HOYS

[Anteater]

Anybody else going on Sunday??

[gordyslovesheep]

I wish!

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

I went Thursday/Friday, was ace :0) the final charge is a bit rubbish tbh, not as good as I've seen the displays in previous years, but the mounted games are brill as always, and the scurry is a good laugh.

[pinkandsparklytoo]

I am going tomorrow. Anyone got any idea what time it finishes?

[Butkin]

We went Saturday. Left home at 5am so we could watch the cobs - why do they have to put quality classes on so early! Had a great time and particularly enjoyed watching the SHPs. DD also enjoyed watching the Mounted games - we had to sprint between Main arena and Caldene to squeeze everything in...

I've also really enjoyed the Sky coverage although is unbelievably annoying when they are chatting in the studio and are completely oblivious to the tantalising glimpses of the show classes going on behind them.

Why do they think all we want to watch is show jumping...

[fait]

We got a second in the cobs! Also coloured champion and second in the small hunters so a pretty good week. But absolutely knackered now after only a few hours of sleep over 3 days - it is exhausting.
Not 100% convinced about the display this year, although my son (11) loved it. But we both preferred the pony club games - the worm in the wheel barrow is a-may-zing!!!

[fait]

Oh - and in order to be in the ring for 6.45am (and having 8 horses in the cobs and intermediates) we were fully functioning (well, almost ) by 3am!!!

[frostyfingers]

Well done FAIT, you must be worn out. I didn't watch much this time round but agree with you Butkin, I wanted to watch other stuff too rather than just the show jumping - I'll have to go next year I suppose.

I watched the Puissance on Saturday and what caught my eye was when they were showing them in the collecting ring how many were using draw reins or equivalent in the warm up - in fact Peter Murphy tipped off jumping the practice fence - the horse looked as though it could barely lift its' head. Having just reluctantly started using an adaption of draw reins on the lunge on vet & physio advice, and seeing how restrictive they can be I was quite surprised to see them in action like that. I'm not saying they shouldn't, just surprised that they were IYKWIM?!

[Startailoforangeandgold]

I'm just so it's on Sky.
I loved HOYS as a child and my DDs have never seen it.

I don't have Sky at all, so I can't take sport on trial then cancel.

Which is what my DSIS does for USA tennis.

I'd love to go, but I've yet to be that organised.

[maturenanny]

Aww would love to have been at HOYS, a horse that my friend had as a baby and broke in, went on to get fifth in his coloured con showing class and best native!! Way to go tomahawk III!
X

[maturenanny]

Con = cob

[fait]

I know the lady who owns Tomahawk now! Lovely horse!

It is such a shame that you can only get to see the showing classes if you are there. However, a day ticket is not mega bucks and there is soooo much to see!

[maturenanny]

Ahh, yes am friends with her on fb, small world, shame she is selling him but he is gorgeous! Wished I had deep enough pockets and the confidence/knowledge to give him a forever home! X

Wish I had the holiday to take a day to go, I know his previous owner did go up with another friend and had a great time. Have seen the professional pictures and he looks amazing!
Xx

[fait]

There is currently big kerfuffles going on as the maxi results have been changed (they marked tied horses on thehigher ride mark and it should have been conformation). Now the LW andHW cobs, and Small and Large Riding Horse marks are also showing discrepancies - so they are likely to be changed as well! Fortunately it does not affect any of our horses, but some people are going to be gutted.

[maturenanny]

Oh god!! You don't expect that to happen at that level!! That's really gutting..glad yor not affected xx

[fait]

It may mean that someone should have been in a championship but someone else did it instead. Awful. This is the first year they have published marks for the horse classes and it has been a disaster. I accidentally published the hunter placings on my website (copied them from the HOYS website) an hour before the final 9 results were due to be in the main arena! Fortunately they stayed in the same order, but HOYS should not have published the results until after the whole class had been completed!

[Butkin]

Thats interesting Fait - I know the judges involved and will find out what happened.

For anybody wanting to mostly watch showing the trick is to get on and book tickets as soon as they come out. That way you can buy the cheapest possible. It doesn't really matter where you are seated because you'll spend most of the time in the Caldene (showing) arena and it's free seating in there.

If you do want to go and watch an early class (cobs a good example) you can virtually sit where you want because the main (LG) arena is pretty empty for those early classes.

I think they should move the Search for a Star to the breakfast shift and put the cobs etc later in the day as they are a proper class. However I know the cob people (I've ridden the class myself) like to be in the main arena so I guess that's the price you pay.

I'm not going to knock Sky because they do try and put on a good show with high production values. However somebody with influence needs to point out to the producers that more than half the classes at Horse of the Year show (not showjumper of the year) are for showing.

[fait]

Butkin - it was down to the stewards not knowing what to do with tied marks. So they put the ride mark as the higher mark each time, and it should have been the conformation mark. All the marks from the affected classes have been removed from their website. The judges are not aware (at least the one I spoke to last night was not aware!) of what is going on. As far as they are concerned, they judged the class, the marks were awarded and the prizes given out!

I agree about SFAS - I would love to do the cob class with a proper audience! But having done the coloureds in the Caldene, I do not want to give up our main arena slot - it is not really big enough for them to gallop in the Caldene.

The seating stewards were very awkward this year and would not let people sit where they wanted (well, this depended on which block you were in - some were fine and others would let you sit anywhere) - silly really, as there were so few people in!