Well-respected judge and former showing producer Stuart Hollings on costs, the new HOYS in-hand format and surprise judges
There was a great atmosphere at last month’s North of England Spring Show, despite no one knowing how the showing season will pan out due to the global fuel crisis.
The situation will undoubtedly affect some more than others, particularly those who don’t have an oil rig or money tree in their garden.
Gill Thompson, in her recent column, was heartened to see strong classes there. But was this simply because some exhibitors were on a mission to obtain early Royal International (RIHS) tickets, allowing them to compete closer to home further down the line?
When I first started competing from a small riding school behind our garden wall, I would hack five miles to the Ribble Valley Riding Club shows. Although this would save on fuel costs, somehow, I cannot see hacking being a viable option nowadays!
A more practical alternative could be to organise a lift with a fellow competitor when travelling further afield, like car sharing. In a similar vein, I’m surprised that we do not witness more syndicate ownership in showing as in racing.
One family based in the far north is debating whether to give RIHS a miss if fuel costs increase substantially or whether to go all in and make it their annual holiday.
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A negative consideration, though, is that one of their judges is not on the appropriate panel. This is becoming something of a trend, and I worry what sort of message it sends out to the showing world when our established panel judges are bypassed. Something to think about.
Ringing the changes
I am shocked to hear that the recent Nottinghamshire County show was no longer a direct qualifier for the Price Family in-hand final at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). It was one of nine shows that held qualifying rounds when the competition began in 1965.
The 1959 and 1960 Wembley show pony champion, Arden Tittle Tattle, qualified as a broodmare there and finished second at the 1965 final to the hunter mare Prince’s Grace, who’d qualified at Three Counties.
Interestingly, the new format at the final in October, where all 20 finalists will be pre-judged as one class in the TopSpec Arena before going forward to the Andrews Bowen International Arena for final judging and presentation, is almost a return to the competition’s historical roots.
It wasn’t until the early 1970s that the finalists were split into pony and horse sections. Then, for many years afterwards, competitors enjoyed the full package: preliminary judging followed by final judging in the afternoon in the main ring, with the championship in the evening performance.
Having all the finalists in the main arena on the Saturday for final presentations will certainly showcase this amazing competition, but combining the two classes might be considered a retrograde step too far. Let’s see.
Raising a laugh
How we miss the humorous showing cartoons created by the late Janet Jenkinson, particularly her bespoke illustrations that captured treasured moments and made ideal presents.
One such occasion was when I led the foal of Culross Maid Of Honour, who won the pony section of the 1992 Wembley in-hand final, as my brother Nigel and I had produced her to head the 13.2hh ridden show pony class there six years earlier.
The 1992 HOYS in-hand final, as depicted by the late Janet Jenkinson, where Stuart Hollings led the foal of the pony victor
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
My favourite television advert is the one for Specsavers hearing tests, in which the caretaker of a remote outpost who radioed a request for “supplies”, opens the delivered parcel and a clown jumps out instead, shouting “Surprise!”
I’m sure Janet would have had us smiling by drawing a cartoon to address this season’s hot topic – that the HOYS judges will not be announced until the evening before the classes – by depicting the mystery judges revealing themselves at HOYS in this way!
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Stuart is a successful showing breeder, producer and author, who also runs the popular north of England shows in spring and summer, alongside his brother Nigel. A regular Horse & Hound columnist, you can read Stuart's views in the magazine or online.
