Pony dressage points amnesty

[jords]

Well thats fantastic news!!!! As a Mum of a pony dressage kid, this has saved us a real headache. We have a pony who required to be downgraded when we brought him from Elemt to Novice as my daughter is only 11yo and not capable of riding at that level. Therefore we only had 30 points until they reached Elemt again. After competiting at a championship were they won both their Prelim tests, marvelous, however the only ones in it!!!! And gaining 12 points at that one outing with no competition, then having a great State Champs gaining 9 points, we were faced with a whole year in 2010 of either competing HC or only doing Associate tests. Not great fun for a competive 11yo. So this news is terrific for us as they are now able to compete at official comps and actually compete.

This brings me to the question do they compete against the big guys or should they be in Pony dressage? Well, I can say that there are aguements on both sides as Lesel points out. As a Mum of a little kid, we do go to PC and Interschool so she gets ring experience there against her own age. I must say that at the comps were we have competed and are the only ones or only a few in the class the first thing we do is compare %'s to the open field and see where they would have placed had they been able to ride in that class.

People then argue with me that this is not a fair comparison because "judges are more generous to ponies". I don't believe that this is the case or at least should'nt be. Judges should have enough experience to be able to see if a horse or pony is working correctly, through, soft and supple or racing and set in a frame.

Perhaps the EFA should consider that organisers have the discretion to hold the Pony classes only if there are sufficent numbers and if not the ponies are thrown in with the big horses. I know that there is a huge hole in the potential for the pony classes, with large numbers currently being enjoyed by PC dressage competitions and interschool comps. The EFA is not attracting these people to EFA Official comps, this certainly would not help pony numbers if they are in the open class, but its not happening anyway!!!!

We don't mind competing against the big horses but I do believe that at the *ed events they should be seperated as numbers are better and a true competion can be run. So Lesel, I guess I don't have any really strong arguements to support pony classes except at the large comps. Nonetheless, we are greatly releaved that we don't have to worry about restricting our competions and can go up the grades as my daughters expertise and skill develops (and her legs grow) and not because they have to.