New show classes for club riders
The British Show Hack, Cob and Riding Horse Association is introducing new riding horse and cob classes for showing enthusiasts who are riding club members.
BSHCRHA panel judges will judge the “riding club riding horse” and “riding club cob” classes under the society’s normal riding horse and cob rules, but only competitors who are bona fide members of a riding club will be eligible.
Tracy Monaghan, secretary of the BSHCRHA, told HHO: “The new classes have been introduced to give showing enthusiasts competing at local riding club shows the chance to qualify for our prestigious national championship show.
“Qualified competitors will be able to compete in the final on a ‘day membership’ basis, which will also enable them to enter other relevant classes, such as the amateur owner classes at the championship.”
The final will take place at the National Championship Show to be held at Addington Manor EC, Bucks on 10-11 September, with the first and second place horses from each section competing for an overall championship during the Saturday evening performance.
The BSHCRHA is not the first showing organisation to tap in to the extremely popular riding club market. The hugely successful SEIB Search for a Star showing series has been running “riding club show horse” classes for “versatile” show horses, for a number of years and has found them extremely popular.
Nicolina MacKenzie of SEIB told HHO: “We originally wanted to introduce a class, which was suitable for true amateur riding club riders. Horses in this class have to be the ‘correct’ show horse type, but with the brain and ability to do the riding club job.
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“Under our rules, a successful riding club show horse must be mannerly, able to jump, and do a simple dressage test. In the class they are required to leave the line, trot over some trotting poles, jump a coloured fence away from the line and a rustic fence towards the other horses.
“I believe we have found a whole new class for genuinely nice horses, who due to their height, for example, don’t fit in to a traditional showing class.”
The Search for a Star Riding Club Show Horse class is judged on 50% conformation, type and manners, and 50% performance. The final is held at HOYS, giving riding club competitors the chance to compete at one of the most prestigious shows of the season.
For more information about the BSHCRHA riding club riding horse and riding club cob classes visit: www.showhackandcob.org.uk.
For more information about the SEIB Search for a Star riding club show horse class visit: www.seib.co.uk
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.