‘The average family is being squeezed out of competing,’ warns Rebecca Penny
Rebecca Penny on rising costs and remembering “the other 50%”
Where has the season gone? It feels like five minutes since we were squinting at the qualifier lists, and now the evenings are drawing in and Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is looming. It really has flown by.
Looking back over the summer, though, one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the numbers.
Not everywhere, and not in every class, but many classes that were once well filled are now running with seriously depleted numbers.
I don’t believe people have suddenly stopped wanting to show. I think it is simply becoming too expensive to compete at a certain level for the average family, and a significant part of that expense comes down to the number of societies we have, each running separate finals for the same types of class.
Most of us would hate to see showing become the preserve of those with the deepest pockets. It has always been a sport where ordinary people with one pony, plenty of determination and a bit of luck can make it to the highest level. But the average family is being quietly squeezed out and I don’t think we’ve properly reckoned with what that means, or why it is happening.
Start with the pony. A decent one that will hold its own at county level now changes hands for a sum that would put down a deposit on a house. That figure alone rules out a great many people who might otherwise be standing beside us in the collecting ring and we should be honest enough to admit that we are poorer for it.
Double the cost
But some of the cost is one we have created ourselves. This is where societies need to look hard at what they are offering their members.
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In certain sections, you need to join two separate societies to compete in the same class, as one holds the Royal International route and the other HOYS. That isn’t a criticism of any one society. But collectively, we’ve ended up in a situation where the same classes require membership of different bodies and it is the competitor who pays for it twice over.
Faced with that choice, most families will simply pick one route and let the other go. Then we wonder why the classes are getting smaller.
This is something the industry needs to sit down and solve together. Nobody expects it to be simple, and there will always be different organisations with different responsibilities and ambitions. But the goal ought to be a straightforward one: better value for the people who are paying to keep our sport going.
Don't forget about the other 50%
On a brighter note, we’re only weeks away from HOYS. If you have a ticket in your pocket, here’s one last thought before you go.
For most flat classes, 50% of the mark comes from the conformation phase. Yet how many of us spend the week before bathing, plaiting and polishing, but barely a moment practising standing up?
You have literally seconds in front of that judge, and all the hot oil in the world won’t counteract four legs pointing in four different directions. Practise teaching your pony to stand correctly from a light aid and, importantly, to stay there while you step away. It gives the judge a much clearer picture of what is actually in front of them.
Spend some time really looking at the horse or pony you’re showing, too, and take off the rose-tinted glasses first. We all think ours is the best in the country, but be honest about its good points and its weaker ones. Then learn to stand it in a way that accentuates the good.
Practise in the yard, in the field, with people walking past. Recruit someone to play the judge. Half the overall marks are there for the
taking and 10 minutes a day is all it takes to go after them.
Best of luck to everyone going to Birmingham.
● How do you think we can help alleviate costs in showing without forcing our fixtures to run at a loss? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine
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Rebecca Penny has won at HOYS and RIHS on various native breeds. She has won the M&M championship at HOYS and lifted the M&M supreme in London in both 2015 and 2021. She is a website designer and online marketing consultant.