Adults riding ponies at shows

[Laura+Phantom]

Hi everyone, does anyone else get really annoyed at some show classes that place an age restriction on the rider? For example, I would love to do working hunter classes and best combination classes with my 14.1hh new forest pony, but I'm 20 (21 in june) so i'm too old to enter! It's ridiculous! Some unaffiliated showjumping competitions like trailblazers do this too, even though my pony is perfectly capable of clearing the jumps. I've thought about entering the show classes anyway as they don't check your date of birth and I look about 15! Anyone found a way around this problem?

[tubby]

If your pony is a new forest you can do mountain & moorland workers, ther is no age limit on this or the ordinary m&m show classes. Also you will probably find that you can ride your pony at a lot of the XC comps.

[Horseyheaven]

Ummm i'm only 14 you know when it comes too shows and 18 when it comes to going on the booze!!!!!:D

[Gemma16]

Thats odd, I have never come across an age limit on best conition or WHP classes at shows. Only height restrictions in the WH class.

As suggested by tubby why not try the M&M WHP, there are definatly NO restrictions on that apart from the breeds. Its split into large and small native breeds.

Maybe its something that happens down south. who knows.

Well good luck finding a class to suit you.:D

[Kanuma]

it happens mainly on BSPS classes, try the M&M and the bsps Heritege classes they dont have age limits on them!!
the age limits are there for a good reason it is to give the younger ppl a chance in the classes i mean how is a 12year old supposed to compete against a 20 year old, i agree that the age limmits are a bit low but they had to set the limit somwhere!

[haribo]

what about the open classes ?? some don't seem to have a age limit

i think there should be separate classes without age restrictions, this would help young inexpeirenced ponies have the benifit of a more mature rider

or you could look at it another way, you could be a small novice adult with a pony who doesn't ride as well as some children.

[Laura+Phantom]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I can't enter m&m whp because my pony's only registered as a part bred new forest! I have his sire's bloodlines and history but his dam's a mystery! Even though he was bred on the forest...so I definately can't enter whp classes :(

A few shows (like 2) around here do 17 and over best combination, but that's about it.

[Kanuma]

most shows have novice classes there isnt normaly an age limit on these!

[Laura+Phantom]

All the novice working hunter classes say the horse must be 15hh or over! And all the WHP 14hh-15hh classes have an age limit of 20, which would be fine *last* year. What a pain!
Maybe it's just the shows down here that are like this.

[unicorndanca]

The local shows I go to where I live have about 4-6 rings. Pony, Galloway, Hack, Novice, Club and sometimes breed. The pony ring has rider events where you have to be undr 12yo, the galloway under 18yo. I find this very restricting and feel as if they are saying if you are a certain age you should be riding a certain height. My preference is to own something under 15hh. My mare is 14.2hh. I often get fed up with taller horse owners commenting on my sweet 'little pony' as if talking down to me.

[Wally]

20? What a wierd age limit to set, I'd enter just for the devilry, I'd like to see them ask me for my birth cert. in public!:D :D :D

[haribo]

its going to be harry's first showing season this year, and i am going to do some m & m classes, there seem to be no age restrictions on these.

I would like to do some working hunter but there are on these, so i thought i'm not going to miss out, i'll just ask to do the class but as a non competitor, no one can complain then.

[Mehitabel]

haribo - if harry is a registered native (i assume he is if you're panning to do m&m classes) then you can do m&m whp - no restrictions on that.

[haribo]

He is a fully papered welsh Section C, he came from the welsh cob newbook stud as a yearling colt, he was supposed to of been sold to a lady who wanted to mature him as stallion to use on a stud yard she was setting up. Unfortunately, the lady could not manage him and he was cut as a 2 year old and left on a mountain, i bought him last march as a complete untouched 4yr old. His mum is a BSJA pony and his dad is a royal welsh winner.

There doesn't seem to be many classes in local shows for ridden section c, there's more for A & Ds, but i'll try him in the M & M classes

[Laura+Phantom]

20? What a wierd age limit to set, I'd enter just for the devilry, I'd like to see them ask me for my birth cert. in public!

That's what I thought! You know I think I will enter now just for the hell of it! It's not that unfair to the others seeing as i'm only a year over the limit and the younger ones probably ride better than me!

[tubby]

Laura at local shows I've seen crossbred m&m in the m&m classes & at that level they don't ask for their papers so get entering girl. Wally I'll keep an eye open for you , mutton dressed as lamb????????:D:D

[haribo]

yer,

Es i did m & m classes last year on a welsh pony type, it doesn't matter if you have papers or not, they only ask for them in the big county shows.

