate on getting the pony going forward and teaching your son how to place the pony using his weight and seat so he is less reliant on his hands, if he rides a bike thinking about how he turns a corner on his bike is a start. Judges are looking for a pony that looks as if its going sweetly, if your son looks as if he has fixed hands and shoulders it makes the pony look strong even if it isn't. Unless your son really likes showing I would leave it and let him do other things like gymkhana, hunting etc, so many boys get turned off that I would let him do the wizzy bit as he will be only small once.
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Post by WKponies on Jul 28, 2014 15:07:35 GMT
He is cracking the on the bit stuff, he has his lessons with a dressage instructor and she's really brought him on well whilst making it fun I think on Sunday he was just too focused on keeping him all together and then tensed up a little through his hands. Pony is lazy and that's something we've been working so he's forward into the contact. We're lucky that he can do a bit of everything except hunting as that's just not our thing, but he just loves doing a bit of everything including dressage, jumping and showing.
We will carry on taking him to the odd show though as our daughter has a LR pony and loves showing so when we take her my son understandably wants to take his pony too.
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