Rebecca Penny: ‘Many positives about HOYS, plus the odd tweak needed’

Native showing specialist Rebecca Penny on successes and areas that she feels needed improvement in this season’s judging at Horse of the Year Show

As we close the curtain on the 2024 season and begin working with novices and new recruits for next year, it’s a good time to reflect.

Personally, I had mixed feelings about the new judging format at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). I found it refreshing to have overseas judges announced only the night before the classes and this new concept introduced many positive elements.

One of the most notable was the exceptional standard of ride judging throughout the show, which made for great spectator viewing. It was undoubtedly more exciting to watch and felt much less predictable. From the classes I observed, I could clearly follow what the judges were looking for, especially regarding performance.

We witnessed a good mix of repeat winners alongside several fresh faces enjoying well-deserved moments in the spotlight, which is always beneficial for the sport.

The choice of William Fox-Pitt for the plaited pony workers seemed to be a huge hit with the competitors, and the children really valued his feedback.

Improvements for the future

However, I feel the format worked more favourably in some sections than in others, and adjustments would be needed if this format is to be repeated in the future.

I don’t want to take anything away from the winners, who were certainly deserving, but classes involving our native breeds at this level need judges for both ride and conformation who are fully conversant with all 12 native breeds and their way of going according to breed type.

Additionally, there appeared to be an oversight regarding cultural differences, as some overseas judges may not have been fully aware of our expectations for judging specific classes.

Speaking as a competitor in the lead-rein mountain and moorland classes, I found it disappointing that the judge did not watch the ponies’ shows in their entirety. For me, one of the most important criteria for a lead-rein pony is manners; thus, the downward transitions and the halt at the end of an individual show are crucial elements, especially when it lasts only 45 seconds.

Perhaps the judges should have been briefed more thoroughly beforehand, as I’m not the only person who deemed it rude.

My final observation was that some judges seemed overworked and were assigned to far more classes than usual, particularly in instances where there were crossovers, such as the hacks and intermediate show riding types, where several horses competed in both.

I felt it would have been preferable for these sections to have completely different sets of judges, which would also prevent cutting horses and riders from multiple classes in the event of a connection arising.

As with any new initiative, there’ll always be room for improvement, but this was a well-received starting point.

Sad news

I would like to close by offering my heartfelt condolences to the Hood family, following the sad news of Allister’s passing.

Allister was someone I held in the highest regard – not only was he the greatest showman many of us will ever have the privilege of watching, but he was also a true gentleman. His support was invaluable; he generously shared his wealth of knowledge and showed remarkable kindness to those of us starting out in showing, myself included.

He will be greatly missed.

● What new innovations would you like to see at HOYS? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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