[Laura+Phantom]

Really? Thanks tubby and haribo, that's great, i'll definately enter m&m whp now! what fun me and phantom are going to have! :)

[DragonsMagic]

I totally agree, I think it would be cool if there was a division for any age pony riders, or specifically non-junior pony riders. I was looking foward to doing FEI Pony dressage, but then I found out it's for riders 16 and under :( ....hello?? I'm on a pony regardless!! If it's going to be limiting to riders of a certain age, it's basically another FEI junior/young rider test...for those riders small enough ( and IMO lucky enough ;-D) to ride ponies.

Just my 2 cents :)

[Yorkshire_Lass]

Oooh this thread has given me some ideas of what to do with my NewForest now i can't do BSJA. We've tried M&M showing before but never got very far (being grey she looks more like a connamara) but i might try M&M Workers.
LAUZ45- what breeding does your NewForest have?

[Laura+Phantom]

Well unfortunately his dam is an unregistered forest pony but he was sired by Waterford Lando SO5026, who was out of Waterford Holly MO8749, by Shi-loh SO2083.

Here's a pic pf him with his mummy :)

[haribo]

ahh hes beautiful,

I don't if anyone saw an article in farmers guardian 3 weeks ago, it was about a small adult lady rider, who had qualified her 13.1 new forrest pony X at a high level dresssage comp.

[WelshJumper]

Yes i have this prob! I have 2 welsh sec C's, and some classes yo have to be under 15, and im 21! Its ok at small shows as most are open, but when you compete at county leve its a difrnat storyl. I also want to ride one of mine side saddle but i dont know weather i could or not she is 13hh? Im wanting to do M&M WHP with the side saddle.

[haribo]

That sounds good. Did you know there is a web site the side saddle association found at www.equiworld.net/ssa/ they have a real good variety of classes as well, all there adult classes are open so it doesn't matter what size your 4 legged friend is.

[haribo]

At long last it my haribooooooooo

[Laura+Phantom]

Ah he's gorgeous!! I love flaxen manes and tails!

I didn't see that article about the new forest pony but I read in horse and hound or somewhere about a 13.1hh pony who just passed away, whose adult owner competed successfully with at advanced? level dressage.

WelshJumper I sympathise...I couldn't do anything at county level with Phantom I don't think..silly show people putting age restrictions on..grrr.

[Lucy J]

i ride a 16.2hh horse, but i also suffer from age restricition problems, mainly because when we compete i only want to do 2ft courses, but a lot of them you have to be under 16, which means i either have to not enter or jump much higher which i don't like to do. its so frustrating.

[topsey]

hi
at least u guys have some classes that u can go in. the only classes i can go in on my pony (when she is old enough - currently a yearling) are novice ones and they rule has only been brought in in the last year. it is annorying that i can't do any other classes on ponies. oh by the way i'm in new zealand.
u guys could all started writing to the people in charged of the shows and ask for a pony ring with adult riders (or no age rescations). when i start showing my yearling under saddle i think that i will be doing some write to my local a&p accastions to ask for something like that.
if u don't ask for the classes they will not know that one is wanted.
Merryn

[Ginger Thing]

I picked up a schedule for some local shows (Midland Championship Qualifiers) and in the ridden showing there is a class for 'Best Pony Ridden by a Senior', so maybe organisers are taking notice of you adult pony riders!

I'm with Lucy J on this one though - not all of us on 16.3's like jumping big jumps - there was a class in the same schedule for novice horse/rider with jumps at 1'9", which I quite fancied the sound of, until I realised it was a special 'under 16's show'! Maybe I could get one of the teenagers off the yard to take him in for me - but they probably wouldn't mind jumping 3 foot on him, it's just me who's a wuss!

[Esther.D]

A lady near me has got up to advanced dressage with two ponies both about 13.2hh and is trained (on the ponies) by an international dressage trainer...they are, I think a connemara and a new forest? But I'm not certain, Lgd knows of her so she could correct me, but whatever breeding they are they are about 13.2hh and she is adult (well she was my instructor at Pony Club over 10 yrs ago..so definately adult:) ). She is tiny, very petite and about 5ft tall.

