Tell me all about working hunter classes please :D

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Possibly doing a working hunter class on sunday.

It reads:

WORKING HUNTER NOVICE For all horses and ponies. Rider any age. Fences approx. 2’ – 2’3’’Midland Novice Working Hunter Championship Qualifier
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I haven't done one before, from my knowlege I gather that it is a jumping course of rustic type fences including brush fences which she loves. Then a walk trot and canter. Walking away from the judge, trotting a figure of eight on the first corner, then canter. Not sure if the canter is on a large or small circle? Then gallop on the one side?

I am only doing it for experience!

I have got a tweed jacket, what should I wear, and what should my horse wear?

Thanks
 
correct dress would be a navy velvet hat with flesh coloured harness, tweed jacket, shirt and tie, hair net or matching scrunchie, no earrings etc. Pony - gleaming tack, plain as poss eg no bright red numnahs ;) plaited up & polished.

you usually do the jumps first, there can be odd placed trees etc... :D Then a w,t,c show - make sure you keep infront of the line up. Sometimes you are asked to gallop at the end, but I believe its good to include a short gallop at the end of your show.

recent qualifiers up here for Blair , were 2ft6.... the finals are 3ft3 which i think is a bit unfair....
 
I haven't got any advice but I would like to have a go at these too so I'd love to hear an update once you have taken part in it!

Good luck! :)
 
Hello, not sure if any of this information will be of use or not, i am fairly new to the showing but have picked up / heard the following on my outings...

maybe obvious but i didnt know until i first went to a show, you do your jumping alone, you are supposed to enter ring, approach judge and politely say hello, and then jump the course...

you only get through to the "showing" part if you go clear or if there is minimal clear rounds they let the lowest faulted competitors "show"... im not 100% sure about how this is worked out.

the refusals / knocked fences are marked differently to SJ, cant remember what they are but you ulitmately want to go clear!

your judged 60% on your jumping and 40% on confirmation / show.

I've been told that you should be in a working canter all the time during the jumping, some judges dont like trotting as your supposed to be showing your horses stride / performance etc and how your horse would perform hunting... remember you are being judged on your ride of the course too... it easy to forget and just try to get a clear round on a wing and a prayer!! :D

Once you have completed your course again approach the judge and thank them then leave the arena.

I have also seen a lot of people doing the working hunter in double bridles but it is not a requirement it is just preference, they do look very smart but i dont like jumping in a double, (was on a pony that took off waaayy to early and leaped the jump and i ended up jabbing him in the mouth even though i had let the reins run right to the buckle, he just put the brakes on and wouldnt jump anything else, so i have never done a WH in a double again, i felt so bad for hurting him!)

hope this info is of use! if there is anything that i have stated that anyone disagrees with please let me know, it is a very difficult / bitchy world the showing side and everyone gives their tuppence worth but its not always the correct way of doing things!!:)
 
Hey thanks for the replies.

I only want to enter so I have more of an idea of what its about, and so I can work on it for next time.
Do you think we will be ok doing it?
Obviously there will be a lot of professionals there but I wont be doing it to win, only to take part and gain more experience, would that be ok?
Or should I just stick to the jumping classes?

Thanks
 
Yeah definately have a go at it :D Is it just a local show? There'll probbaly be people similar to you who haven't done huge amounts of it before :)
 
Yeah its just a local not very well known one to be honest!
There is also some bigger shows on this weekend anyway

So you know the ridden part, walk trot and canter. Is it in open order or one at a time? And also do you just make it up or is it a written kind of test?
 
Working hunters are great - jumping and showing just for one entry fee :D

I don't take it very seriously, I'm not a showing diva and Mrs P's tail is too stubbornly orange for us to ever please a judge! I've done well in WH with P, Flynn and my old horse JS when we've jumped well but the others in the class haven't. Basically a scruff like me can beat a beautifully turned out posh show combination at WH if we jump better than them because the judge will put a lot of emphasis on the jumping side when they come to decide the placings. If everyone jumps well I tend to do quite badly, but that doesn't matter much to me - it's all good fun! Just go for it & enjoy yourself :)

ETA - normally you jump first, then get to do a show. Sometimes only the horses that have jumped clear will go through to the showing bit, it's up to the judge - it depends partly on how many entries there are. If you get to show, firstly you all do walk, trot, canter & gallop (yes gallopy wheee!) together, then you take it in turns to do a show on your own. Normally the judge appreciates it if you keep it fairly short! Sometimes they tell you what they want but if not you should show trot & canter on both reins, plus a gallop :)
 
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I'v only helped in the jumping hpase, but teh judge was looking for a nice clear round, in a good working canter. The pony had its striding good, and made nice shape over the fences :)
The competers came up and said hello to start with and then did their round. They were mostly all wearing tweed jackets, canary yellow jodpers with boots, and a smart hat. Tie and hairband matched. The pony's mostly had no nummnah on, plaited up neatly.

The course was just rustic fences, witht he odd trees and bushes next to them, they had some wooden fillers but they were'nt scary, and a stile fence which i would of thought would probley be included :)
You get marked out of 10 for every jump, and then you get marked out of 20 for an overall impresion, so no matter how good or bad it went, thanks the judge with a big smile and pat your pony trust me it works :D

I hope this helped, probley already said!
 
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