Pre Show Panic!

[Principality]

Hi All,

I am a bit of a lurker, occasional poster and i was just wondering if i could run some things by you as i know some members are very experienced in showing.

My DS and I currently loan a 14.2 Welsh x Arab. Lovely boy, used to be super whizzy jumping pony. Now is adorable safe boy at home and on hacks. Gets a bit whizzy when out and about but think with time (he had 18 months off/v light hack until about 6/7 weeks ago) and practise from DS they will be fine. At the moment i hack him several times a week and do the odd bit of schooling (and had my first jumping lesson in nearly 15 years last week!). DS also hacks, schools and has just started PC and a little jumping, about 1'6-2ft.

To give them some practice/experience of going out without the pressure of jumping (which is where Dpony gets excited and whizzy- All over his face is: "Yehaaa! Jump off!!") we said it would be wise for us to do some showing classes to get out and about.

Ds took his sadly outgrown share pony to two events last year and they did really well but she was a totally different type (little mini cob and they did first ridden!) so i just wanted to check with people that we were on the right lines..

I think Dpony should be shown as a show pony as he is quite fine. And because of that DS and I should wear a blue jacket rather than tweed?

I think DS will take him in Novice show pony and I plan on taking him in veteran (he is 23). is this allowed as I am an adult on a pony? Or would I officially have to have a horse? (i am only 5'4, so don't look too huge on him. Could do with him being a little wider to take up my leg a bit more as he is so narrow, but they don't hang below his tum or anything)

At home he wears a hanging cheek, french link snaffle. Is this ok for showing? I assume he will have to have his martingale and flash taken off?

With the novice show pony will they canter in a group? The schedule doesn't mention it, but it makes a point of saying the class is for beginners not have come first (and maybe even second) previously.

Is he ok in beige jods? and the same for me or is he supposed to wear canary? I wear long leather boots and he wears joddy boots with clips?

And do i wear a regular shirt and tie?

I know it is for the experience and not about doing well, but don't want to show ourselves up and also, for him, i don't want him to feel he sticks out like a sore thumb... particularly as dpony is a bit of a scruffbag - I am doing my best but he is a grey who LOVES a poo pillow...

Thanks very much!

[Principality]

Thanks so much for the help, and sorry for all the questions- last year was so much easier, pony was a true first ridden, so always in a snaffle and no extra gadgets, and we already had a tweed for DS. To be honest I could have given her a GPS and told her what time to get there and waved them off. She knew her job and had not only been there and done it, but written the handbook and was happy to show him what was what and look after him. :) Fingers crossed Dpony will behave himself!!!

[horseylady]

If you show him as a show hunter you can wear tweed. Show pony very fine and are generally very showy with their paces. So I'd wear tweed and a shirt and tie. Then you can get away with plain bridle. You should be ok with snaffle. Ideally no flash.

Taken about an hour to write this so sure someone else will have answered lol

[Butkin]

OP Sounds like a good plan.

I'm guessing you're planning to do this at local level so you need to check the schedule. I can only speak as if it was an affiliated show...

A 14.2 show pony (ie less than 148cm) can be ridden by children who haven't attained their 17th birthday before 1st Jan. Usually the children would be 14-17.

The pony would be plaited and shown with a coloured browband with a fine brown bridle. No martingale or flash. In a novice class a snaffle would be fine. In an open class you'd wear a double / pelham with 2 reins.

There are some good pictures here to give you ideas - www.bsps.com/wayofgoing.asp

The children wear blue jackets (although in fairness I've only ever seen girls riding in this class!) with yellowish jods with clips/elastic and short brown/oxblood boots. White shirts and ties.

The pony would need to canter in company and in it's show would be expected to gallop (or at least extend) down one of the long sides.

I don't follow the veteran classes but of course you could ride Dpony. Have a look here www.veteran-horse-society.co.uk/ I've rode in tweed on my old boy but you'd probably be better off wearing blue if he is a show pony type.

Do keep us informed and let us know how you get on. When is the show?

[Butkin]

PS if you click on my name you can see a photo of our new show pony in my pictures. Like yours she is a part-bred.

[Principality]

Thank you both for replying.

Hm... I'm not sure what he is really.... apart from a bit scruffy. :( I looked at the link and he of course is no where near that polished so it makes it a bit difficult to tell. I will try and upload a pic onto my profile so you can see. He has been fully clipped out since the pic. We are building him up weight and condition wise but he is still lacking in top line... but part of this i think may be age as he is almost 24.

My Ds is actually only 9.. but already 5'1 about 5ft of which is leg. Previous pony was 12h and he was starting to find it difficult to ride correctly as his knees were by his chin. In an ideal world he would probably be on a 13.2 for a bit, but Dpony is on loan to us from yard owner, we know him well and have back up if needs be and it also means I have something to ride too as would squish a pony of 13.2 and we can't afford two! I think he looks ok on him, length wise certainly, but you could spit through him!

I got the official name wrong, the novice class is :Novice Ridden Pony ? 4y.o. and over, riders any age but must be suitable size for pony. Ponies not exceeding 153 cms and not to have been placed first in any ridden show class

They then have further classes for SP and SHP as well as RCP and then ORP. The schedule is here www.patchetts.co.uk/pages/events/event-schedules.php It is the showing show on the 16th. If you can suggest a class which would be better for him I would be grateful. I am just a little wary of sticking out like a sore thumb and looking ridiculous. As much as DS knows we are going for the experience of taking him out, no one likes to feel like a sure fire loser, iyswim.

