Pony Finals 2015

[Daventry]

[QUOTE=PaintPony;8259736]
I have never seen this many stops before. Is there something spooky out there?[/QUOTE]

Yes, the riders realizing they are at Pony Finals! Those junior riders work all year to qualify for pony finals, dream about competing at pony finals, getting ready for pony finals…and then it all comes down to ONE SINGLE round over fences. While the ring and some of the jumps can be a bit spooky for some ponies, what you are realistically witnessing during the rounds are terrified and nervous kids who are having trouble getting over their show ring jitters. Personally, I have always thought it was unfair to only have one round over fences, as that is a lot of pressure to put on a young, junior rider. That being said, there are so many entries in each division, it is probably impossible to schedule in another class over fences.

[Daventry]

@sarcam02;8259839

Large o/f

1 540 GLYNHAFAN RED KESTRAL TAYLOR ST JACQUES 260.610
2 1005 DREAMLAND ABIGAIL BRAYMAN 253.100
3 620 ENJOY THE LAUGHTER MORGAN WARD 251.640
4 637 VALOR MIMI GOCHMAN 250.460

5 546 KATYDID BESSAME KAYLA JACOBS 247.010
6 914 WOODLANDS GARDENIA MADELEINE FLOCKS 246.500

7 414 PETERPOTAMUS DEVIN SEEK 246.170

8 454 VERMONT SHOW ME THE GOLD ABIGAIL LEFKOWITZ 245.410
9 969 DAVENTRY’S DAVINCI GABRIELLE STRIGEL 243.910

So proud of our homebred gelding Vinny! He placed 9th O/F, finished 13th overall in the Regular Larges and was 3rd WPCSA High Scoring Welsh-bred large pony. Gabby leased him out for Pony Finals and had only been riding him for a few weeks before Finals. We were super proud of their performance!

Vinny is by our Section B Welsh Pony stallion Alvesta Picasso and out of a registered Thoroughbred pony mare we leased for a few years. Bred, born and raised in Canada!

[MHM]

The other nice thing about Pony Finals is that there are a lot of different activities for the kids outside the show ring. They usually have things like face painting, ice cream socials, all sorts of things. So the kids can have a lot of fun, regardless of their competitive results. Plus they can see all their pony friends, and make new ones.

Only a small percentage of the kids there will go home with ribbons, but they can all go home with a good experience.

[findeight]

Tell you what, that little Augusta Iwasaki is a pretty good little hand. Did a good job with a fidgety Pony during the Model awards presentations and even showed off by trotting up to a solid halt in front of the ribbon presenter for the US blue, backing a half step to square him up for the pictures.

So nice to see a little flair of showmanship out of one so tiny in the relatively dull Hunter world and obviously well parented and coached. She looked like she was having a lot of fun with it.

[rockonxox]

Definitely lots of jitters and that first fence on the far outside has been catching a few (spooking, chipping, all sorts of issues). I have seen a lot of great little riders though and appreciate that many are still giving their ponies big pats when the round is over regardless of if they had any mistakes!

[BAC]

Congratulations Daventry, you must be very proud.

[findeight]

It’s not just show jitters, the ring is weird shaped with no fence to follow around. It’s huge so you need a real solid medium canter pace to get around and it’s a more complicated course, with choices, they don’t see in their typical shows. Like yesterday’s starting up a line with the option of left or right side fences, that led to some stops and nasty chips under the announcers booth just from indecision about track.

And that’s OK, it’s supposed to be hard. Amazingly, I don’t think its the kids that have issues losing so much, oh, a few tears and a shrug then it’s off to the ice cream stand with their friends. The parents on the other hand…seem to be the ones looking to place blame or cry unfair. Along with some trainers, which I hate to see and hear. How can you get better if you don’t admit there are things that need improving.

[Pennywell_Bay]

Are all the kids in shads or do some still wear regular hunt coats?

