SWPA Championship Show

[lottieloo]

Had a lovely time at David Broome's place, the sun was out, people were friendly and we brought home a few rosettes, BUT:-

Have to vent my annoyance for other competitors, particularly those competing in the Novice Lead Rein final on Sunday.

We watched this class and to our amazement there was a professionally produced lead rein pony competing, who has a ticket for this years HOYS and has also been placed the last two years. How could this be in the Novice class. Surely the point of this class was for Novice ponies. Apparently the jockey was a novice.

The Star for the Future classes were open to novice combinations and therefore that was the class which the pony should have stuck to and that would give the true novice ponies a chance.

Needless to say you can guess what pony won and was Novice Mini Champion, don't know what took the Novice Supreme Championship though........ I shudder to think!

I think SWPA will need to tighten up on their rules.

On another note - did anyone see a St John Ambulance or similar in attendance?

[victoria (highhill)]

lottieloo - have to agree it was a very friendly show - in some cases even heard judges and stewards call competitors in by their christian names, thats very friendly!!!! (I hasten to add - not in either of the classes I was in!)

[lottieloo]

There's me ranting on the behalf of others, I forgot to ask if anyone had anything stolen from their lorry? We were lucky, someone tried to have our generator away at 1.05am on Friday night. Thank god it was attached by a chain to the lorry.

[bookworm]

funnily enough, there was a St Johns in attendance, my sister, but she was there to compete and groom, not give first aid, although she was ready to go and land the air ambulance, or would have if we were able to put the horses back in the stables while it was landing.
for a show that was soo concerned with health and safety that we had to wear hats with harnesses (except in evening performances) they really didnt give to hoots about providing adequate lighting walking from ring to stables at night. i nearly rode into a bin, thank god my horse saw it, but she side stepped to avoid it so i nearly fell off as i wasnt expecting it. had it been a person that could have been quite nasty.

[tabbyx]

some people near us said the supreme ridden final was a fix completely disagree with them. the pony went beautifully and really performed for his rider. congratulaltions by the way.

[orchid]

Please do not start off about the Supreme rider and pony being fixed - they went beautifully and it was justified she is a child for gods sake.

[ellieraga]

I think tabby was actually sending her congratulations

[Lulu]

Hi there, I am the proud owner of the winning pony and mum of the rider!! We're extremely proud of both and thankyou for your lovely comments

[tabbyx]

i was congratulating them if you read it i actually said i completely disagree with it being a fix. big well done to them he's a stunning pony.

[solitaire]

Apologies to xtabbyx - just so cross people have to spoil things with saying its a fix and yes I did not read it properly - now i read it again i realise i got it wrong - unfortunately I have a brain problem following a stroke and don't alway see things properly. So sorry and i will remove the post if you want me to do this.

[tabbyx]

solitaire it's fine.i know exactly what you mean some people used to say that about me&my old pony winning the same class at a local show for a about 4 years running saying that we used to know the judge(fair enough we did but we had a major fall out with them so to be honest we had more chance of being placed down the line than winning but she was a very fair judge) we actually won it becaus my pony was a true childs pony as it was most suitable childs pony. don't remove it. how terrible to have had a stroke my grandma and granddad on my dads side had them. oh and massive well done to little charlie M supreme mini champion on saturday evening you've done so well this year and i know your mum was really nervous about letting you off the lead at the start of the year but snap has looked after you so well

[solitaire]

Thank you for your understanding xtabbyx.

[tabbyx]

one thing that really annoys me is the swpa opinion of what is a snaffle. basically if you have a novice pony that competes/is ridden in a wilkie or a jointed loop bit has to use a different bit to compete in novices at their shows!

[helle]

as a member this is something I have discussed with them several times. I do not understand how NPS can allow wilkies and loop rings in their novice and pure novice classes, while SWPA refuses to do this. Don't see how it is more severe than a hanging cheek, which they do allow.

[tabbyx]

i know it's really annoying because it meant i couldn't do the novices with my pony because that's the only snaffle he goes really nicely in