RIHS qualifiers need to become more competitive, says Rebecca Penny
AS I write this I have seven shows looming over an eight-day period – obviously not with the same horses. I don’t know whether to celebrate being back in full swing, or to put in a furlough request as the sheer thought of it exhausts me before it begins.
On a serious note, I’m concerned that too many shows are being crammed into such a small time frame, in some cases in close proximity, while offering the same qualifiers. As a result, entries across the board are suffering massively.
It has become a standing joke that in the open Dartmoor, Exmoor and Shetland classes all you need to do to gain a Royal International (RIHS) ticket is turn up and stay on, but it’s no laughing matter.
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This feature is also available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 3 June 2021
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