Cheshire show and dartmoor breed classes (in hand)

[ruddles]

Reminder - to all Dartmoor Pony Society members - you are ineligible to enter the above classes at this show as this would contravene the bye-law (if there are two or more classes solely for dartmoors, then a dartmoor panel judge must be appointed). Mr R Parker-Jones is not a dartmoor panel judge and Cheshire Show have confirmed that there will NOT be a change of judge.

[ffionbelle]

This is ridiculous

[comanchediva]

I dont know anything about dartmoors but surely this happens almost every year as cheshire always has mixed M&M judges?

[sjw87]

Surely that ruling doesn't exactly encourage shows to hold specific Dartmoor classes? I may be missing something but I'd have thought that a breed society would welcome single breed classes in favour of mixed m&m classes, not ban their members from competing??

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[ffionbelle]

So if your not a member cam you enter....i really don't get it

[the showing register]

This is correct at the TSR Gala show in July we have big problems getting the correct judge for Dartmoors and as we have a Cuddy like Cheshire we want to run a seperate section so they can be represented. HOYS state that to go in a Cuddy you must be a section Champion so you have to have 2 classes plus.

[ffionbelle]

I must be being really thick...ive not yet re newed my dps membership, I only joined last year because I owned a pony that was entered at the breed show ( my mother in law the member,breeder etc.) so I can I enter/exhibt the studs ponies?

[ruddles]

Hi cd - in the past there have been judge changes if necessary or sometimes the judge has (luckily) been a panel judge and also judged other m and m classes (a lot of DPS panel judges are also on a lot of other panels). So this year there are breed classes that breeders cannot enter!

[ruddles]

Hi ff - please check with DPS - presumably your m-i-l who owns/breeds is a member of dps and would be classed as exhibitor and therefore not eligible to enter?

[ruddles]

sjw - I understand from dps that this is long standing bye-law - I presume to ensure high standards of judging.

[ruddles]

Hi tsr - the most frustrating thing here is that Cheshire have a dps panel judge, Mrs S Phelan, on the showground judging the highland, fells, dales and connemaras but the show won't swap her to judge the dartmoors as she judged here last year. I don't know if there is a rule that you cannot judge two years in row.......! Anything in Cuddy rules? Not that Mrs Phelan is judging the Cuddy qualifier here. Thought it would have been relatively easy to swap two sections - not as if they have to pay to bring in an extra judge solely for the dartmoors.

[the showing register]

The effect of this rule is that shows can run the classes as Cheshire is and DPS members cannot compete but everyone else can with a registered Dartmoor so I dont really see how that raises the standard probably lowers it as probably the best Dartmoors are owned by members.

It is a job to get judges for all these mm classes in hand without them travelling miles to judge 2/3 classes and we only ever have a handful of entries in each one despite £10 entry fees , MM supreme and a £750 amateur championship plus the Cuddy final. If the classes are not better supported it will end up that only mixed breed in hand are on the schedules and that would be a shame.

[ruddles]

I personally think that it will eventually revert to mixed breed classes (as it was many years ago at Cheshire) which is a shame particularly as we have several of our native breeds listed as rare breeds (dartmoors being one). I (and other members and the DPS) have been trying to resolve this matter for the last few weeks but to no avail. For such a prestigious agricultural show with the largest equine section in the country, it is disappointing not to be able to represent the breed having supported this show for more than 40+ years, both as a spectator in the early years and more latterly, attending every year as a competitor since the introduction of seperate breed classes.

[sjw87]

So why don't the society look into repealing their bye-law?

Without a judge change, classes will still go ahead but without DPS members and their equines which seems a real shame as it is important to promote our native breeds, particularly ones which are diminishing in number.

I completely understand a society wanting panel judges to be used and hoping that doing so will raise the breed standard but disallowing members from competing under a non-panel judge just seems bizarre imo.

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[ruddles]

sjw -have sent you a pm

[comanchediva]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the DPS' s reasoning for the bye law?

[ruddles]

I'm not 100% sure - I think it may be they want to ensure high standard of judging within the breed/consistency of breed standard. When I spoke to dps, they said it had been around for a long time. I know it may seem a strange rule to some people, but when you join your breed society (or any society) you sign to agree to abide by the rules. As I said earlier, it has happened in the past and they have changed judges but for some reason this year they won't budge (I understand their reasoning that they don't want to pay for a third m and m judge). I even suggested amalgamating the two classes and then members could enter with Mr RPJ judging. So the classes remain open to non members of the society only.

[the showing register]

If other breed societies do not find this necessary perhaps it could be changed ? TSR is struggling to find enough opportunities for trainee mixed ridden mm judges to expand their knowledge and any sort of overlap co operation between any societies is very welcome not quite on thread but something that is often on my mind !

GC