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Post by ponder on Feb 28, 2020 21:36:00 GMT
It makes me sad that Horsegossip is basically dead these days. Sign of the times, forums are old-hat but still. As an older timer I appreciated a discussion forum... Who knows if anyone will read this rambling but I'm going to write it anyway. I've shown for a long time and people around me are always moaning about how much it's changed. Main complaints are: - It's lost its sense of fun
- It's been dumb-downed - big shows are no longer special and there are so many shows and classes nowadays
- It's too expensive and/or facey (but has this always been a problem?)
- The decline in breeding and general standards of ponies
What do you all think? Do you agree? Are we looking back at the 'old days' with rose tinted glasses or is it truly a sport in decline?
I must admit, I enjoyed the days where shows like Ponies UK were so busy you could barely move and to be pulled into the front line was like winning Gold. Qualifying for HOYS felt like a truly incredible achievement as there were only a select few classes and the show itself was just amazing (personally I think it feels tacky now, I don't enjoy it at all). Evening performances were a rarity and again, something truly to behold. SHP's had bone and were truly different beasts to SP's. We didn't have so many shows so classes were well filled wherever you went and there just seemed like such a sense of community - there was always sniping and b*tching behind closed doors but it felt different...
What's the way forward for this sport? Could we do with reform or do old timers like me just need to put up and go watch Heartbeat?
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Feb 29, 2020 11:26:30 GMT
I still keep an eye on HG - I do prefer the old fashioned format but sadly FB has taken over.
As for showing - I bred Welsh Ds and now As for 40 years and showed them to show off the stud rather than that it was my preferred discipline - I always preferred doing to showing. Under saddle when adult, and IH for the youngsters, well As mostly, I could never run a D I considered good enough to show myself. The main thing that has changed for me in the riddens is that now it's all about qualifiers. That makes the big shows less special as they are just another qualifier, not entered for their own sake. But that is only following the market, that's what competitors appear to want nowadays. In my ridden D stage Olympia was the big one to qualify for, when you had to be Ch on the day instead of just winning a class.
I can see your first three points could make sense, but can debate the fourth! If the demand isn't there, it's right that the numbers bred should decline, but we should endeavour to keep standards up. I found with the Ds that the type in fashion became not what I liked to breed, as I bred them to be ridden, with three good paces, and have not deviated from that. I have now stopped breeding them as I have health issues and find them too big for me to handle - I'm a one woman band here. I had always bred a few As, and now have more, most likely too many really, and love them.
As for going forward in showing - I have nothing to suggest. I still own one of the last Ds I bred, who is now doing Elementary dressage and hopefully going eventing, and I have much pleasure going out watching her compete, and one of the early As I bred has just gone on loan to my god daughter's 8yo daughter to show her the ropes in all aspects of riding - well maybe not showing, I don't think that's the child's thing, but so far she's just learning to ride well and loving her hunting. That's child, not pony, the pony knows it all already and that's her job in life - she already has her next child lined up, the 1yo daughter of the girl who breaks and rides my ponies for me.
I appreciate this is a very personal rather than general reply, sorry!
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Post by turning point on Mar 2, 2020 11:15:57 GMT
I think showing hit a turning point a few years ago where it could of been saved. Personally I think it's a downward spiral now especially at top level it will soon be just props against pros
To much focus on pretty, flixky toes and height rather than anything else. SHP and show ponies are just one breed now only separated by which height class they suit in the 13 and 14hh classes. Making a pony grossly overweight doesnt make it a hunter pony as it still should have some bone below the knee.
Correct way of going and jockeys that can actually ride? They are very far and few between. In a world where money speaks its ruined the showing world. If you've got the money you can pay someone to do everything and just turn up to ride on the odd occasion. No wonder these kids cant cope when so.ething out the norm is asked or if a pony misbehave. At what point did it become acceptable for kids to ride with hands fixed on ponies shoulders to hold their heads there. No wonder there stuffy behind but hey it flicks it toes enough
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Mar 2, 2020 17:51:06 GMT
Some comments on your last paragraph.
There is always a place for the professional producers for those who can't show their own - I didn't have the time to ride my Ds when younger and campaign them properly as they deserved but I did show the As IH, show by show not qualifiers. For those of us too old and crocked to do even that any more we have two choices - give up or pay someone else to do it, i'm lucky enough to be able to do the latter. I must admit I do think there are too many ponies being produced by someone else for a child to turn up and get on to compete - and not just in the showing world.
A couple of glimmers of hope - I seem to see more show animals and riders out doing dressage as well these days, any dressage judge worth their salt looks for correct way of going. And I'm involved in the WPCS Performance Awards scheme, where we see some really wonderful, keen and capable children - and adults too of course - out actually doing things with their Welshies.