I intend to get Rupert out to something this year if we can get a trailer, he is 13.2hh and I am a 5ft 26yr old, so well above all the age limits..and he is unregistered..so I'm not sure what we will enter but we'll find something:D

[Mossy]

The trailblazers give me the pip! Moss is 14.2 and will clear 2'6" with ease but is a pony. I am a respectable? granny so am over 21 but cannot ride him as he is a pony, I am an adult and the spacing is wrong for ponies and could be dangerous. I ask you. Does anyone remember Stroller - all 14.2 of him!!! I said I was a granny.

[Wally]

Not a granny but I remember Stroller! Wasn't it Marion Coakes (sp)? who rode him?

[eml]

Yes it was and I think he went from pony JA to horse classes when she was 16. Perhaps it was to do with the fact that SJ was less technical then. I also took (although not at her level:D ) my very good 14hh JA onto senior Foxhunters successfully in the early 60's along with many others. These days we are pushed to manage horse tracks on our pony paced 15.2 IDx !

[LesleyR]

I couldn't have spotted this thread at a better time! I have just printed off the schedule for my local riding club and I needed to vent some spleen!

Would you believe that even in the equitation classes if you are an adult you have to be riding a horse bigger than 14.2?

Now I can just about understand the reasoning in showjumping that the striding will be different for ponies and horses (though having said that my 14.2 New Forest has more scope than a lot of horses I know) but what earthly reason could there be for restricting the height in a bloomin' flat class!

We've decided that he is going to grow an inch for jumping and non-M&M classes - he'll be 14.2 when he needs to be a New Forest and 14.3 when he needs to be a show jumper!

[PoisynRose]

I just saw this thread and had to reply! Although I am 16 which is still quite young, I own a 13.2hh welsh sec c. I really want to do some local SJ classes but all I can really do on him are little clear rounds, not the actual classes.

Why? Because I am "too old" to ride a pony. What annoys me is that age doesnt come into it. Some ponies I know I would NEVER but a younger child on because they would be too much for them to handle.

Thankfully now I believe that this problem is beginning to be recognised and the rules are seemingly more liberal concerning adults riding ponies.

[hApPiNeSs]

LAUZ45 your inbox is full lol! anyway i am from lanner near redruth so we live really near each other! how wierd. anyway my pony is kept near stithians. and im 15 and loan a 13hh exmoor pony called happy! :D

how bout you?

[Jay.o]

Are these rules written out on the schedules? I have never seen them before, but that's maybe becuase I focus on the in-hand rings opposed to the ridden sections. Are they 'unwritten' rules or are they in the small print :rolleyes: - wouldn't suprise me!

I think I have it easy, if all these rules apply for showing and such. Mysy is 14.2/14.3 now and will probably mature to about 14.3, possibly 15hh. So shes 14.2 now, while I am 16 and then shes going to be 14.3 when I am over :D (sneeky, i know!)

These restrictions do seem unfair though, i totally agree! There are ponies for childen, you know the ones, the very patient ones, the ones un-phased by anything and put up with their riders, the ones that would go to the end of world if they were told to. Then there are the fiesty little critters that I (like poisy and Rose said) wouldnt put a child on - full stop!!

[LesleyR]

The show I was complaining about definitely had it written in the rules that adults in the equitation classes had to be on horses over 14.2.

Just to add to the irony when we actually competed at this show they were giving out special Pony Riders Association rosettes to the highest placed adult on an animal under 15hh. So one side of the organisation is encouraging adult pony riders while the other is doing its darnedest to make sure there are hardly any classes to compete in!

[Horsesarelife]

In trailblaizers or BSJA you can jump a pony as a horse as there are no height restrictions if you think they could make the stride, also how about things like family pony/horse classes, at my local shows they have ridden showing 14.2hh and under, all the little girls do this but there are no age restrictions, so you could do that, and at my show the height for WH, is 14hh+, it could be that our show is unusuall, to not have any age limits exept on equitation(there are no height limits) and first ridden.
edit, didn't realise you'd already pointed out the stiiding thing,

I'm a bit the other way, for showjumping because I'm 13 and own a 15.1hh, so I have to compete against adults who have been riding longer and the jumps start at about 2'6'' rater than in ponies whjen they start about 2'/2'3".
I can see where your coming from and I agree there should be a new ring for adult pony riders, which children can enter if they want, but i can also see why its done, beacuse adults can manage the harder ponies that may look better in the ring, beacuse they cna show off more, but if a child was riding the pony would have to be much easier, and carmer in the ring.

Sorry got a bit carried away:rolleyes: