At WEC Wilmington this spring and summer, there were 4-7 horses in the Take2 divisions. Winter shows varied, but I recall some weeks in early 2023 that had some fuller numbers than I expected.
ETA I’m not saying it’s like the adult ams where you regularly have 20 people in a division, but I mean it’s not been a 2 horse class.
Def curious about other venues. WEC is super close to me, so I tend to focus my show budget there to get most bang for buck.
I’m in Chicago and I feel the local rated shows are low-like 2-3 entries.
This last show I don’t even see take 2 classes.
Someone here mentioned that although the A circuit does have those TB classes like take 2, they don’t fill bc nobody wants to “admit” they have a TB by entering those classes
I do wish they’d have more of those take 2 classes though. Isn’t it only one 3’ hunter division? And then one 3’3 jumper? Maybe I’m wrong. But imagine there being several classes of smaller and bigger heights.
I can see why they won’t expand the class sections of the very few aren’t filling much but I also wonder if having more classes/options where riders can really grow across the sections there’s be more interest.
I was so proud when a Big Name hunter trainer came up to me at a show and said, “Is that a Sir Thomson?” I wasn’t worthy of that horse!
WEC and Brave Horse started allowing for 2’6” entries which has helped boost numbers this year compared to last year. Waning pandemic may have helped too.
It’s a worthwhile and curious hypothesis that folks don’t want to show their cards—or in this case, jockey club registration.
I’ve started to prefer the take2 division just because once the adult division gets 20+ entries and multiple horses costing mortgages are owned by one or two riders… it gets a little less fun. I am not one to point chase but it is nice to ribbon and maybe earn some cash back when you’ve done a good job.
You could not have said this better honestly! Took the words right out of my mouth.
Once you have more than 10 and more than half are a mortgage each, it’s just not fun to not be in the ribbons.
I’ll have to pay more attention to the take 2 divisions. I was looking at prize list for upcoming shows and I’m still not seeing take 2 divisions…
Weird
I think part of the problem with the TB classes is that it’s where you go if you don’t have a horse nice enough for the “open” equivalent. Around here it doesn’t fill even though I know there are TBs showing because people will look at the ribbons and think it means less because the division was smaller and less competitive.
I’m trying to think of the last TB that I saw gaining national attention. I remember Stephanie Dankhal’s Insync. He won major accolades in the juniors and was a TB. Granted this was ‘05, but that horse won it all.
My registered Oldenburg dressage horse is basically a TB with a fancy brand if you look at his pedigree closely.
I’d have another (sound) one like him in a heartbeat.
I’m curious what his pedigree is that he’s such a high % of TB. Do you know the % offhand?
My WB is 85% TB, but that’s because his dam is full TB, and the sire is a little more than 50% TB (TB dam, and then his sire’s dam’s dam’s sire
There’s definitely something to be said for the OTTB mind, though… With the help of the trainer, a non-horsey family at the barn DD16 rode at as a pony rider bought a local, sport-bred TB for their child. Nice looking horse. I personally thought it a poor, wildly over-priced match. It acts like a baby WB + some reactive, downright dangerous behaviors that your average 12yo kid isn’t equipped to deal with thrown in for good measure.
I don’t have the patience to be unwinding all that. Especially for low mid-5s for a green broke baby. That OTTB brain. There’s nothing like it. Zombie clowns on unicycles juggling chain saws behind the C judge? That’s cool. They’ve seen stranger things on track. (Well, except for ponies.) And OTTB are people pleasers & perfectionists. They’re hard on themselves. That’s a rare & flat out amazing quality in an animal imo.
I believe Authentic, Beezie Madden’s horse (ok- really Abigail Wexner’s) horse was largely TB, too. We are all in fine company💗.
His pedigree on hippomundo shows 66%.
If you’re on your phone you may have to turn it sideways to see the percentages.
This. I had a VERY nice TB mare that was never tattooed failed to break the gate and just never had the gumption. She was gorgeous, could make the lines and lovely knees. And I never wanted a damn person to know she was a TB. plus she was a chestnut! It wasn’t the judges I was worried about it was resale value.
Thanks for sharing this! It’s nice to hear people say why they don’t do the tb classes
But then do people not advertise the horse as a TB then if they’re worried about resale value?
And it’s not even a TB thing. I see plenty of solid ammie WB mounts who are safe and fun but can’t compete in the same league as the uber hunters. This is a topic that continues to crop up and correlate with waning B/C circuits, $100k+ horses in the 2’6’’ divisions, seemingly futile USHJA help, “affordability” of horses, etc. IDK what the solution is. Someone on another thread brought up the fantastic local circuit that’s in Zone 4 in GA, SC, and NC. It’s well-run, the facilities are well-looked after, and they truly to make an effort to have it be inclusive for all. I wish that could be replicated more readily. That’s probably where I’d choose to pay and play most of the year.
Anywho, here’s a quick screenshot of my guy—he can and does play at the A’s but as someone noted earlier about the trends these days, his canter stride looks more active and going vs. slow and sweeping–ironic given he’s lazy af. That’s where we’re likely to get docked depending on the judge (provided his rider hasn’t made a grievous error lol).
IMO only a grade horse doing well at a show, will get more looks than a TB horse doing well at a show, when marketed for sale.
I’m not personally involved in the hunters anymore, but I have family still active on the A circuit and at the biggest shows, so I’m always casually paying attention to how they do and watching replays of their classes.
And my impression is that we have completely departed from the days of being able to “make” a hunter horse. There is no amount of training in the world that will create the “look” that now wins at the highest level. You have to start with the whole package as an individual and can then train and tweak that to win.
Maybe my POV about this is totally wrong. But I feel like the type of horse that is competitive has become ultra specific. 
The TB also gets robbed of the credit of making a good horse when it’s a part-bred or cross. The WB in the equation is credited for making the horse what it is, even when 3/4 of the most recent ancestors are TB. The TB rarely gets the credit for the good traits in a cross. Even in sales, you’ll see language that avoids giving any nod to the TB - often referring to the horse as a “WBx”. In the rare event a horse’s pedigree is discussed by announcers at big events, you’ll often hear them totally disregard the TB in the equation too.
Do WB-only people think their supple, elegant, handy jumper WB got all that from a cart horse or that these traits just magically appeared one day through selective breeding? They were bred into the WB – by adding blood that already demonstrated the type and movement breeders want.
It should come as no surprise to people that a TB can have these desired elements as a stand-alone – you just have to find the right TB. Just like in WBs, there can be mediocre, average, and brilliant horses. TBs don’t own the cornerstone on that and there are plenty of poor representatives of every breed out there.
Goodness that’s a lovely horse.
To me he looks like a Thoroughbred and that’s a compliment. It’s the head. My late Children’s Hunter looked just like him but in bay… though yours jumps better. (Mine was a John Alden grandson- correct, but not extravagant.)
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