WEF Amateur Questions - Help!

[Bunker]

Holy cow! Stop worrying about everyone else and just ride/show your horse. Unless you are a select few with deep pockets, there will always be someone with nicer horses. That doesn’t mean they will always win - put in a good round and you will get a ribbon (if your horse is competitive). If you are so hung up on LM, you really need to redirect your energy.

[MHM]

OP, I will just say good luck and have fun. I hope you enjoy yourself and learn something, which should be everyone’s goal at any horse show. Please do report back afterwards.

[IPEsq]

There are not a lot of people in the grand scheme who do well at the top levels in both jumpers and hunters. But just because this rider can do it and afford the horse talent for it doesn’t matter. I am guessing she doesn’t do the 3’3 on the horse that is taking the high options in an int’l derby.

This is why I think that some of the height restriction stuff in certain zones doesn’t make sense. If we want to keep riders from “sandbagging”, then bring back the maiden / limit etc classes. To me it’s not sandbagging to show a horse in the appropriate division for the horse. There will always be good riding amateurs. And as others have mentioned, the AO division was not ever about equality. And that said, I think it’s ridiculous that the 3’3 is also an AO and not AA division.

[Midge]

@PlainJaneIAm

3. Without outright naming names the word is that the person I was speaking about is getting out of the hunters and showing Grand Prix horses mostly at WEF. I took a small beating because people thought I was complaining about riding against her but for goodness sake if you’re showing Grand Prix horses do you really belong in the low AOs? Also, she showed two weeks ago in a couple pro jumper classes and finished 1st and 2nd out of 50+. It’s not just showing with the pros, it’s beating them.

If we are talking about the same person, she’s doing level six… And she won one. Good for her. But not with 50 plus entries, not jumping five feet, and not against McLain. Then a different week,she was second in a level six speed class with 30 that only about four people were trying to win. A couple weeks previous to that, she was sixth out of eight in the same class.

I normally don’t care about this stuff, but you made it sound like she was first and second in the GP against McLain.

Also, these are not ‘pro’ classes. They are open classes. Anyone can enter.

[greysfordays]

@Midge

If we are talking about the same person, she’s doing level six… And she won one. Good for her. But not with 50 plus entries, not jumping five feet, and not against McLain. Then a different week,she was second in a level six speed class with 30 that only about four people were trying to win. A couple weeks previous to that, she was sixth out of eight in the same class.

I normally don’t care about this stuff, but you made it sound like she was first and second in the GP against McLain.

Also, these are not ‘pro’ classes. They are open classes. Anyone can enter.

THANK YOU AND EXACTLY.

And honestly, even if she were winning the WEF against McLain, who effing cares. Or better yet, that is amazing and great job human! The skill set to win in that ring is quite different than that of the hunter ring. When Schuyler Riley puts on her pinque coat to win a derby, color me seriously impressed. Or Jimmy Torano doing pretty much everything beautifully. Like I bet he can bake a mean souffle while juggling figs without bruising them.

Horse shows are like a choose your own adventure. You want to compete with amateurs who are just kind of good on horses that are kind of nice… that’s fine, you have tons of options, but don’t go to WEF. I don’t think it makes sense to create even more divisions and sequester the good riders and nice horses. This is a competition, not the latest feel good movie where even leaves happy.

[blondewithchrome]

@greysfordays

Horse shows are like a choose your own adventure. You want to compete with amateurs who are just kind of good on horses that are kind of nice… that’s fine, you have tons of options, but don’t go to WEF. I don’t think it makes sense to create even more divisions and sequester the good riders and nice horses. This is a competition, not the latest feel good movie where even leaves happy.

Lol this is so true! If you’re hung up on the best of the best of the division that she is in EVERY RIGHT allows to be in - maybe do Ocala or Gulfport instead??

I think sometimes we all get caught up in the fact that it isn’t about winning or losing - just having a good ride and learning and doing our best. And if our best isn’t the 90s and more like the 70s…who cares?! We are so lucky to get to enjoy this sport AT ALL.