Skunkheads in the hunters!

[DemonMare]

If it came in black velvet it wouldn’t be “cool.” The appeal is in the sportiness and unique look.

Two years ago I wouldn’t have been caught dead in shoes with a square toe box, but look what has happened. You can’t find a pair of shoes these days that don’t have a square toe and heel. I thought they were ugly as sin when they first came out, but now I even own a pair. I guess it is all in what you get used to.

[Kryswyn]

I SWORE this could never happen. I got on this board and defended the honor and intelligence of hundreds of men and women I never met… AHSA RATED JUDGES!

Then what happens?!? A rated judge comes into the store and I asked him point blank whether he would ever drop someone in the ribbons for wearing a “big” helmet. Much to my horror and dismay he actually said that appearance is part of the total package and sometimes the difference between the winning trip and 2nd is so small the judge may not even know why they pinned one over the other… WHAT!!! He then remarked that he’d run into a female jumper rider (described as beautiful) and he didn’t even recognize her because she was wearing a skunk helmet! But what really burnt my cookies was his (thankfully unfinished!) comment, “And that was on a BEAUTIFUL girl, can you imagine on an ugly…?”

I nearly broke the glass topped counter, my jaw hit it so hard! Do hunter riders need to die in the ring in front of these people to get them focussed on the horses’LEGS and not the riders’ hats???

[OnceAThief]

I’ll admit it, I like it. It fits nicely (important since I have a disturbingly large head) and that vent strip does actually work. It might be psychosomatic, but I really can tell the difference between that and my huge old approved black hat, inasmuch as I haven’t passed out from overheating with the GPA on yet.

I tried on the International version, and couldn’t bring myself to wear it - it made my already large head look huge, and just didn’t feel right when I had it on. I haven’t shown in the GPA, and don’t plan on doing so unless I can’t get my other hat recovered where my horse took a bite of it.

Anyway, just wanted to cast my vote in favor of them - I may look silly, but hey, I ride in the middle of nowhere, so who’s going to see me in all of my skunky glory?