shows for the summer

[Emily C]

I know Steph me too lol. Thats who I thought it was at first, hence why I said about time you got your arse in the show ring...that was aimed at you LOL.

I get super confused when I am work because nobodys signatures or pictures come up so its just a name! Maybe you could be Stephanie C.

[Stephanie]

haha... well i am new so...and i dont have the C at the end of my name so that how were going to have to see the diffrence i guess...so what do people mostly show here in Newfoundland??

[maria]

N.L isn't exactly the biggest place around for showing Like someone said, we don't even have a course designer, so that means that we can't have any jumper shows, at least not ones that are counted. It also means there are a lot of people who show Hunter O/F since that's really only the jumping classes we have. There's also equitation o/f, but hunters usually get priority from people.

And bare in mind, when I say "a lot of competitors" I mean by our standards, not like Ontario or the other provinces. I know for the past few years when I showed they had everything (hacks, jumping, hunter, equitation, western, reining, freestyles, etc) in two days. However, this year they are separating out the divisions a lot more, which has it's pros and cons.

The dressage shows usually get a good amount of people depending on where and when they are. And I'm sure that where there are only hunter and eq O/F classes this year that's what people who like to jump will turn to.

One of the problems with the fact that the shows are divided (dressage being put off one week, and jumping the next) you may have people choosing to go to one or the other, so that may influence the number of competitors. It all depends though, I know at the NEA dressage this year there weren't that many people I was competing against, however the next day the hunter/hack ring was a lot more crowed. So I think that's what most people (younger at least) gravitate toward!

[Stephanie]

Cool...well i wanted to go to ontario this summer but i think i might stay here and see how thing so... So theres like no jumper shows??

[maria]

I'll pm you and we can chat some more

[ridersup]

No, there aren't jumper shows now, there used to be...but the added expense of a EC certified Course designer, with few to no one showing in jumper has kind of eliminated it..for now. I also agree with Maria...dividng the shows into respective disiplines has also eliminated some people...like those of us who are only off some of the weekends. Last year, NEA dressage was on Fri. ....impossible for some to get yet more time off.
The equine community is small, the show community even smaller...so previously riders would go to a show, do a dressage test or two, a hunter class or two...now have to face the expense of double trailer & show fees and time off. This is meant to promote an increase in the actual level of competition....as riders are meant to specialize in their area. [Reining\WP\Hunter\Dressage\Distance or whatever.

[maria]

Reading through what Donna (ridersup) just said, about the specialized areas of competition.......is sort of depressing. For me at least. Sure it's good to focus on one thing, but how many competitors, a lot of who are younger know exactly what they want to do, and are willing to eliminate something from their riding. For example, giving up jumping because you want to work on dressage, or vive versa. It's not good, and it'll force people to choose. What about the people who just want to go and have a good time, do some jumping, dressage, play it around bit?

All this talk about increasing competitors by dividing the shows.....I dunno.....at least when you had it all thrown in together people would be more likely to do all different kinds of classes. Riders are going to think twice about which shows they are going to compete in now, since it's going to be double the money now, for 1/2 the classes (If that makes sense. Double the fees, for only one division when it used to be two different types of competition for the price of one).

[ridersup]

I have been at a lot of the meetings where these decisions were made. The general point IS to increase the level of competition, but local show organizers also have to deal with the lack of qualified officials. I keep hearing comments about WHY we don't do this or that...often it's because we cannot afford to have a proper show..with a judge competent in reining\dressage\hunter etc...we would have to bring in several judges..it would make the show fees exhorbitant !!
Again Maria...I too miss the old one or two day General Performane shows...where one time we'd get a "westernish" judge, and the next we'd get an "englishish" judge...and it would all even out in the end. Dressage diva's would go in halter classes for the hell of it and to support the sport...and NO ONE went home & left 4 or 5 poor souls waiting alone to compete...we all yelled for everyone. Some of the best western pleasure horses could run a mean barrel pattern I tell ya !!
Dividing up things has answered some of the problems, but has created others. I remember the Centaur Cow...we had a roping class...and I think an english rider won it once because her horse stood stock still & bug-eyed at the "cow" horns & all. There are many ways around this..people who are interested need to join a club or group & get involved.