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Post by flee on Mar 3, 2020 16:36:47 GMT
We showed Native ponies for over 20 years , had some fab results at the higher levels and , for the most part , we thoroughly enjoyed it - but probably because we took it a lot less seriously than a lot of the other people out there . But to be clear , by 'less seriously' I don't mean that we didn't put in the hours of preparation and hard graft to present our home produced ponies at their very best , but more that showing wasn't the be all and end all for us - we had many other things going on in our lives as well , which helped keep things in perspective , and whilst we too were on the receiving end of some dodgy results on some memorable occasions over the years , we were mostly able to shrug our shoulders and be philosophical about it . Even laugh about it - ' the bigger picture ' and all that ! Along side showing I also competed in affiliated eventing , SJ , WH and British dressage ( including on the M+M's at Novice and Elementary ) and to me those were the ' proper ' equestrian disciplines' and the showing was just something we did for fun . I'm not knocking those people for whom showing is their whole world but - for us anyway - we've always viewed it as , at it's best - A nice day out with an opportunity to show off - or , at it's worst - A very expensive , time consuming and slightly ridiculous pastime for very little reward'. But what the heck - we had fun and our fair share of sashes along the way , so hang the expense and the odd dodgy result ! But then a few years ago , quite suddenly , we realised that the fun had gone out of it . The atmosphere and ethos had changed , it seemed all anyone talked about was the qualifiers, the tickets , the bent judges , the ruthless producers , the dodgy height certificates , the doped ponies , who was or wasn't an amateur or pretending to be home produced . Conspiracy theories , corruption , lies, fake news . On and on ! Dear god - it's people riding ponies round a field for heavens sake !
We just weren't enjoying it anymore . So we did what any sensible person would do - we stopped doing it . And do you know what ? I don't miss it one little bit ! We've still got our ponies at home but they no longer compete so , as someone who is very goal orientated , I have now embraced triathlon as my competitive 'fix'. Not so many trophies as I had with the ponies ,LOL , but you get a nice medal at the end for your efforts ( and a surprisingly toned body in my dotage - I'm a Tri-Babe! ) . And the atmosphere at events is wonderful , people are friendly , helpful , supportive ,people lend you bits of equipment and stop to help you fix punctures and dangling chains , it's competitive but not ruthless , the old hands look out for the newbies , you help people if they're in difficulty and cheer them on when they're flagging .I've made so many lovely Tri-friends . It's hard work but , by god , it's Bl**dy Good Fun ! Ooooh - remind you of how something else used do be in the good old days ?
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Post by janetbushell on Mar 3, 2020 18:29:41 GMT
Ooh yes but we miss you in the showing world Flee! Glad you enjoying Triathlon though
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Post by flee on Mar 3, 2020 19:33:20 GMT
Ooh yes but we miss you in the showing world Flee! Glad you enjoying Triathlon though Haha - thanks Janet , miss you too ! I must admit that I have continued to get my showing fix since my 'retirement' by doing the odd bit of stewarding ' but , weirdly , rather than having me hankering to get back in the ring , it just seems to confirm my feelings that I'm glad I no longer do ! NB And another plus for triathlon - if we volunteer as stewards/marshalls at an event we can get free/reduced entries at a future event in return . As many horse shows seem to struggle for stewards/runners/ volunteers these days it might be something to consider? I get a good few requests for my horsey stewarding services via a panicked text the day before a show (or even on the day !) which goes " Sorry it's late but are you free tomorrow/now ? We've just been let down at the last minute …." .
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Post by janetbushell on Mar 4, 2020 5:52:37 GMT
Ooh yes but we miss you in the showing world Flee! Glad you enjoying Triathlon though Haha - thanks Janet , miss you too ! I must admit that I have continued to get my showing fix since my 'retirement' by doing the odd bit of stewarding ' but , weirdly , rather than having me hankering to get back in the ring , it just seems to confirm my feelings that I'm glad I no longer do ! NB And another plus for triathlon - if we volunteer as stewards/marshalls at an event we can get free/reduced entries at a future event in return . As many horse shows seem to struggle for stewards/runners/ volunteers these days it might be something to consider? I get a good few requests for my horsey stewarding services via a panicked text the day before a show (or even on the day !) which goes " Sorry it's late but are you free tomorrow/now ? We've just been let down at the last minute …." . NCPA Main branch shows do pay mileage to stewards (some decline & take a bottle of wine instead - leaving expenses as they know we are a charity) but that's an idea worth considering On the whole however we do find that most of our stewards come from people who no longer compete (often the reason they are free), but don't want to lose touch with showing. Triathlon probably also has this type of volunteer too but maybe there is more competition to continue with as ones' human joints get older than there is with the equine variety! PS What are you doing on Sunday 6th September? We'd love to see you stewarding at POYS!
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Post by flee on Mar 7, 2020 12:32:41 GMT
PS What are you doing on Sunday 6th September? We'd love to see you stewarding at POYS![/quote Would love to if I'm free - will let you know nearer the time if that's ok ?
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Post by janetbushell on Mar 7, 2020 16:45:37 GMT
Of course - just a cheeky ask !
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