NPS Area 4 - awful weekend

[manorian]

Unlike Anna, who had a great day, our area 4 weekend was awful. We went to pick Mischief up on Sunday morning only to find her lame and her leg double the normal size. we didn,t know what to do as we had to go anyway, to get the show rings ready and Ian was stable manager. Mischief needed treatment so, after talking to our vet , it was decided to take her with us. We spent the weekend taking turns manning the office, walking her out every hour and poulticing her leg. I was so upset. First and foremost my little girl was so down, (though she is a bit of a softie) but it also meant that we couldn't even compete for the Youngstock trophy she has won for the past two years. Thats showing for you. The day was not a total disaster as Jubilee won her welsh class and the amateur home produced.
Now wearing my Area 4 secretarys' hat, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE can anyone tell me why none of you dalesfans enter. The in-hand classes would have been non-existent without the Pennell family. One stallion, no 4 years and over and 3 1,2 and 3 year olds. I know a lot of dalesfans prefer riding but I was told, as I hadn't time to watch, there was only one Dales in the Kingsford out of 13 in total and only one in the Olympia with only 13 forward. Please, tell me what we need to do to attract entries!!! The stallion class was ammalgamated this year through lack of entries and I would hate to see breed classes go the same way. I NEED your suggestions before the next meeting.

[jakesmum]

norma I would just love to come and did get the maps out but its just so far from cambridgeshire. From an inhand view it sounded a cracking show

hope mischief is showing signs of recovery??

[dalesponyrider]

So sorry you had such a worrying time with Mischief. Poor little girl. Give her a scratch from me.

As for entries, I don't know. I'm not really a showing bod so can't help you with any info. If there was an inhand near me that wasn't too expensive to enter I might have a go though!

[anna85]

It is a cracking show, we go year in and year out and its never massive entries. I just don't know what you could do to entice more entries in the dales; the other breed classes were relatively well fillied in most cases. Maybe its just the clashing dates with other shows; you said a number were at Glendales (?). We're just kicking ourselves we didn't fill the box and put in Sonny for the snr dales, he was entered too but we decided three was enough and thought there would be plenty of other entries in there anyway.

[lancslass]

norma
im so sorry mischief isn't too good i know how upset you would be as i know how much you think of all your ponies.
well done with jubilee, thats a wonderful result.

we will definately come to area 4 next eyar norma........REMIND me when the schedules are out so i can get it sorted. im sure i can fill the wagon with ponies

ive pmd you back.

[manorian]

Thanks Laura. She is still a bit swollen today but she is n't lame so thankfuly, the pain must have gone now. I hadn't realised only 6 had come forward. Thats terrible. You will have to put Sonny in the ridden next year as well.
Karen, I will give you a schedule at the breed show or Ponies UK, no bother.
That might be an idea, actually, take a whole bunch to the breed show and hand them out there.

[lancslass]

thanks norma........you can give me a good few and i will happily hand them out amongst peeps down near me.

[hannahjsheldon]

I only just got my youngster this year, and because I didn't have transport until early May I only entered a few bigger shows. I am sure I will come to that next year, because I am fed up to the back teeth with local shows!!! The judges have given me some outrageous feedback this year!! SO, come next season we will be EVERYWHERE!!!!

[DalesLady]

Great result for Jubilee and hope Mischief is getting better now.

Sorry entries were down at Area 4. There are lots of shows smae weekend. Performance Show was Sunday this year instead of Saturday - perhaps this had a slight bearing on it? We have been to Area 4 before now and last time we went it was packed for the M&M classes.

[tinkerdorisalison]

The reason I have never been to that area 4 show is that the performance show (and 1001 other things) are on the same weekend.

Might make a weekend out of it next year, now we are fitter - perf.show and straight on to harrogate.....

Really surprised at the low entries though - I mean there are usually over 30 the NF and Connies classes

[kermie]

laura said:

The Connie/NF Olympia section had just THREE ponies forward, which is simply unheard of!

There were only 2 in the equivalent Olympia class at Blair last Friday and NO entries in the B&C class on Sunday at the Olympia qualifier re-arranged from the NPS Scottish show.....despite it being held at a Welsh show!

