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Good job Jessica with your showing and having the guts to go for it whether
the judge understands Fjords or not. Some day as more and more fjords appear
in these classes people will get educated about them.
Years ago I used to show a grade pinto gelding english when everyone
else seemed to be on tall, lanky chestnut or bay thoroughbreds. Didn't matter
that my 14.1 little guy could outjump all of them I was constantly told I
should be showing western with him not english.
Last summer my niece took Nina the fjord to our local County Fair and
things haven't changed much over the years with certain judges. Tonya and Nina
did a super job in all classes : Equitation, Hunter both under Saddle and
Over Fences and placed in none. Every class went to a bay thoroughbred - no
matter whether diagonals and leads were correct or a fence refused.
Needless to say the 13 year old was heartbroken as she and Nina had
worked really hard getting ready for the show. I gently reminded her that it
really doesn't matter what any one else had to say about the funny looking
pony
that was the weird color and strange haircut. She knew that she had done her
best and that Nina had done her best and had been the most obedient, listening
partner ever and we were all very proud of them.
A lot of people were educated by that 13 year old about Fjords and how
much she loved her that day. She made a point of telling people that not only
could Nina do stuff like the classes that day but she is also a therapy
mount for "challenged" people which is a VERY important job.
A very good friend of mine is a well known judge both nationally and
internationally but her favorite things to judge are the smaller shows like
County Fairs etc.
I asked her one time how she could possibly judge a Halter/In Hand Class
when there might be a thoroughbred, a warmblood, an appaloosa, an arab, a
fjord or whatever all in the same class.
Her explanation was - it's her job as judge to be familiar with the
breed characteristics of every breed which comes in front of her. She then
judges
each individual horse against that definition for that breed and places
accordingly. So basically she could even have a class where there is only one
horse and she places it 3rd or 6th or whatever.
This enables everyone to have a fair shot in the class.
Robyn in MD
