Anyone do Show or Working Hunter classes?

[LadyOfWaffle]

I haven't ridden much since the DSs and have loaned my pony out, but when I have time again I was hoping to get a working hunter 'type' and do shows. I did showing etc. on a very amatuer level but was hoping to go further in the future.

I was just wondering what breed and height you had, and what classes you do?
Also what 'level' do you show at?
How did you start - was it just at local shows and build up?
I am sure I have more but am abit tired to think!

I've never done working hunter because I've got a heavyweight show cob (which I also hunt in the Winter) and he's not a good enough jumper. Decent show horse in his day though - plenty of County level championships.

DD has just started out doing working hunter on the lead rein (she is 6 next month) but jumps are tiny!

My next horse will probably be an Irish draught x thoroughbred type that I can hunt and maybe show. If it jumped I may do workers as well although may be getting windy by then!

I do M&M now and am hoping to start Cob. Did do Hunter Youngstock a while ago. County & local for the M&M and HY and will be very local level for the cob's First Outing! Hopefully I'll get in a few before being too pg. Local level is a great place to start and have some fun and, if you don't fancy County, there's a lot of scope and different levels at Local too! When are you thinking of starting to look for a horse?

I would get an Irish sports horse so you can do showing and jumping they are very good and I used to have one but then I dealt him on as I could not afford him he was a stallion but a well behaved

one and I did hunting local shows and qualified for Olympia at only 11 and I am 12 now but they jump well have very good paces and look amazing in the right colour and right coat maintenance.

We have 14.2 NF Pony and he has done both Flat and WH classes.

County level is as high as we've shown, we don't have the desire to bother to travel further afield and its quite expensive. He's done OK, we're very happy with him and don't feel we need to prove anything more. He just gets trundled out at the odd show these days and that's good enough for all of us, him included. He does still like to strut his stuff.

Yes local shows (some are better than others in my area), then onto the more serious ones which run qualifiers for say NPS Picton if flat or HOYS qualifiers for WH, and see if you like it and how far you get?

I have m&m whp and show at county level and have been to hoys etc, I would say depending on how comfortable you feel get an M&m. They are easy to produce, you can ride them as an adult and can start off at local level and build up. If you do compete at county level then the competitors on the circuit are so friendly and everyone cheers everyone on and they are always genuinely pleased when others do well.

I love my workers, my mare in her younger day did a bit of county workers. She is an Irish sport horse. For a true county worker you would a nice horse 16.2hh + my mare used to look like a pony in the big classes she is 16hh and I don't think we have seriously done workers for about 8years and show horse trends are they are preferring the bigger ones. As well as the standard worker classes, they do working cob/show horse the jumps are about 3ft so slightly smaller native workers, the have coloured workers so virtually any horses in catered for. I miss working hunter was hoping to do the working veterans on my lady at equifest this year but the ground is so hard and she is 21!!
I started doing workers as my mare was too slow to event but jumps out of an amazing rhythmical canter, which is really key
Good luck