[anitaridemore]

This is just a suggestion, but maybe some people would be game for it (someday). There are competitions called Combined Tests which are a combined show of dressage and jumping. There are sort of like a 2 phase event (minus the cross-country) that a lot of eventers use as warmups/tune-ups for the season. The idea is that you can ride your dressage test and get a score. Then you ride your jumper round and combine your score with your dressage score (based on faults). Then whoever has the lowest combined score wins. Reminder that dressage in eventing runs on penalty points not percentage (so a 30 penalty dressage round would be really good!). There are any number of modifications you can do to this. ie. be allowed to ride at 2 different levels (one as a warm up and one as your qualifying rounds), get individuals ribbons for best dressage, best jumping, and/or best combined. This could go from a w/t dressage test combined with a cross-rails course right up to whatever level you wanted to stop at. I always thought it would be a good type of show for NL since you could do a bit of both on one day and its all about being a well rounded rider who tries to succeed on the flat and over fences.

[pony]

All 3 Clovelly Shows are general performance, which means, jumping, hack, and western. The only specialization shows are dressage and reining. For the last number of years dressage shows have been separate. The only change is the reining being a separate show, which is what the reiners want. It is exceptionally hard on the horse to do western classes and then gear up for a reining class when the horse is exhausted.
The Grand falls and Equine Meadows show are following pretty much the same format as well.. This meaning there are at least 5-6 General Performance shows this year.

[ridersup]

Who is for planning a Combined Test at the Track ? If we could time it with Liz's next visit.....the possibilities are endless. Sorry Liz..have I put you on the spot?

[Stephanie]

well when i lived in NB we did eventing .... dressage, show jumping and Cross Country and that crazzy fun.... and we always had what we called fun show where there was english and westren class and we would high point for the english western and then pony and for the horses we would divide the classes in senior and youth... do you guys do that here?

[Jess]

"Reading through what Donna (ridersup) just said, about the specialized areas of competition.......is sort of depressing. "

I realize I came in a bit late, and Maria I'm not picking on you specifically this comment just caught my eye. The NEA/those who put off shows just can't win! First people are complaining that we've got an english judge for reining, or a western judge for hunters (valid complaints), and that all the english and western classes are shoved together over a couple days, and that we'll never be on the same level as everyone else if we don't have discipline-specific shows, and so on and so on. Now people are complaining that we're having discipline specific shows and they have to pay more money and trailer more often to make it to all the ones they want.

Discipline specific shows ARE a good thing! No one promised it was going to be a problem-free transition, but it leaves us with so much more opportunity to expand and grow and advance than it did before. And no one's being forced to choose one or the other, like Erin said there are still GP shows, and I'm sure people will still be holding schooling shows with a little of everything. In fact, you have even more opportunity to make choices than you did before. If you want to do dressage and be critiqued by an actual dressage judge, the option is there. If you want to do reining and be evaluated by an actual reining judge, you can. If you want to do a bit of everything and get more "bang for your buck" so to speak, you still can do that.

As for jumper shows, why not get a group of like-minded people together and find out just what exactly is involved in becoming certified as a course designer? NADA has done so, REIN is in the process of doing so, what makes jumpers any different? Don't get me wrong, I've complained as much (probably more ) as everyone else has, but I'm beginning to realize the NL pity party has got to stop if we want to get our horse community to where it deserves to be. This is what we have, now we all collectively as a group need to get together and make the best of it, and do what needs to be done to not only sustain it but help it thrive.

[jewelsmith28]

last year people were complaining that there were no shows, now there is too many? You can't have your cake and eat it to. If you want to change things and have jumper shows, get up off your but and do it. Other wise shut up complaining. I think everyone deserves a round of appluase. No one is getting paid to put off these shows.Its alot of hard work and what are they getting for it? Complaints. Unless you have a valid complaint, like the judge situation, keep it to yourself.No one needs to hear you complain that there are too many shows and you have to pick and choose. if thats the worst you have to think about ... well cry me a river.

[ridersup]

Can't help but agree with some of the comments here...I was heavily involved with putting off competitions of EVERY sort for more than 15 years...and you simply would not believe the complaints..some were reasonable, and those we tried to address, others were just bizarre, and really upset the VOLUNTEER organizers .... into quitting...so there is a muli-level problem, with a simple solution. As I said in prev. post. JOIN something and MAKE it happen !!