H&H - so who's disappointed in M&M coverage?

[Guestless]

Personally I cancelled my sub to H&H last year and haven't regretted it. IMO the coverage for M&Ms in particular has decreased significantly and I note that this year there isn't even any pre-report on Olympia which is the pinacle of the showing calendar for those who breed and own M&Ms.

According to another thread, H&H often visit this site, so here's your chance to let them know what you think. Please try to keep it civil though.

[weasel]

yep i totally agree
there was not even a natives report from RASE this year. M & M's are outnumbering plaited ponies both in ridden and in hands -yet the reporting is totally unfair - are we seen as downmarket??? Well if they are good enough for HM Queen then I do not think so!
The other thing i've noticed with H&H is that the reports from any major shows seem to concentrate on what the 'names' have been doing, never mind mere mortals even if they have a good win.

[tigger]

Reading through any show report (especially the bigger shows) it always seems to be the hunters that get the most coverage - but then m+m after that, there are a lot more types of horses/classes that hardly ever get mentioned! It would be nice to have a bit of variety to it. But I do agree that it seems to be the same 'names' that appear a lot, obviously they will get mentioned if they are the winners but they are not the only ones who win. I know someone who won a big show jumping class at a county show this year - and in the write up they had a picture and more lineage of the horse/rider that came third!

[sallyw]

Yes, I agree. I would also say that some of the Welsh reports are particularly biased towards some people. I guess this is what Tigger is saying above. When we won a big championship at a Welsh show with a welsh pony, the reserve champs got a mention and a pic but not us. Since we are mere mortals and the other people were a name I guess this bears out what Weasal says. What are we going to do about it?

[Welshy]

Having been one of the lucky ones to get my name and ponies' pictures in H&H on more than one occasion, I have noticed that it has predominently been when I was still at a show at the end of the day.

I looked with interest at how H&H reporters and photographers operate and have found that they do arrive at shows quite late.

Add this to the fact that (and I've just done a recce of thirty county shows) the M&Ms are predominently on well before the crowds get through the gates (let alone the sleep in H&H reporting crew) then is it any wonder that M&Ms are not reported eh?

Perhaps then, we should not be blaming H&H, but rather, start petitioning the major shows (especially county shows) to put M&Ms more in the limelight and feature them during the day and in their main rings, and not before 9am and in a back ring as is normally the case.

H&H cannot take all the blame if these shows do not want to give M&Ms prominence.

PS There are a few shows where the M&Ms are featured, but they are few and far between, but I thank them!

[Guestless]

Welshy said:

Having been one of the lucky ones to get my name and ponies' pictures in H&H on more than one occasion, I have noticed that it has predominently been when I was still at a show at the end of the day.

Have to say that is not the case with M&Ms in Scotland. The people up here who do reporting for H&H are usually at the large shows all day and they are always interviewing class winners and taking pics. More often than not their articles are used by Scottish publications (eg Scottish Farmer). Around 5 years ago the coverage of M&Ms by H&H was good, but it has declined year on year since then.

Maybe it's different down south - I've only ever done a few shows in England, but Valerie Russell was present at them all and was there all day.

[Mona]

I know Valerie always reports, but H&H dont always put the stories in.

[Guestless]

Mona said:

I know Valerie always reports, but H&H dont always put the stories in.

Exactly Mona.

[avie]

must say very disappointing not to have a single m&m from Olympia in this weeks edition show jumping and everything else, thought something would have been able to go in somewhere.

[Oh comeon]

Oh come on Avie, the M&M's were on Monday, there is no way whoever is writing the report be it Valerie or else would get it done in time. The SJ and Dressage from Olympia is about classes from the weekend. I BET there will be a good Olympia report in their next week. I know their coverage is abysmal on the M&M's but give them a break, no one could turn around an article that quick.

[ferret]

I find that every time myself or one of my friends ( all home produced ) do well at any of the big shows we never get a mention , or they dont cover the show / class at all !!! Its so annoying !!!
But with the Olympia coverage i was dissapointed that there was not a whos ..who is riding what ...background history etc type article before , but am sure there will be coverage next week on the results tho ....hopefully !!

[avie]

Oh said:

Oh come on Avie, the M&M's were on Monday, there is no way whoever is writing the report be it Valerie or else would get it done in time. The SJ and Dressage from Olympia is about classes from the weekend. I BET there will be a good Olympia report in their next week. I know their coverage is abysmal on the M&M's but give them a break, no one could turn around an article that quick.

i weren't on about a full blown report, a picture like that which has been displayed every where else would have done, with the word eg: full report in next weeks issue, it just seemed the m&m's get completely forgotten about at Olympia with immediate press coverage and televised. they still manage to get in the veteran reunited picture! and that was the day before. they could do it if they want to.

[hipo]

That's exactly what Native Pony Magazine does, Overbent

[viking]

Stopped my subscription to Horse and Hound well over a year ago for exactly this reason, and emailed them accordingly. Needless to say I heard nothing.

Without wishing to seem provocative, I find Native Pony Magazine has a fixation on the same names time and time again also.

[Guestless]

viking said:

Without wishing to seem provocative, I find Native Pony Magazine has a fixation on the same names time and time again also.

Perhaps but that is probably because there are only a limited number of people submitting articles. The editor does always say people are welcome to submit show reports, etc so maybe it's something you could take on.

[Show reportig]

I think H&H is not brill at reporting, although I have to say Margerate Shaw does an excellent and accurate job, she will always approach the champions and take details, whether they are Pros or amatuers. Its probably easier for her to talk to pros though because she sees them out and about more often and so perhaps finds it easier to talk to them.

