I seriously don't know what is going on with the British show scene at the moment. Recently, a rather dark and unappealing side of the sport has reared its ugly head. Or, more likely, it was there all along and has only just been uncovered.
According to Stuart Hollings, a well respected judge, author, show horse/pony producer and columnist in Horse & Hound, there has been a large amount of blackmail and intimidation going on. As an example- one judge has claimed that a very well known producer phoned him the night before a prestigious show and said:
'Hello- we will be bringing X pony to X show tomorrow and, as you and I both very well know, he will be the best pony on the grounds on the day and we expect to be judged as such.'
Apparently, this is not an uncommon occurance. I know that the British Show Pony Society, British Show Horse Society, Ponies (UK) and other organisations have been working to stamp out cheating, but they are clearly fighting an uphill battle. Backhanders and intimidation are rife. I'm not sure what these competitors are using as leverage- maybe their high status and the fact that they have a certain amount (some would say too much....) power within some of the organisations. Maybe it's physical violence? Either way- there are judges that feel scared, cornered and bullied. It's not a good state of affairs. At all.
This is not the only sign that the sport has taken a nasty turn. You have the poor show pony that had it's tail burnt off in an 'acid attack' at the Royal International this year- full story here
This pony owner was banned from CHAPS recently (Coloured Horse & Pony Society) for giving the animal a sedative before an important championship
In fact, doping has long been considered a problem in the showing world. Over time, this has resulted in an increase in drugs testing.
The measuring saga is still trucking on....
To be honest, I'm sick of hearing about all these ridiculous and completely immoral things that are going on back in the UK. When did people become so desperate to win that they are willing to hurt other people and their horses or even their own animals?
So far, New Zealand showies seem to be a lot more relaxed when it comes to competition and I'm enjoying this change in attitude. There are a few hiccups and a couple of areas where things could be improved but I don't think the show scene is anywhere near as corrupt and biased as it is in Great Britain.
I wonder why this is? Could it be because a lot of the individuals competing in the UK are professional producers? Their income is basically reliant on their ability to keep winning on horses they are training/competing on behalf of their clients. Maybe the pressure to keep on picking up that red ribbon drives them to do these horribly unethical things sometimes?
Answers on a postcard please!
