Cheshire-based show horse producer Robert Walker has his say on class numbers and showcasing young animals
The season is now well under way and, as usual, it’s great to see established and new faces out showing. With several area association and county shows now under our belts, it’s been interesting that, as ever, the numbers of horses and ponies forward vary greatly. This is obviously very frustrating and worrying for some show organisers, but I don’t think it’s down to one thing with one answer.
Nowadays there is so much choice. When I was growing up, there were the county shows and the agricultural shows. On top of those now, there are area association or society shows, club shows and specific qualifying shows. This means that competitors are inevitably all very spread out.
There’s also a lot more choice in classes. When I was a child, there were hacks, hunters and riding ponies – and cobs were emerging. But there were no riding horses, coloureds or mountain and moorlands. Now the latter two sections are very popular, so if we see smaller traditional classes, it could well be that riders who previously showed in those categories have switched to a different type of horse.
I believe that showing is as popular as ever, but it’s enjoyed on a much broader spectrum. There is a huge undercurrent to affiliated showing, with many people enjoying it at grassroots level.
Take the numbers of entries in classes at the STARS (Showing Teams and Rising Stars) championships or Equifest as great examples. The challenge for affiliated showing is to entice those competitors to come to affiliated shows. We must be more proactive.
Perhaps we need more of these competitors to be aware of what they can try on a “day ticket”, for example, and maybe we need more similar chances for people to dip a toe in the water, so to speak.
And we must make sure they don’t feel out of place or in the minority. People – whether more experienced show riders or officials – are always happy to help.
Where classes are dwindling at county shows, we need to ensure that people aren’t afraid to give it a go. We need people to realise that they are missing out on a great day out showing. It’s not always about winning, showing is also about taking part. For most people it’s about enjoyment and fun.
I always advocated lifting restrictions on classes to encourage more occasional show riders to compete at county shows, but am no longer sure it’s the answer. Without restriction, classes could become unruly. It’s not just a matter of standards, sometimes regulation is needed to keep people safe.
A great showcase
I’m just back from a trip to Ireland’s Bannow and Rathangan Agricultural Show. I really enjoyed watching the judging of the Irish Shows Association and Bannow and Rathangan Show Society All Ireland three-year-old championship.
The championship has a qualifying system where you have to gain your place in the final at certain agricultural shows through the season. It was a pleasure to see 20 three-year-olds forward for the final judging. The winner has the added bonus of a healthy chunk of a huge prize pot: €5,000 (£4,330).
There were many animals that won’t make show horses but will be aimed down different routes. Regardless, it was great to have such a showcase for breeding and an ideal way for breeders to market the animal while also being competitive.
It took me back to the days when we stood Hunter Improvement Scheme (HIS) stallions; customers wanted to showcase the foals at the good local agricultural shows and some were sold on from there to do different things.
In Ireland, the ringside was overflowing with spectators. The atmosphere was great, with so much interest and enthusiasm for breeding. There were many eagle eyes there as well as members of the public, with showing enthusiasts old and new enjoying the spectacle.
We have the Horse of the Year Show in-hand final, but do we also need a similar showcase for UK breeders at a county show?
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