I have not ridden with a stable with equitation riders in a while so excuse me if this is a silly question.
Now that the Maclay Finals are in Kentucky why do they still have regionals? Why not let everyone qualified ride in the finals similar to the Medal Finals at Harrisburg?
To this day I know people qualified before they started the regionals, that still are proud of the fact the qualified and rode in the finals.
I think there were around 350 riders qualified for the regionals this year. 150 riders is enough for them to handle in one day, so 350 would be difficult to coordinate especially with flat, second round, and test.
I agree with the above. Plus it will lose some of its flair if anyone qualified by points could go. Now you have to qualify by points and head to head competition.
Think about the poor judges having to watch a first round of 350 entries. This year’s Medal finals in Harrisburg started at 7:00 am and ended at 6:00 pm. Except for 10 minute breaks for grooming the ring after every 50 rides, the judges had to sit there for the better part of 11 hours, what an exhausting day. Whatever $ they earned, it couldn’t possibly be enough. I suppose they could run the Maclay over a period of 2 days but I think the Regionals approach works out better for everyone.
They could have the same rules they used in the Garden - major faults excused. The judges make the course, so that could also limit the number of rounds. A very difficult line could weed out a weak riders.
In my opinion, it is an honor to be invited to judge the finals no matter how many rounds are judged.
I just believe with the facility used now all qualified riders should be able to have a chance to show in the finals. With all the fees they pay to get qualified why not let them get something for their effort and money?
The management could have the first round over two days if they were to have 350 entries.
True, and this is actually the rule for the equitation schooling at Harrisburg if more than 250 riders are entered in the Medal.
However, I don’t know if this really serves to weed out riders who don’t belong. Think about Lillie Keenan at USET finals a few weeks ago. Let’s say Clearway decides he doesn’t want to play and she’s excused from her equitation warm-up. Was the class really done a service by an otherwise excellent rider who has an unlucky day?
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7229150]
However, I don’t know if this really serves to weed out riders who don’t belong. Think about Lillie Keenan at USET finals a few weeks ago. Let’s say Clearway decides he doesn’t want to play and she’s excused from her equitation warm-up. Was the class really done a service by an otherwise excellent rider who has an unlucky day?[/QUOTE]
But that’s horseshowing. Adding more rounds would weed out those who didn’t belong…and some of those who did.
Having a bad day = not winning. And Lillie being excused is neither a service nor a disservice to the class…it would just be an example of a good rider having a bad day at a bad time.
There weren’t always regionals? Sorry, showing my age there!!
OP, genuinely curious, why does the location of the final make a difference? Not being snarky, I’m really just wondering.
[QUOTE=PNWjumper;7229162]
Having a bad day = not winning. And Lillie being excused is neither a service nor a disservice to the class…it would just be an example of a good rider having a bad day at a bad time.[/QUOTE]
At the finals, there is a small group of kids that are probably equally talented and prepared and as likely to win as anyone else in that small group. Then there are some other kids who ride well who might win or ribbon if they have their best day EVER at the finals.
The kids who win just have to be fortunate enough to have everything fall into place on the day in question. If the best rider on the best horse has that horse trip and break to a trot in front of a jump (or whatever) at the finals, it’s not that rider’s day. But that means it’s somebody else’s day instead.
The kids who get multiple ribbons at multiple finals in multiple years are obviously in that small group of extremely strong contenders, whether or not they happened to actually finish at the very top of the ribbons at one of the finals.
This list always provides an interesting look back at history:
http://www.medalmaclay.com/eqresults/36.html
[QUOTE=supershorty628;7229176]
There weren’t always regionals? Sorry, showing my age there!!
OP, genuinely curious, why does the location of the final make a difference? Not being snarky, I’m really just wondering.[/QUOTE]
The first year they changed the “all-included” approach was 1982, when the Maclay finals were at Madison Square Garden. Everybody came to the neighborhood, but there was a qualifying round on Friday at Overpeck Farm in New Jersey, a few miles outside of the city. The top 100 (I think?) got to show at the Garden on Sunday. Peter Wylde won that year.
Needless to say, all the people who traipsed across the country to only show on Friday in New Jersey and then go home were not too happy. So the next year, they started doing Regionals.
The location at the Garden was unique in that the time and space constraints in the middle of the city were pretty severe. Ask anyone who had horses show there, and everyone will agree that the logistics were a nightmare, but it was special and totally worth the trouble. 
They also had the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon for at least some of those years, so that was another reason the Maclay class could not take up the whole day’s schedule.
