ANNE Stanley, who has coached many riders very successfully over the years in all equestrian disciplines, staged a workshop recently at the Castlehill Equestrian Centre in Julianstown which ran under the title ‘Through the Eyes of the Judge’.

The event was billed as giving a practical insight into the judging of equitation jumping (ponies) and working hunter classes and the difference between them and such was the interest that 65 people turned up to hear and learn from Tom Holden, Mairead Ryan and Derval Diamond.

Locally-based international course builder and HSI coach Holden had built one course of fences in the indoor school – using a mixture of rustic and coloured poles – and walked around this with all present, the eight demonstration riders and spectators. He explained how a course is built for an equitation class so that competitors can demonstrate good riding and the correct training of their mounts.

The demonstration riders then jumped the track in front of Ryan, a former longtime pupil of Stanley’s who competed in the three-day event at the Barcelona Olympics. She assessed the rounds as a working hunter judge, explaining that she was judging the pony not the rider but stating that, of course, the rider influences how the pony performs.

WORKING HUNTERS

Ryan explained how a working hunter course is judged with marks given out of 10 over each fence with a ‘way of going’ mark given at the end of each round. She looks for the pony/horse to make a good shape (basqule) over each fence out of a positive balanced canter.

With the spectators having also scored the rounds, Ryan then went through her marks, explaining her decisions. She emphasised that the full range of marks available should be used and stated that she found the Irish Pony Society scoring system worked best for her.

With Ryan standing aside, the demonstration riders jumped the course of fences again but this time it was the riders who were being assessed by Derval Diamond BHSII and HSI tutor.

NEW MARKING SYSTEM

It had been decided to try a new marking system for the equitation jumping to make it easier for judges and this proved popular with those jumping and scoring. Those who rode good lines and made the set distances between fences scored the higher marks and, again, Diamond explained her decisions to riders and spectators alike.

While the two disciplines are very different, the speakers all agreed that the correct training of rider and mount was the way to achieve top marks in both equitation and working hunter classes.

Working hunter classes for both horses and ponies are increasing in popularity all the time but there are fewer opportunities these days for riders to compete in equitation classes.

Three such classes have been advertised for the Northern Ireland Festival later this month while, for many young riders, qualifying for the two championships at the Dublin Horse Show is a special target and, as usual, they will have four opportunities to do so again this year.

Taking place along with qualifiers for young riders’ and children on horses’ show jumping championships at the show, the equitation qualifiers will be held at Cavan (Sunday, May 5th), The Meadows (Sunday, May 19th), Maryville Stables (Sunday, June 23rd) and Barnadown (Sunday, June 30th). The full criteria for the two equitation championships can be found on the Dublin Horse Show website.