Horse & Hound – 01 August 2019

Illustration by Emily Cole

RESTORINGMYBELIEF

YOUR news article about obese

equines in the show ring (18 July)

really struck a chord with me.

Last year, my home-bred

two-year-old fi lly (pictured) was

lightly shown, and then this year

we tried age classes to give her

a bit of experience. It’s been a

character-building aff air, standing

towards the bottom of the line to

horses carrying more weight than

is healthy at such a young age.

However, I take this on the

chin as I’m not prepared to

over-feed and lunge her at such a

young age, as I want her to be with

me in 20-plus years’ time.

At our last show this year,

however, we had a diff erent

experience. We were the youngest

in an open age class, where there

were horses up to seven years old.

The judge commented that she

was delighted to judge a two-

year-old looking as a two-year-old

should, and not carrying too

much weight.

To my disbelief and delight,

we went on to win the class and

the championship. This judge

restored my belief in seeing that

the changes needing to happen

are being put into practice, so

horses’ lives can be saved.

Emma Wright

Halifax, W Yorks

AS NATURE INTENDED?

I WOULD like to comment on the

issues raised in Rebecca Penny’s

column (11 July) with regard to

mountain and moorland classes.

About 40 years ago, when I

trained as a Fell pony judge, I

asked the judges I trained under

what they looked for in a ridden

Fell. One said she liked a pony for

trekking over the fells, another

said he preferred one he could

shepherd on and someone else a

pony who’d get him to the station

on time if he was late for a train!

All these were breeders who

had spent a lifetime involved with

their breed. None mentioned the

correct canter lead, the right bend

or smooth transitions. It’s not that

I’m against judges appreciating

these factors, but am concerned

it is leading to over-production

and judges setting shows that

are more fi tting to hack classes.

More valuable for judges in using

their marks would be a better

appreciation of the way of going

according to type.

As for societies having a ride

and a conformation panel, I see

nothing wrong with this as long

as the performance judges

are on the conformation panel

fi rst. Too much emphasis on

show-ring performance will result

in a universal type of pony capable

of going beautifully on an artifi cial

surface, but unable to survive in

its natural habitat or serve the

purpose for which it was intended.

Peter Boustead

Lancaster, Lancs

LOVING LUCINDA

YOUR Lucinda Green interview

(11 July) reminded me of a time

in the mid 70s when I kept a pub

in Dorset and hunted with the

Blackmore and Sparkford Vale.

One morning as I set off to

hack to a nearby meet, a lorry

pulled in to the car park. It was

driven by the familiar fi gure of

LETTERS

Bill Brake with my all-time hero

Lucinda Prior-Palmer by his side.

After the meet, as Lucinda

and Bill returned, I invited them

in for a whisky and warm-up by

our log fi re and Lucinda brought

her sandwiches for us all to share.

While we were sitting in the bar,

she commented on a photo on

the wall of me jumping a hedge

at a hunter trial. I was mortifi ed

as it was only about 2ft 9in high,

but she laughed and said: “Never

mind, you’re jumping it well.”

I will never forget that

afternoon. Lucinda was lovely and

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NEXT WEEK

EVENTING AT

GATCOMBE

AND TOP

SHOWJUMPING

AT GCT

LONDON

Plus 12 habits that winners

practise and you should try.

Don’t miss it!

A shining example – are changes

afoot in judging show horses?