Heights for m&m workers 2013

[alo]

Just seen this on HOYS page

HOYS Championship Height

Section Height (Min)  Height (Max) Spread (Max)
Not Exc. 122cm 60cm 70cm 60cm
Exc. 122cm; Not exc. 133cm 70cm 85cm 70cm
Exc. 133cm; Not exc. 143cm 80cm 95cm 80cm
Exc. 143cm 90cm 105cm 90cm

HOYS Qualifier Height: 

Section Height (Min) Height (Max) Spread (Max)
Not Exc. 122cm 55cm 65cm 55cm
Exc. 122cm; Not exc. 133cm 65cm 80cm 65cm
Exc. 133cm; Not exc.143cm  75cm 90cm 75cm
Exc. 143cm 85cm 100cm 85cm

[kateap]

Hmmm good news and bad news all in one. My C is a jumping machine and this suits him, think my D is going to have to pull his socks up.....

[girly]

I can't understand why they have reduced the height of the jumps for the smalls when they already have such a high percentage of clear rounds. The jumping phase will almost be irelevant.

[showingfanatic]

are these heights applicable to the plaiteds, m&m's or both?

[kateap]

M&M's x

[cheryl]

I thought the changes for the ex 133cm nt ex 143cm would have been the same as the not exc 138cm this year!

[showingfanatic]

thanks kateap, well im happy as we fit nicely into the not exc. 133cm section and those heights will do us just fine ;D

[magpie]

Thanks for this - wondering when they would be put out. Really happy for the 14hh is max 2ft9 and the width is a decent width for my highland.
Can someone tell me why the heights are for the exc 138cms at the moment? Also, what society would you need to be a member of for M&M workers? NPS?

[forester]

HOYS workers i think you have to be a member of atleast one society, BSPS or NPS (someone is bound to correct me)

the current open height workers for exc 138cms is min 2'9 max 3'3 (highlands,fells,dales jump max 2'9, this is for RI Qaulifiers)

[forester]

this is brilliant news for me as my ponio is in the not exc 143 section YAY!!!!

[serendipity]

Well I think they are just too low. Particularly the qualifying shows. They are lower than the normal open heights for NPS or BSPS. Currently in the 138 class there are usually about 40 entries and lately some classes have had over 20 of those clear. I don't see the need for this lowering of heights as the current results show. Let's hope for the sake of the people that do workers seriously that the RI does not follow this "dumbing down" route for the sake of more entries.

Why are the qualifying shows smaller anyway?

[stroppycow]

this is great news for me and my connie who is'nt a full 14h who will fit quite nicely into the not ex143 even though she has flew the higher course all this season

[forester]

there are more or less the same height fences just split into 4 sections (with the smaller section jumping smaller)
My friend has a pony that is 139cms although jumps fine around the large track,looks tiny in the exc 138cm section this new rule is a fairer playing field with the no upper height limit for the welsh cobs and dales,and the very athletic connemara's against the smaller ponies in that section

also good for me as i couldnt jump 2 in the same height

[keepdreaming]

My two Connies are 143 so do I go in not ex 143 or ex? X

[iluvmyponies]

Brill for me, my Fell will fit nicely into the 133 - 143 section, good heights too

[serendipity]

They are not more or less the same as they were in the qualifiers. They are at least 5cm less for everyone and in some cases even more. There are currently loads of entries with far too many clears in these qualifiers I do not see the need for lowering the heights. Unless of course its to get even more entries!!

This year the most common comment around the ringside has been that the course is too easy. I can't believe that those that currently do workers are happy with this. HOYS workers will just become a flat class with a few jumps.

[forester]

Aug 12, 2012 23:28:16 GMT keepdreaming said:

My two Connies are 143 so do I go in not ex 143 or ex? X

well if they are 143cms then they will go in the exc 133cms - not exc 143cms as they are not exc 143cms

[Trot-on]

Im going to sound stupid but 143cm is that 14h?

[lillibet]

I am very happy with the new heights and see no reason to build massive courses for the M & M ponies.
However I would like to see course builders setting more technical tracks in the qualifiers using, for example, off set doubles, varying stride patterns, fences out of the corners, pens - both straight and angled, bullfinches and why not include some skinnies to test control and steering. Possibilities are endless with a little thought and imagination !

