[QUOTE=Equitational;8231456]
So I took on the task as show manager for a series of local hunter/jumper shows. Shows are grass roots level, mostly entry level beginner riders. My second show was in June and I had MAJOR complaints from one particular barn (which happens to train out of the facility the shows are held at). The complaint was that I had oxers in the 2’ and 2’3" hunter classes. One person (from the barn) even complained the jumps were too high. My ring crew guys had tape measures and ended up lowering the fences from 22" to 18" for the 2’ divisions. The riders from that particular barn ended up scratching all the 2’, 2’3" hunter and equitation classes because they didn’t want to jump oxers… It was a small show and those riders were the only ones entered in those classes, so a lot of classes were canceled.
Supposedly that barn/group of riders is still complaining about the oxers. One lady was arguing with me the day of the show saying “there are no oxers allowed in the 2’ and 2’3” divisions". “It’s in the USEF rule book” she said. Now they are saying there “are no oxers in short and long stirrup divisions”. I told them that those weren’t rated hunter divisions, so the USEF doesn’t have their own specifications for them. I even looked up our bigger local schooling show association which has short, long and now a mini stirrup division. While the specs only list the fence height or cross bars/trotting allowed (for mini stirrup), it doesn’t mention ANYTHING about oxers.
Keep in mind at my show, my hunter divisions were open hunter divisions (with one class for jr/am only) so I wanted to mimic a real division (each height section had an under saddle and two over fence classes with two different courses). I do have a cross-bar class and state “no oxers and trotting allowed” for that class.
I mean, as a show manager, am I asking too much of the riders expecting them to jump oxers in the 2’ hunter classes???
PS. My show manager positions is strictly a volunteer position for the non-profit equestrian park; I’m not making ANY money putting the shows on. So if people don’t show up or scratch classes, it doesn’t affect or bother me (financially).[/QUOTE]
I, like you, run a local show series at a park for a non-profit. We, like you, have hunter classes from groundpoles through 3’. In groundpoles, crossbars and 18" there is no fill, just poles, and trotting is not penalized. There are no oxers. In 2’ and 2’3" there is fill, but no oxers. In 2’6" and 3’ there is fill and there are oxers.
This is the first year we have had a 2’3" division. In the past the 2’ was always set low, closer to 18" in to a line and 21" on the out of the line. The height gets more true the further through the show season we are. We specifically didn’t include oxers at 2’3" after talking to local trainers about what they wanted in the 2’3". They all indicated worry about the school horses with back rails of oxers and we responded accordingly.
Now at the past show the judge tried to include a 2’ no stirrups trot fence in a medals flat class ride off and the trainers were justifiably upset (especially since there were kids in the medals flat that were only jumping crossbars at the time). But that was a one-off situation.
) you’re so succinct !!!