I think a lot of competitors are becoming disheartened about some qualifiers being pre-judged and are voting with their feet. I am not suggesting this happened at NPS Area 4 as I know Emma Woolley personally and she works very hard to get where she is.

[rebeccajane]

I dont show as I havnt the patience every time I get the urge to show I go and watch, it is enough to put me off, ponies that can't move up the line better ones down, fat ones above fit ones with no obvious reason.
This little rant is not about Dales ponies in articular or even natives in general rather about showing as a 'sport' and that not all judges are tarred with the same brush.

I understand that some classes are judged on a score for different things (style, conformation, show or whatever you call them), and the performance on the day makes a difference, often action seems to make no difference and people seem to think that because it's won whatever class it is a better pony, rather than it was better produced on the day. Which means good, better or whatever ponies are consistently down the line.
People chose their breeding stock on the grounds of whats winnng and this cant be good for the breed.
I realise that this is not a popular viewpoint and I am prepared to be shot at, but at least as I dont show no one can acuse me of sour grapes

[anna85]

Whatever you do in showing, you have to remember it is the opinion of one person only on that day and as much as you see from the outside the view from the inside ring is something completely different, that fit, well moving animal may turn a foot, have lumps and bumps all over its leg and have bitten the judge whilst he/she inspected it. Showing is an art and as much a discipline as any other equine sport and its about the complete picture. Somedays you can come away and think what the hell happened there and if you let it get to you it can be very demoralising, other days you can come away and think yes you did deserve to be the bottom of that line.

RE Breeding stock; what else are people meant to chose their breeding stock on? Shows are the oppoutuntiy for you to showcase your animal, your stallions and to promote them, of course it helps to be winning and consistently winning in front of different judges to help promote them. Nobody can get round every stud and decide what to buy to breed from? Best place in the world to look at breeding stock is the breed shows imo but always remembering what you like will most likely not be the same thing as the judge likes on that day, i like to look for the consistent stock, those that feature up at the top end at every breed show no matter who the judge is.
Anna

ps Magic is shown at a fit weight for him, he is far from obese and he hasn't done too bad this year. The idea of fat horses winning at every show is getting more and more distant in M&M's, a lot of judges nowadays actively discourage it and will place the horses down the line if they are carrying too much weight however there are still those few more archaic judges that continue to prefer the obese animals. As with all showing you just have to note them down in your black book (of judges who don't like your horse) and never show under them again.

[hannahjsheldon]

Well said Anna! I can see where you are coming from. I bought Rocky because I just LURVED his daddy!!! If he can turn out anything like his daddy I will be VERY HAPPY!! Even if he just gets that character!!! (Running round the field trying to shake a nettle away!!??)

When looking for my perfect dales pony, I did LOTS of research, which involved dalesfans, DPS and showing results etc...

I can understand the comments about judging being annoying, but in my experience this year, that has been solely at the local riding club shows. I think the big shows have been fair! Well, apart from Great Yorks, but I would say that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for the animals being fat! I think it is totally mixed opinions, but judges are getting better. My problem is, that my boy has been too slim!!! I shouldn't complain!!!! He is looking a bit chunkier now!

So, my advice to anyone who wants it, is, have a go at the bigger shows as the judging will probably be more fair!!!! The amount of times I have been at local shows and asked what breed my pony is, is unbelieveable! How can they judge a breed they don't know. It's not their fault!! The riding clubs have so many mixed general classes, that it is much better to get a more realistic idea amongst horses/ponies of the same type as yours.

[manorian]

Anna is right in that it is only one persons opinion on the day. Good conformation is good conformation Unfortunately, no-one has the perfect pony and people will always disagree about the finer points. However, no good judges should disagree about the weak points of a pony. Personally, I hate round bone, whether it is too little or too much. After all the breed standard states 8-9". But my real hate is ponies that don,t use their hocks. The back legs are the engine of a pony and if they are stiff or dragged behind what good is that. Other judges may prioratise differently and that is when disagreement arises. we go to enjoy the day and if you win it is a bonus. Also, a good idea would be for people to look critically at their own ponies and not look at them through rose coloured glasses. As i said earlier IMO there isn't a perfect pony and I have shown for 30 years.