[serendipity]

I agree defintely that some courses could have been built with a lot more technical difficulty - as I said they are often too easy now at the current height. So why should we believe that all course builders are suddenly going to get really imaginitive now.

The HOYS M&M worker classes should be the shop window for the best of our wonderful british ponies - not something equivalent to what any pony can jump at the local show. Our 143 cm. ponies will be jumping not much more than nursery stakes.

What are we saying - part bred ponies (plaiteds) can jump really big but pure breds can only jump tiddly little jumps so if you want to go on and compete at pony club or whatever then don't buy a native?

I am not suggesting massive course - just please HOYS do not make them any smaller!!

Come on all my worker friends on here - I know most of you agree with me - give me a little support. I shall be writing to HOYS tomorrow as I think the thousands of pounds I have spent on this competition over the years entitles me at least to have my say.

[connie]

If there was a like button for the above comment I would press it!
Who have hoys asked about these changes? I can't believe the smalls are being asked to jump 2ft 1, it's an insult to all the whp competitors out there!

I thought (along with a lot of others people) the heights would be something along the lines of
122 - 2ft 3 - 2ft 6 (as is now)
133 - 2ft 6 - 2ft 9 at the final
143 - 2ft 9 -3ft at the final
143< 3ft - 3ft 3

I do think the idea of narrower spreads at hoys is a good idea and (some) course builders could me more inventive with some of the tracks as there are so many clears per class it's not really about the jumping anymore.

[forester]

i thought NPS 7's HOYS track was by far the best course i have seen this year!!!!

[busybusy]

I disagree that natives need to jump a huge course. We should have fair, technical tracks that require thought from both rider and equine. It is imperative for breeders and the breeds that winners are really true to breed type - not just have the biggest jump (there are plaited whp/BSJA classes for those). I actually think tracks of 1 metre (at the final) would be quite an "ask" for the chunkier, just over 133 cms ponies!

One of the problems we have is that some of the qualifiers are really up to height (and then some....) and some are very "ordinary". We do need to ask technical questions, without resorting to "handy pony" style trickery. What is fairly constant though is the amount of clear rounds - particularly in the two smaller sections, even over some of the very tricky/big tracks. This does not necessarily mean that the courses are too easy, but shows the quality of the ponies/riders competing. Whatever the outcome, what is important in these classes is that the judges get to judge the class - not the courses or coursebuilders!

[mhsporthorses]

Does anyone know if the novice classes will be changed? As it is currently a pony of 139cm would be expected to jump up to 2ft9 as a novice in the exc 138 but the same roughly for a HOYS qualifier?

[forester]

i have always said the exc 138cm novice should be 2'6!

[titch]

On my 13hh welsh c i will be jumping 2ft6 in the intermediate but same in the hoys open seems a little funny really. Think if changing the heights it should be done across the board why only different for Hoys???

[livtom]

I agree with sarendipity! the m&m workers is just going to turn into a flat class now, we already have enough clears in the current height sections and really dont need them any lower. the new 122 height is really low.
I am all for splitting it 4 ways but think hoys need to look at the heights again.

[rach000]

Even though the jump heights are low, the new height sections have worked quite well as i have a 133cm and a 138cm section b however the 138cm can only jump the HOYS qualifiers which are on surfaces.,
Do think they may have to rethink this as more ponies are going to be competing now with the heights (the ponies that measured 123 - 128cm that weren't able to jump the height of the fences before) and they are going to struggle with time as the sections take enough time to complete already...

[girly]

I would like to know who HOYS actually consulted about the heights. it doesn't seem to be the competitors.

[Deleted]

I don't like this, because if I want to contend HOYs next year, ideally I want a 14hh, or a big 13.2hh... But if I do county level, my 14hh is going to have to jump big for its height, or my 13.2hh is going to have to jump big for HOYs? Shouldn't workers be about technicality, not how high can you jump? Anybody can jump a big fence, not everybody can jump a narrow, or a bullfinch, an offset double/treble. My connemara excels on difficult courses, by no means is she a HOYs pony, she's not flashy enough, so when there's 20 clears, she doesn't get a look-in. Do average heights, and more difficulty! Why is height everything?!