Not sure if we are having an issue here with semantics.
When I hear someone say “top show,” as you did, I think of a show like Devon or Harrisburg or Washington or the like.
And yes, I think it’s safe to say that anyone right up to Scott Stewart on a hunter or McLain Ward on a jumper would want help from the best ground person they could find for those “top shows.”
I’m thinking just big A showed in general, like 12 weeks at WEF. Top show in the sense it’s not a show likely to be populated with directionally challenged beginners. It’s very much “Another day, another class, deargodwhenwillitbeover” when you show the entire circuit, the horses are in the groove, there’s very little in the way of a surprise on course, at least not in the tower ring in my era…
But if we choose not to die on Semantics Hill, I still think the larger point applies. American H/J programs largely stand alone in their client management approach and once you’ve been out there competing in other disciplines you start to realize that the problems we have without a trainer present every step of the way are still challenges in other disciplines*, it’s just the approach to that challenge is different.
That said, it makes no impact on my life, and because it is COTH, I cannot stress enough how delighted I am that somebody … anybody… has the opportunity to avail themselves of that type of program for whatever reason. But I don’t think it’s helping the discipline grow and prosper in the long run.
'* I absolutely did not believe that initially. I really did think that, you know, because doing x or y is so different, it’s not the same as hunters. Well yes, the the specific issues are very different, but there’s still something you are doing that would probably be a little bit easier if you had an expensive crew around you but you learn to adapt, and you learn to get a better feel for how to address these issues at a show as well as at home. I have found in general you do tend to develop a far greater sense of camaraderie with your fellow competitors, because you’re all kind of in it together helping each other. I found that quite uncommon in the hunter jumper world outside of their own barn group. And full disclosure, I had a pro do a course walk with me at my first time driving Live Oak Marathon last weekend. But I also went out with my Developing Athlete teammates and, of course, my gator. In each case it’s a lot more of a joint discussion than it ever was in the hunters.
WEF has whole days on the schedule devoted to classes full of people who could pretty fairly be described as directionally challenged beginners. Granted, that was not the case many years ago, but it is certainly true now. There are rings at WEF where the jumps never get higher than 2’6” all day long.
And at any competition of any type, there will always be some people who are friendly and helpful, and other people who are… not. Lol.
Lol, I didn’t mean that you needed your trainer to navigate around the directionally challenged, but rather the directionally challenged had damn good reason for more intense supervision. I’m pretty sure an unescorted ammy off on their schooling area/showgrounds is safe enough, but…
While I believe the larger issue remains unaddressed, I cede to you in the battle of Semantics Hill.
(And your are correct, WEF only had rated divisions/ no warm up classes back in Gene’s day, now it’s just another show in that regard, albeit much more expensive)
The trainer controlled program is also common in some breed shows - I’m thinking Morgans and Arabs, not the sport classes so much, but the show ones. It’s not at all uncommon for a rider to take lessons on school horses, but only ride their show horse at shows, and only in classes the trainer selects.
I met a woman years ago who was showing her Morgan in Classic Pleasure, which is a saddleseat division for amateurs. Her horse lived at her place and she trailered out for lessons and trainer rides a couple times a week. But she was giving up on showing entirely because her trainer was pressuring her to put her horse in the trainer’s barn, and she knew the arrangement she had was just not going to remain available locally. Classic Pleasure was originally set up for people like her, but things had changed.
That makes sense when you consider how closely related the gaited shows were to the h/j world (as well as client crossover) back in ye olden days. I’m sure the roots of change were in places that far back. (I have an ex hp friend with a Morgan CDE pony, we marvel at the vast chasm between the styles within the one organization)
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