Post by julie on May 10, 2007 13:56:01 GMT
We came across a very odd person in a recent Veteran qualifier. A lady (at least 40 I'd have said) was pulled in above our elderly superstar (enough on its own to make my 11 yr old daughter very miffed LOL!). She did her show, then watched ours do theirs. When daughter got back in line, this lady turned to daughter and said "your pony seems very stiff".
My daughter's reaction was to inform the lady that her pony events and wins always on her dressage score, which 90% of the time is also Best Dressage - then she stuck her nose in the air and ignored the lady (who subsequently went on to win, we were 2nd)
To make matters worse, they both were entered in the Veteran WH class, same thing happened (ie placings) but this time the lady turned to daughter and said "She seems a bit better now" Daughter sniffed and looked away...(she has a very pretty nose in profile by the way - I mean my daughter)
Point is this, why on earth bother to say anything non pleasant to a child? I am always telling daughter to be friendly but its hard to drum it in to her when someone makes such a comment! Its like the people who come up to you and say "I like your pony...pity it has no topline" or one of the best things said to me outside a ring having just watched daughter ( a tiny 8 yr old at the time) win a huge Best Rider under 16 yrs class "Is that your daughter that won?" (I'm nearly in tears with pride by the way) I nodded. "She does ride well, pity she was on the wrong diagonal" Me, resisting urge to push her "Hey, I am just grateful at 8 yrs she got the right legs in canter!"
Its funny now of course, but gosh it makes you cross at the time.
Whats the worst thing that's be said to any of you?
My daughter's reaction was to inform the lady that her pony events and wins always on her dressage score, which 90% of the time is also Best Dressage - then she stuck her nose in the air and ignored the lady (who subsequently went on to win, we were 2nd)
To make matters worse, they both were entered in the Veteran WH class, same thing happened (ie placings) but this time the lady turned to daughter and said "She seems a bit better now" Daughter sniffed and looked away...(she has a very pretty nose in profile by the way - I mean my daughter)
Point is this, why on earth bother to say anything non pleasant to a child? I am always telling daughter to be friendly but its hard to drum it in to her when someone makes such a comment! Its like the people who come up to you and say "I like your pony...pity it has no topline" or one of the best things said to me outside a ring having just watched daughter ( a tiny 8 yr old at the time) win a huge Best Rider under 16 yrs class "Is that your daughter that won?" (I'm nearly in tears with pride by the way) I nodded. "She does ride well, pity she was on the wrong diagonal" Me, resisting urge to push her "Hey, I am just grateful at 8 yrs she got the right legs in canter!"
Its funny now of course, but gosh it makes you cross at the time.
Whats the worst thing that's be said to any of you?