Royal Highland Show - Private Driving Class

[kaz]

Got back that late and was tired last night and we were back at the show today but here is out driving class report !

Well I am going to sack the photographer !! A friend / neighbour who comes to the driving shows with us to help takes photos on my digital camera but I don’t know what she has done but she has pressed something on the camera so all the photos I have are really low resolution thumbnail type photos. I knew I should have bought the official one !!

The class was really big. There were 14 forward, most were up from England for the HOYS ticket, so a really strong class. When we arrived on Saturday morning the rain was so bad that most of us drivers were not even going to bother competing (we went and got one of those gazebos to put the carriage in and work in, great thing !) but the rain stopped and it was dry for out class, the rain came back on for the championship but we got unhitched and William back in before then !

The weather being so bad we were not allowed to go into the jumping ring as planned for out class, it was held in the small grass warm up area across the road from the new surfaced school warm up area. This area was not big enough for the number of turnouts to get moving so we were sent out in two groups to do our initial go round. William went well and quite forward, not bad at all. We then waited quite a while in the line up until it was our turn for the individual. He went well, could have been a bit more forward at times but not too bad. We got a decent one handed circle and a lovely halt and nice and straight rein back which was really good, I was pleased with that. We were pulled in 13th , but considering the size and strength of the class (over half of which have been to and been placed at HOYS) I was really pleased. This is by far the biggest show he has been driven at and the biggest driving class he has been in so we were pleased. At least he did not rear and nap like the turnout that was 3rd and at least he would stand still unlike another turnout further up the line !

Does anyone know the website for the photographer so I can order the official photo as all of these are rubbish and I would like one of us at the Highland !

[harveydales]

Congratulations! That's a brilliant result for a class like that. You must be very proud of William. In fact, I think all of you deserve a special prize for just taking part in the competition in the sort of weather we've been having!

Lovely to see these pics - the class looks really huge! I hope you manage to get hold of some of the official ones too.

Very well done both of you!

[shirlnjazz]

Oh I was really hoping the rain would stay off for, was thinking of you. What a huge class, well done and good boy William for behaving

[shiatsudales]

Firstly huge congratulations on acheiving this. The Highland is a big and scary show so to go inot such a strong class and behave so well in such appalling weather is a big thing. If he can do this in his first year of driven showing there'll be no stopping you next year!

Can't believe they placed a pony that reared and napped in shafts, shouldn't that be an instant 'send down the line' thing for safety if nothing else?

What do they judge the class on? Is it one of these that manners don't matter?

[kaz]

shiatsudales said:

Firstly huge congratulations on acheiving this. The Highland is a big and scary show so to go inot such a strong class and behave so well in such appalling weather is a big thing. If he can do this in his first year of driven showing there'll be no stopping you next year!

I actually think that there are a lot worse shows than the Highland. There is plenty of space and I find the ring not that “buzzy”. At the smaller Agri Shows everything is a lot tighter space wise and the rings can be very very buzzy and quite claustrophobic with stands and stalls and the public almost on top of you right at the ringside.

shiatsudales said:

Can't believe they placed a pony that reared and napped in shafts, shouldn't that be an instant 'send down the line' thing for safety if nothing else?

Well ! It should really be ! Have seen turnouts put out the ring for less. I really thought that that turnout would have been much further down the line than they were.

shiatsudales said:

What do they judge the class on? Is it one of these that manners don't matter?

There are lots of factors being taken into account. Way of going of the horse/pony, manners of horse/pony, fit or harness to horse/pony, fit of vehicle to horse/pony, cleanliness of horse/pony, vehicle and harness, correct dress of whip and groom, suitability of horse/pony to type of vehicle, correctness of spares and lamps carried for type of turnout. There are many areas that they take into account so it can be difficult to see why a turnout is put up or down.

[clara]

Well done you and William!! Shame about the bad behavior b eing well placed - sends mixed messages Particularly annoying as whenever we behave badly we get placed down the line
What's your next do?

[lucydales]

Well done Kaz and William, you look fantastic even if the photos don't do you justice!

[dalesponyrider]

Congratulations! Fancy being in a class like that - William more than held his own against stiff opposition by the sound of it! How lovely that he behaved so brilliantly but a shame the judge didn't place him higher up the line considering the manners shown in the ring! Well done anyway!

[charliedales]

Wow, what a tough class! Well done to you and William, sounds like he was a little star for you, clever boy! Can't believe a pony being that nappy got placed so high above you!