Thank you so much for your help.

[roadkillbunny]

butkin can I just derail this thread slightly to compliment your beautiful ponies! They are real stunners, beautifully turned out and your dd has a lovely really natural seat (there is something about the way she is sitting in all the pictures that just shows how at home she is and how her body kind of falls into the correct position - of course this is only and impression and i could be vompletly off in my assesment! I am sure your dd works very hard to ride correctly but even though I can't find the right words she just seems to have that something that could take her wherever she wanted as a rider).

Have fun at the show OP, I can't add anything as I am completely out of touch with showing these days and can't seem to remember much of anything about the ins and outs these days even though I lived and breathed in as a teen! Given the reasons you are going I think the most important thing is to enjoy, have fun, make some lovely memories and don't take your self to seriously. As long as you are smart and as correct as you can be you will be fine, just don't forget to smile, laugh and enjoy yourself in all the worry over the shade of jodhpurs and if you need a coloured or plain browband!
Good luck!

[Butkin]

Ooh Patchetts - never been but planning to go on 11th April...

What a dilemma. Our DD was 10 last week and of course the biggest pony she rides is 12.2. Even then she is young for her class as you can ride 12.2s until you are 13.

If you go in Class 33 he'll be up against some adults (and some kids on their ponies) but I can see what you're thinking.

Trouble is showing is all designed around children - not their ponies. The "correct" classes would be 31 to 32 which are for children his age on ponies up to 12.2 - class 31 would be perfect for his show experience! Hence the dilemma!

Post a pic of your pony and I'll get back to you with ideas...

[Butkin]

That is so kind Roadkillbunny! She's been riding since she was 2 and loves her showing. She does go to Pony Club as well and is a keen all rounder but flat showing is her passion. She does have a good seat for her age although you wouldn't think that to hear her producer shouting at her! She doesn't mind the odd rollocking though (mind you not from us!!) and is keen to do well. Ironically she's never been to RI or HOYS yet so that is our aim for the season - just to get there - hence buying her the 7yo show pony, who has already been, as usually she's had to bring her own youngsters through (like the grey) and she is getting top coaching (bang goes the holiday this year!).

[Principality]

Thanks Butkin.

Just checked out your pics now. I love your section B! They are all such pretty ponies! Your daughter looks to ride beautifully.

What are you doing at patchetts on the 11th of April? It's our local big centre, so sometimes we drive over there on at weekend competition to watch what's going on (and eat the amazing cheesey chips or cheeseburgers!). It is just about hacking distance from our yard and a few other liveries compete at the unaf jumping there on a regular basis. Dpony used to regularly compete in the open jumping there... now he is with us, he is restricted to the self preservationist height of around 2ft!

The thing is, I think i may be trying to drive a round peg into a square hole :( He is not a show pony really. He has always been a jumping pony and is very good at his job, but just to keep it calm and build up slowly I wanted them to do some flatwork stuff whilst out and about, to get a feel for it and to have some fun with his pony. I thought we would probably be ok for local level stuff. As I said they are having PC rallies and will be having a few lessons to work on the jumping so that hopefully by the summer they will have enough confidence to go and have some fun in the small jumping classes.

I think there should now be a pic of Ds and Dpony on my profile. Not done up as it were, just out hacking to a local PC event.

[Butkin]

OP - April 11th is the Mid-Herts Spring Show organised by BSPS Area 15a at Patchetts. It has a Ri qualifer for SPs and as it comes in Easter Hols we'd hope to take the pony.

AA says it is 89 miles/2 hours from us so very much within our area.

At the moment I can't click on your name to see your pictures.

If you're keen on jumping why don't you try working hunter at future local shows. This is a good middle ground between showing and show jumping as you do a rustic course and then do a flat show by yourself.

At that show your DS could do class the Novice ridden pony - just to get a confidence booster - and then immediately afterwards the Riding Club Pony which he can do in a snaffle and he'll have to do a small (and it will be small!) jump. That would be fun and a good compromise.

[Twattybollocks]

You could do the turnout class first thing, ridden Arab, novice pony, Stuff like that. It doesn't specify show Pony on the novice so you could turn out as a hunter or a show pony depending on his type. There are a couple of other classes that are non type specific which you could do too, if it's a general ridden class rather than a type class it's likely to be judged more on way of going and schooling and general conformation so there's a bit more leeway if he's not quite a show pony. Also consider the riding club type classes, again, there's a bit more leeway if he's not a perfect show specimen, as long as he's obedient and jumps nicely:

[gailforce1]

Butkin just looked at your photos and love your Sec B, may I ask how its bred?

[50BalesOfHay]

Well gailforce, when a mummy Sec B and a daddy Sec B love each other very much they sometimes have a special cuddle and that's how Sec B's are bred

I'll get my coat

[Butkin]

50 you wag

He is an Doylan pony (you may know them better for their very successful coloured ponies) by Nantcol Figurehead out of Doylan Honey Bee. You'll see his breeding on the Doylan website - together with a picture of them when DD was only 7 !