Aha! I sensed a kindred spirit there! Western and traditional…?
ItsEverywhereItsEverywhere!
That’s a great photo of you and your horse, btw! Very striking.
Oh my gosh @Miss Motivation you both are lovely! I was expecting a porky little thing when you said “Haflinger,” but she looks light and elegant. Congratulations!
I know someone who went to that show a few years ago and also raves about the organization and the experience. It sounds wonderful and there is usually a Canadian contingent there. Western Dressage is definitely going to be a growth sport and COTH would do well to pay attention to it.
I do struggle with calling something a “championship” though, if there is no qualifying. And calling it a “world championship” seems even more misleading if there is no criteria to rank and qualify riders from other countries. My understanding is the USA and Canada are the only countries represented and that anyone who registers can compete. Does that really make someone a “world
champion?” Perhaps that’s why COTH is leery to promote it?
BigMama1- I think that there will be qualifying shortly. I just filled out an online survey from WDAA about this year’s event and one of the first questions was to the effect of “Would you attend if there was qualifying?”
Your points are well made about titles but- I think it’s OK to call it whatever they want at this point as the sport grows, and frankly, winning a class/test with 30+ entries who traveled from all over the US and Canada to get there at this point is is big/good as it gets. I would imagine, at most of the levels, these were the biggest classes held anywhere during the year, with the most competitive riders who committed to generally a long haul to participate.
Most states that have WDAA affiliate clubs have year-end highpoint awards programs too.
My guess? This group will continue to grow and evolve and be something that is a very attractive alternative or adjunct to many other things we could do with our horses… it was, quite simply, a blast.
I suspect COTH has no idea what any of this is about… but I think they will. : )
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TMares and Palm Beach-
thanks for the kind comments. First photo was my trainer friend showing… I’ll try to add some more here which is kind of beyond my skill level!
trainer Tracy wears the long black chaps; I’m the older-and-wider rider in the brown chinks (shorter chaps) and tan hat.
Ya, today’s modern pleasure/sport Haflingers are nice. Pretty, affordable, amusing, versatile, can vary a big adult (me) and very low maintenance.
Thanks all for the conversation! [ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“small”,“data-tempid”:“temp_55208_1541135995633_25”}[/ATTACH]
Congratulations! I would love to go one year. Sounds like they had great attendance.
I think it is unfair to disparage it as being a championship when they don’t have qualifications. Its a new discipline and recognized shows are hard to come by in some areas: requiring qualifications would limit accessibility to too many to top quality judging and a top venue. It is still dressage; you don’t get a ribbon just for showing up.
In reality, championships aren’t ever about the best against the best, as much as a competition between good horses who happen to have owners/riders who can afford to, and want to spend the money it takes to go to that level of show.
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In that case why don’t we call any big show a championship and declare the winner of a single large class to be a “world champion?” Titles such as world champion should mean something.
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Somehow I doubt the first AQHA World show was the international event it is today.
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But what do they mean now? Any big shows I can think of that bill themselves as some sort of nationals/worlds, are extremely expensive, so its more a competition between the wealthy than the talented.
Western Dressage is currently a lovely sport where you don’t need a big money horse to be competitive as it is about the training more than the movement/type.
The only way to have a true National/World champion would be if everyone who was top level was given equal opportunity to attend. If anything, not forcing qualification makes the Western Dressage Worlds MORE accessible, so it is MORE likely that the best horse/riders will be able to show up.
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I’m not knocking the sport or the show - I’ve heard nothing but good things about this show and don’t think they should make it less accessible at all. It’s only the name I object to. If it’s not actually a world championship, don’t call it that and don’t give your class winners the title of “World Champion.” Simple.
back in the 1960s I was at a hunter show in Kentucky where the class of about 15 or so hunters was so bad the judge refused to place a horse first
All horse competitions are expensive. Poor people don’t show horses. And many people don’t hesitate to have the trainer prepare the horse and just hop on themselves for lessons and at the show. So yes, riding is an elitist sport, and those who have the money to buy the highest quality horses and training can increase their chances of success. For those of us who DIY with 1 to 4 figure horses, it’s the journey and experience that matters.
I am happy to see Western Dressage become popular. I think it gives many people who love horses and ride well and like to compete, a good arena in which to advance their skills, meet new people and enjoy the horse world. It is something I have in my back pocket to try one day.
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It’s an American thing. There seems to be a lot of “World Championships” available to Americans only.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2008/nov/18/american-sports-nfl-nba-mlb
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I just don’t get the need of Dressage riders to continually denigrate the emerging discipline of western dressage. First there was all the bitching from the dressage forum about how “it’s not dressage and they shouldn’t call it western dressage, they should call it something else.” Now you’re (generic you) bitching because “it’s not really a world championship.” Really? :rolleyes:
And congratulations to everyone who competed. Western dressage is something I’m interested in competing in with both my horse and mule. I’m pleased to see the discipline growing and attracting more interest and competitors.
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Why diminish a legitimate World Champion (of any sport) ?
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As far as I know there is nothing stopping any country entering, us Canadians send several competitors each year.
Now for us it is a a big undertaking, so I’m guessing that most people travelling wil have ‘qualified’ by dint of getting consistently good scores. I said before, I would love to go, and if Ifound myself consistently scoring mid to high seventies at a level, I might try and move heaven and earth to go.
Not sure how big a sport sport has to get before you can have a World Championship?
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Long ago I had a world champion appy reiner in two categories.
All he had to beat was the 7 in one, 12 in another horses in his classes.
There were not that many appy reiners then, qualifying would not have meant much.
He still earned that, for his breed, at that time.
You have to start some time and the competition is generally not what it will build up to be later, but it still is what it is.
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WHAT ???
It would need a worldwide governing body, with International member organizations.
https://gaisf.sport/about/how-to-become-a-member/