However I will say one thing: the H&H seem to think that there is no horse shows in winter, and they are wrong, they could report more on the winter qualifiers, even if they are lower level local shows. Apart from a few welsh foal shows there has been nthing in H&H, and there is a thriving winter circuit out there.

I would finish by saying that is there a need to read the Olympia report in H&H ? with live updates on these forums, multiple pictures posted and video clips too by the time the H&H does come, its old news

[more to life than showing]

First of all I think H&H is brilliant for all kinds of reports.
1)I love reading the racing column - Marcus Armytage is incredibly funny, as was Richard Phillips.
2)The recent news coverage is brilliant and the letters section is good
3)Point-to point coverage is excellent
4)Show-jumping, eventing, dressage and endurance reports are great, and it's amazing how many native ponies are out there.
5)Hunting reports are fab, and often feature showing names and faces
6)Articles about personalities are great
7)Obituaries column shouldn't be missed
8)Good "For Sale" section
It covers an amazingly broad spectrum and is a great all-round magazine.
I do wish it had more native showing coverage and show results; I think the coverage improved a few years ago, but hasn't been so good this year. I do still enjoy the Olympia M&M coverage and photos, and would have enjoyed a Pre-Olympia article.

[Show reportig]

I think that is the point that is being made 'more to life than showing', yes there is extensove reporting of sj & dressage, even the smallest of dressage competitions get reported in H&H, but not so much showing for those of us who do want to read it.

[more to life than showing]

I don't disagree with that - I just think there are an awful lot of other articles in it that are interesting to read too, and as a whole the magazine is excellent with how-much of so-much it covers and should get credit for that. More native showing coverage would be the icing on the cake for me, but I wouldn't stop buying it because it's not been so good this year.

[Philippa]

Oh said:

Oh come on Avie, the M&M's were on Monday, there is no way whoever is writing the report be it Valerie or else would get it done in time. I know their coverage is abysmal on the M&M's but give them a break, no one could turn around an article that quick.

Why?

Having worked for a newspaper which had a daily broadsheet I know how quickly things can be turned round and 2 days in press terms is a decade!!!!!!

[me2]

Exactly, i mean Olympia is not all that far from fleet street, you could have compiled a report within 2-3 hours of it finishing. Esp with modern technology.

[john]

Oh said:

Oh come on Avie, the M&M's were on Monday, there is no way whoever is writing the report be it Valerie or else would get it done in time. The SJ and Dressage from Olympia is about classes from the weekend. I BET there will be a good Olympia report in their next week. I know their coverage is abysmal on the M&M's but give them a break, no one could turn around an article that quick.

wow, that was exciting, the article they put in this week looks so out of place like it was missed out of last weeks. amazing there deadline they can get boxing day events in.

[hackety]

Basic fact of Winter life .......... I get fatter and H & H gets thinner!

[Mince Pie]

To be fair Valerie's report was very good but expected Horse nad Hound would have given the M&M's at least a double page spread and more photos. Have to hope Native Pony and Showing World offer more.

[too much turkey]

philippa totaly agree with todays hi tec gear they can send pics from there cameras with the use of there mobile phone lines or wireless laptops so no excuses for delays my friend was taking pics at the royal welsh went back to her lorry and emailed them to her friend fact is HnH dont do the coverage i cancelled my sub too but just for winter as its full of tat

[hackety]

I think H & H have made a big mistake with the coverage of Olympia. I don't do M & M's but honestly feel that as it is their biggest show of the year (and so few of the winter shows are covered at this time of year) that more coverage should have been given.
Given my earlier reference to the magazine being thinner, surely they could have given 2 to 3 pages to Olympia's natives and Veterans. When I turned to look for the article, I expected to see a fab picture of the winner, but also would have thought it appropriate to include each Best of Breed.
They seem to manage to put numerous small reports and pictures in each issue for Dressage at this time of year so why not just go all out for one issue for showing?

[exactly]

hackety said:

I think H & H have made a big mistake with the coverage of Olympia. I don't do M & M's but honestly feel that as it is their biggest show of the year (and so few of the winter shows are covered at this time of year) that more coverage should have been given.
Given my earlier reference to the magazine being thinner, surely they could have given 2 to 3 pages to Olympia's natives and Veterans. When I turned to look for the article, I expected to see a fab picture of the winner, but also would have thought it appropriate to include each Best of Breed.
They seem to manage to put numerous small reports and pictures in each issue for Dressage at this time of year so why not just go all out for one issue for showing?

I was thinking exactly the same!

[flashthecash]

having read this weeks Nag&Mut.. i was disappointed I thought that they would have given the Baileys M&M abit of a bigger write up. As it was the biggest thing in the M&M calender. No i don't have a M&M... but all the M&M peps who did so well, should have had a mention I am well disappointed

Well done to all the breed winners.....

[cancel]

Yes another long time reader of the nag and dog disappointed. I am going to cancel my sub, before next dd goes out at the end of Jan. M +M coverage is generally pretty poor, and I hate the new layout for the classified. Used to enjoy browsing the for sale pages, don't even bother with it now. To often I find I flick through it, read the editorial and letters and that's about it. Going to have it on a veiw before buying now, buy it if it looks interesting.

[chocoholic]

I suspect that the problem for Nag and Dog is that they are trying to report on a large spectrum of equine related activities. As an earlier post touched on, the Mountain and Moorlands are the poor relation of the showing world, eg pushed into outside rings etc. I have the distinct feeling that to raise the profile of these fantastic breed goes far further than more coverage in a general horse magazine.