Don’t blush. If you meet that goal FLAUNT IT BABY!!
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Sorry, misunderstood your first post.
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I can’t agree with this sentiment more. I do jumpers now but plan to dabble in the hunters when he needs to step down. I could never afford to go but if I qualified??? Mwah??? I would be so proud.
Also, isn’t the 2’6” ammy hunters one of the largest divisions? There should be a competitive finals for that, that just makes sense.
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I have done it quite a few times. I usually use my iPhone as a hot spot for internet. I stay in my LQ trailer so I bring my own space to work. 
I work in HR and the employees I support are all over the country, so it doesn’t matter much where I sit when I work. With regards to meetings, I just move them to the morning if I’m showing in the afternoon or vice versa. If I feel like I’m particularly distracted or just don’t want to think about work on show days I might use a day or 1/2 day of PTO.
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oh hey I work in the people space too!
Yeah, I usually find a quiet spot to work in the office and either block “morning” or “afternoon” on my calendar, depending on when classes are estimated to go.
My other favorite tactic is to simply say “no meetings today–will address everything async.” I have found challenging my team to async more frequently has reduced the number of meetings on our calendars for the better.
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I’d HELLA buy the 2’6" Olympics shirt. I had a 1st in the Low Adults and a 3rd in the USHJA 2’6" this year out of about 10 horses I was STOKED.
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Well done!!!
You should be stoked!!! (!)
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YOU ROCK!!!
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I’ve been following some folks on social media showing in the UK / Europe and it is almost enough to make me want to move! I’m also not going to have someone else showing my horse and me not be there. I don’t have a logical reason for that, but I recently was at a show where a pro showed my horse for me and it seemed like I was the only ammy there to watch. It was odd.
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I’m taking off to see my horse show the first time. But one of the plusses is having the pro put miles on my horse and I don’t have to take a vacation day. I have limited ones of those and I am not allowed to work at a show like that, so my vacations days are typically reserved for when I show. My trainer always takes video, etc and keeps me updated.
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That makes more sense. At this show I was at, no one was videoing - I just thought to grab videos of my friends’ horses - and they said “oh thanks, I never get to see / hear about how my horse did on pro days other than placings.”
Come to think of it, everything I know from the last 2 years should be ignored, there is a reason I’m no longer there. Oy! Yours makes sense.
Full disclosure, I haven’t read past this post yet because I wanted to reply before I lost it.
This is exactly what I was thinking. While I show on the breed circuit rather than big open hunters, I have this exact problem. I’ve pointed out of the 2’6" but for the last several years have been in a perpetual state of not getting to show because everything I’ve had has been green. Therefore I haven’t been able to show the 3’ amateurs because horse(s) simply haven’t gotten there yet.
It sucks. It sucks having the only option to get on course on these horses being a 2’6" warm up or show the green open classes against trainers; when I truly want my horse shown by my trainer in such classes.
I’ve proposed a rule change that would add an intermediate division with an attainable lower fence height that would allow amateurs who have pointed out of the novice somewhere to show their green(er) horses. I’m not trying to show lower divisions so that I have an advantage. I just want to show haha (insert laughing while trying not to cry emoji).
Something that some AQHA shows provide in the flat/pattern classes is a green non-pro class. It’s combined youth and amateur for those who have horses who are green on the pattern; i.e. less than 10 points as of that calendar year. Those classes have been a massive hit since we don’t have to show against horses who have multiple World and Congress titles in those classes. It’s not offered for over fences as our numbers are struggling as is, but is a great option.
Whether it be a whole separate class (green amateur) or combined class and split the placings, there’s a place for it. Being someone who can’t seem to get past having nothing but green horses (for a multitude of reasons related to horrible luck), I’m all for it.
I shall now go read the rest of the thread…
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At a AA HJ show, there are a ton of 2’6 classes that you or a pro could do. For example:
HITS Chicago has USHJA 2’,2’3, 2’6. 2’9, 3’. These are open
Schooling hunter 2’6
Baby green 2’6
Adult eq 2’
Lamplight Child adult hunter 2’3 (this is my 70y/o lady’s favorite division! She’s no novice, just life experienced)
Adult eq 2’6 & 2’9
Modified adult 2’9
Novice adult 2’6 rider not to have won more than 6 blue ribbons in 1 calendar year
Modified adult 2’6 no restrictions
Low adult 2’6 Zone points can’t cross enter into 3’
Plus assorted classics at these heights. There is literally something for everyone. And everyone who does them should be proud they are out there doing it!
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That’s wonderful and something I wish the breed circuits could do. Once you point out of the novice (2’6”), you have no option but the 3’ amateur. I realize green means different things to different crowds but green QHs simply are not 3’ horses. Not to mention showing at 3’ makes them green class ineligible. So I can’t tell you the last time I got to show a full course, since I’m stuck in green horse purgatory.
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An update – looks like they’ve finally released the venues and dates for 2025:
EAST
The Kentucky National
Kentucky Horse Park
Lexington, KY
September 16-21, 2025
2025 East Coast qualifying period:
December 1, 2024- August 2, 2025
WEST
National Sunshine Series I
Desert International Horse Park
Thermal, CA
October 29- November 2, 2025
2025 West Coast qualifying period:
December 1, 2024- September 14, 2025
I can appreciate that qualifying seem relatively straight-forward and (selfishly), I’m thrilled at the “East” venue. While I know it’s not East if you live along the Eastern Seaboard, it’s such a gorgeous venue (especially in autumn!) and so centrally located for the vast majority the center (and even eastern) part of the country.
You can read the rest of the 2025 Championship specifications here but personally, this seems like a wholly reasonable stretch goal for someone like me (self-funded, full-time 9-5 adult ammy with a relatively green horse).
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