I was there the time Michael Matz was one of the judges for the Maclay finals, and also won the Grand Prix. That was one of the years the show was held at the Meadowlands. He judged the morning session, changed into his riding clothes, won the GP, and changed back to judge the second round of the Maclay. I think the courses were a little similar, so that year, any equitation kid who said, “I’d like to see that judge ride this course!” could get their wish. Except the jumps were two feet higher. :lol:
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7229150]
However, I don’t know if this really serves to weed out riders who don’t belong. Think about Lillie Keenan at USET finals a few weeks ago. Let’s say Clearway decides he doesn’t want to play and she’s excused from her equitation warm-up. Was the class really done a service by an otherwise excellent rider who has an unlucky day?[/QUOTE]
Same logic applies for the current Maclay Regionals. If Lillie has a bad day, she doesn’t go to the Finals. This nearly happened to a friend of mine who has had top placings in the national medals. Luckily, she made it through in the end, but we all held our breath for a few days. No, she’s not Lillie, but she’s in that same class of rider.
Is the Maclay the most popular final for kids to try and attend? At least with the current Regional system, the entries are limited to what the show feels it can support. It might be nice to have additional qualifying criteria, though – maybe something like placing within the top % OR having a zillion points, so that quality and competitive riders who really do belong in the finals, but just had a bad time of it at Regionals, still have the opportunity to show up and compete.
To add to my first post, I’m personally not a fan of the “major fault and you’re excused” rule - it would be terrible to take a horse all the way to Kentucky just to stop out at the first fence, but it would probably be worse to have a flying pop chip at the first fence, then get it together for the rest of it just to get excused.
Everyone goes into regionals with the idea that they may not get through, but for most people regionals is a much less expensive trip than Kentucky. And the prestige of getting through is only (as it should be) reserved to riders who have really shown they deserve it.
Also - for those who have a bad day, but are still great riders, there is a rule allowing the top finishers at Talent Search, Medal, and WIHS to compete. Interestingly enough, every year several riders qualify this way.
[QUOTE=iEquitate;7229212]
Also - for those who have a bad day, but are still great riders, there is a rule allowing the top finishers at Talent Search, Medal, and WIHS to compete. Interestingly enough, every year several riders qualify this way.[/QUOTE]
Yes, including a few riders who ended up winning the Maclay finals, IIRC.
I think the GP got moved to Sunday night at some point. But even as far back as the 60s the first round of the Maclay went at 7:00 am and then the final cut came back for the afternoon session. I remember because you had to buy separate tickets for morning, afternoon and evening sessions. And in those days The National was 8 days, it ran Tuesday to Tuesday, ending on election day.
It makes a “Finals Experience” possible for kids in distant regions who no way short of a lottery win can get to the actual Finals for one thing. NY, Florida or Ky are too far unless, maybe, you know you have a shot but for most it’s just not going to happen. Remember back in the day, it was very east coast centered. A minuscule few westerners made the haul back when ALL the Medal Finals were at the Garden, including Saddle Seat and Stock Seat (Reining Eq). I can think of one who actually moved back east for that reason (AK) and I remember her out west as a young Junior at Flintridge.
The Regional format makes participation possible for a larger number of kids and does let the best riders show their stuff while not killing the not so good ones or the truly delusional. Because of the Regional format, you have the 350 who can at least aim for those Regionals even tho that Finals trip is out of the question.
This year there were quite a large number of riders who had a stop at the first fence at Harrisburg, so no difference than traveling to KY to have the same thing happen. There is less travel/expense involved for competing at regionals, and winning there is a big deal, so for many of those riders the regionals competition is their big goal for the season.
[QUOTE=MHM;7229191]
This list always provides an interesting look back at history:
http://www.medalmaclay.com/eqresults/36.html[/QUOTE]
It’s pretty interesting to see the way riders seem to play “musical chairs” w/ the horses (or 1 rider ages out, horse is passed on to another top rider, often at the same barn)…and to see which horses have been in the ribbons at finals year after year. I would think it’d be pretty fun to get to ride one of those horses!
[QUOTE=MHM;7229191]
This list always provides an interesting look back at history:
http://www.medalmaclay.com/eqresults/36.html[/QUOTE]
And Audrey Hasler Chesney, the very first winner of the Maclay, in 1933, only passed away this year, her obituary was in COTH a few months back.
Frankly, the best finals in the country in many ways is the New England Equitation Championships. Kids that do them all still look forward to that one the most.
[QUOTE=chunky munky;7229263]
Frankly, the best finals in the country in many ways is the New England Equitation Championships. Kids that do them all still look forward to that one the most.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that one was a huge deal with even the National level kids when I was riding back there. And it was accessible to most if them. Went once to watch, they did a great job organization wise and made it a big deal special deal…even for the kids that stopped at the first fence, they were made to feel welcome and appreciated. Kept the costs down as much as possible compared to others too.
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