[BAC]

[QUOTE=Pennywell Bay;8261354]
Are all the kids in shads or do some still wear regular hunt coats?[/QUOTE]

Yesterday a lot of kids wore regular navy hunt coats and they looked great in them.

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=BAC;8261367]
Yesterday a lot of kids wore regular navy hunt coats and they looked great in them.[/QUOTE]

Thanks. I wasn’t able to view it yesterday (darn work, so inconvenient). I know last year when kiddo and I went down we saw some regular hunt coats. Not trying to start a riot, I just don’t know how I feel about jods/bows/shad as a combo. I’m musing over it because we may aim for PF in the next few years…

[findeight]

Didn’t see as many shads this year. Don’t think I saw any this morning in the pouring rain.

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=findeight;8261393]
Didn’t see as many shads this year. Don’t think I saw any this morning in the pouring rain.[/QUOTE]

See I’m watching now (or just finished) and I just saw almost every kid. But I have not been watching religiously so it may be the difference from actually being down there and catching rounds now and then on the computer.

Again, just curious because it seemed different than last year when we were there.

[NurseHorsey]

[QUOTE=Pennywell Bay;8261377]
Thanks. I wasn’t able to view it yesterday (darn work, so inconvenient). I know last year when kiddo and I went down we saw some regular hunt coats. Not trying to start a riot, I just don’t know how I feel about jods/bows/shad as a combo. I’m musing over it because we may aim for PF in the next few years…[/QUOTE]

I watch at work in between tasks (shhh, don’t tell my manager) and I was thinking the same thing yesterday! But I didn’t want to say anything here because well, I didn’t want to be the only one :lol: but something just doesn’t sit right with the shad/jods/bows combo. I much prefer either shad/tall boots or hunt coat/jods. But bows are adorable all around!

I also have to admire the way some of these kids are recovering after bad distances; chipping in has always been something that tends to throw me off my game and while a rider might have a chip in, they sit up and get the pace going and bam, the next fence looks great. Gives me something to think about the next time I get a bad chip and feel disappointed in myself!

[King_Creole]

I watch at work in between tasks (shhh, don’t tell my manager)

I did the same thing…and am doing the same thing now…I won’t tell if you don’t!

[BAC]

[QUOTE=Pennywell Bay;8261399]
See I’m watching now (or just finished) and I just saw almost every kid. But I have not been watching religiously so it may be the difference from actually being down there and catching rounds now and then on the computer.

Again, just curious because it seemed different than last year when we were there.[/QUOTE]

I am watching the smalls now and all those kids seem to be wearing shads. Yesterday in the large regulars lots of them wore regular hunt coats, so I think either is fine. Personally I don’t like shads until they start to wear tall boots, but I’m a dinosaur.

[BAC]

[QUOTE=King Creole;8261451]
I did the same thing…and am doing the same thing now…I won’t tell if you don’t! :D[/QUOTE]

Same here, but I am not getting much real work done.

I loved that kid who gave her pony a spanking with her stick when he stopped. He didn’t look like such an easy ride, but she got him around. I was wondering why no one had a stick yesterday in the larges, with so many refusals they could have used a stick.

[King_Creole]

Good thing I have my own office b/c I made a pretty audible squeak when that last pony stopped. Good girl for sticking it!

[BAC]

[QUOTE=King Creole;8261505]
Good thing I have my own office b/c I made a pretty audible squeak when that last pony stopped. Good girl for sticking it![/QUOTE]

The smalls are such stinkers! Poor little girl, she just sat on the ground for so long, I hope she is ok.

[BAC]

[QUOTE=King Creole;8261505]
Good thing I have my own office b/c I made a pretty audible squeak when that last pony stopped. Good girl for sticking it![/QUOTE]

The smalls are such stinkers! Poor little girl, she just sat on the ground for so long, I hope she is ok.

[Blinky]

You have sucked me in to look! Office door is closed. ha!

Where is the order of go posted for tomorrow?