HQ GOES SHOWING

WITH AMELIA CAMPBELL-HORNE

TEXT: AMELIA CAMPBELL-HORNE PHOTOGRAPHY: MERLYNN TRICHARDT

We had such fun last year, and with the event right on our doorstep, we decided that we couldn’t miss the opportunity to have another Horse of the Year outing. As the Off the Track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) have been excelling in their second careers recently and are our feature favourites this year, the obvious thing to do was enter the Thoroughbred classes!

STARTING POINT

As always, the first step was choosing which classes to enter. We wanted to enter a variety to give you the best insight into showing with a Thoroughbred, but we needed to choose classes suited to our young OTTB Charisbrooke (aka CB). CB is a five-year-old gelding who has been off the track for a year. He is bold and brave when jumping but smaller, finer, and very pretty! The former led us to enter the Working Hunter class and the latter to enter the Show Hack. We also decided to enter the Racehorse to Show Horse Class, which is open to horses who have been retired from racing for less than four years and is aimed at showcasing Thoroughbreds in their second careers.

Once again, the entry system through Kyalami Park Club was simple and efficient (once you had scrolled through the myriad of classes on offer to find yours!), and the classes were affordable at R350.00 per ridden class, with a subsidised temporary KPC membership of R150.00 per competitor. This quite possibly makes it the most affordable opportunity to ride in the Bob Charter and most other arenas!

PREPARATION

As generally happens, there is the initial excitement of entering the competition, followed by mild panic as the days get closer! Then doubt creeps in with questions such as… What bit can I use? Which class requires which browband? Where are my safety pins? Can I still plait a tail? And, ultimately, what was I thinking in the first place…

The great thing about showing, however, is that everyone is always so willing to help and point you in the right direction. After last year’s experience, we knew that the other riders and judges were also not nearly as scary as you might imagine.

Our takeaway from preparation this year was to… Be prepared! It is so important to plan and organise everything from the tack and dress required for each class to the various grooming equipment you need the day before the show and the day of the show. This will eliminate a lot of stress on the day.

"CB was perfectly turned out by Anotida, who takes immense pride in his horses, pays incredible attention to detail, loves them wholeheartedly and is a part of my team that I could never do without!

SHOW DAY

Early starts and showing seem to be synonymous… We were also thankful to have only had one horse to prepare, as you must never underestimate the time it takes to get your horse showing ready! With all in order and the box packed to perfection (if we do say so ourselves), we headed off to the show. For what felt like the first time in months, clouds covered the sky, the wind had picked up, and the temperature had dropped. Thus, when CB came off the box, Ano’s comment was the ever re-assuring, “Someone is going to die today”.

The classes were evenly spaced out, with a good rest and recovery break in between. Our first class was the Thoroughbred Show Hack Class which was held in the Bob Charter. The biggest takeaway from this event was  never to underestimate the atmosphere of the Bob Charter arena! CB, who is normally a very relaxed and easy-going ride despite warming up well, came alive in the Bob Charter, especially near the catering and main grandstand. Unsurprisingly, he was not the only one who experienced this, which made for a little excitement, but thankfully, after a few rounds, most calmed down, and CB performed a flawless individual test.

Despite not picking up any tickets, the Show Hack Class proved to be a useful warm-up for the Racehorse to Show Horse Class, and we can highly recommend entering another class as a warm-up should you plan on doing the Racehorse class on an inexperienced horse. In the words of Robyn Chislett, “I’m happy to be alive after the experience of 16 ex-racehorses all cantering around behind each other in the Bob Charter!”. This class also does NOT have a ride-by-the-judge section (likely for the judges’ safety), so it is a good class to enter If you are unsure how your horse will cope with someone else riding them.

The final class of the day was the Thoroughbred Working Hunter Class, which was held in the May Foxcroft. Most of the lower-level Working Hunter classes are held in the May Foxcroft over rusticstyle fences, while the Warmblood, Open and SASA Working Hunter classes, as well as the Supremes, are held in the Bob Charter. The May Foxcroft provided a welcoming introduction to the Working Hunter Class format, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting out of our comfort zone, cantering forward and attempting a gallop at the end! We highly recommend this class if you love jumping and need to get used to riding at a speed that will ensure you don’t EVER receive another time fault in showjumping… CB had a super round and proceeded through to the ‘ride-by-the-judge’ phase of the class and just missed out on the prizes, but it was a valuable experience to watch the judge ride him!

TAKE AWAY

Yet again, we realised how valuable an experience showing can be for both horses and riders. It encourages partnership and discipline and allows for exposure to different arenas, activities and show jumps that undoubtedly develop both you and your horse!

We recommend entering next year and challenge you all to give it a go; we can guarantee you that with all the classes on offer there will be a perfect class for both you and your horse or pony.