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Post by titch on Jul 13, 2009 23:38:17 GMT
What size head are you?? Navy jacket looks best. I have a dark navy top hat.
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Post by karcher on Jul 13, 2009 23:47:32 GMT
aaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh that means i need a top hat should it be black with black jacket or navy with navy jacket?? Anyone got one?? Or where can i get one?? I've got 3, what size head are you??
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Post by anotherdeal1 on Jul 14, 2009 7:20:24 GMT
my hat is a 56cm not sure what that converts to??
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Post by helle on Jul 14, 2009 9:05:41 GMT
Gemma, I am am a 56cms, and I got a top hat! Want to try it (to borrow!!!) ?
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Post by Mya And Spangles on Jul 14, 2009 15:38:08 GMT
Anyone got a top hat the size of 6 and 7/8ths ? haha x
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Post by karcher on Jul 14, 2009 23:02:32 GMT
Anyone got a top hat the size of 6 and 7/8ths ? haha x Yeh, will take them to champs and you can borrow one. Don't worry will recognise that RoR anywhere after that fab transformation! XXX
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Post by mrsfabregas on Jul 16, 2009 10:12:56 GMT
What if we've entered and when judges are announced there is a connection?? Surely people would want to know before spending money on entries and diesel etc. I know what you mean, there are judges that I know would not like my mare and judges who love her. Some even have colour pref's, surely it would be fair to let competitors who are parting with hard earned cash at least make an informed decision. We wanted to enter a show down here then realised it was our pony's breeder, which is difficult when they are called Mr James! over the years we have built up many connections with different people in the horsey world, connections that the society would be unaware of, it would be harsh to think that if someone had travelled a long way just to come for that class that they were unable to compete due to a connection to the judge.
i also find it hard to believe that in 13 years the society has been able to avoid any of their competitors from having a connection from a "secret" judge, either they didnt compete without letting the society know why they werent, or as i suspect, competed anyway knowing full well of their connection, as they felt they had no other option after already paying the entry fee.
i hate to be negative, as i think this is a great idea to try and celebrate just the horses in our area. But i think the society should have faith in their competitors and allow them to make an informed decision when they are aware of the judge before entering.
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Post by medwinatswpa on Jul 16, 2009 22:40:44 GMT
We always assume that when a judge judges and the outcome is in question that it is because they have just picked their "friends" or "face judge". I have heard of, and know, that competitors can intimidate and harrass judges outside of the ring when they know that they might be judgeing an important class for them and in an effort to receive a good placing. I have faith in 99.9% of SWPA members to behave appropriately towards judges, but the .1% that don't is all it takes. Also this is not a championship but an open class with huge prize money and that will attract people who possibly do not normally attend SWPA shows. The way the class will be conducted will be unique. The only two classes that we do not announce who the judge is going to be are the Kitt-Kraiburg and the Supreme ridden. Yes, in 13 years we have never been made aware of any connection in those championships and never had a problem. We have, in other classes where the judge has been publicised, had competitors knowingly enter under a judge with whom they are connected and that fact has been pointed out to us by other competitors. We then ask a second judge to place the affected exhibit within the appointed judges lineup. We have even had competitors not enter the preliminary judging under one judge that they had no connection with, but enter the final lineup in the evening performance [now with two judges judging] wearing a first placed rosette they won in a totally sererate class. Wearing my judges hat, I myself have been put in a compromising position by a competitor when exhibited before me came a pony I liked very much. Unfortunately, he was not very well behaved and got placed right down the line, but I would have had him up the top and told the young rider that fact, only to have it pointed out to me at the end of the day, by mum, that it was a pony I had actually sold them several years previously. There are also exhibitors who believe that because of who they are that they do not need to abide by the rules of a society. Ask me who they are when the Championship schedule has been sent out to those who ARE registered with us within the due date. My phone then starts ringing madly in mid-August with some pretty lame excuses as to why they have not yet registered and I could even predict names if asked! Having said all of that - this is what the sponsors want, and with all the money they are putting into the class SWPA is not going to lay down conditions! If competitors don't feel that they can take the risk of entering without knowing who is judging, then is that because they fear a connection or because they fear not winning?
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Post by karcher on Jul 16, 2009 22:56:15 GMT
Having said all of that - this is what the sponsors want, and with all the money they are putting into the class SWPA is not going to lay down conditions! If competitors don't feel that they can take the risk of entering without knowing who is judging, then is that because they fear a connection or because they fear not winning? I think you appear to have the wrong end of the stick here. What I pointed out was a judges preferance to certain types. I for one would not put my horse under a judge who had previously expressed that it wasn't his/her type and that with the rising cost of deisel/ entry fee's that people could make (hopefully, an honest) informed opinion of wether they wished their animal to be judged by that person. I was not calling into question wether judges/competitors were honest/dishonest! With regards to connections- hopefully ALL competitors are honest but it would be a shame to have judge A standing in ring when competitor B looks up and see's judge A has a connection to them having spent £100 on deisel plus time effort and entry fees and the dissapointment will be dreadfull!
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Post by medwinatswpa on Jul 17, 2009 8:51:44 GMT
No, Karen I have not got the wrong end of the stick - people can be, and ARE, sometimes not quite honest in an effort to win. [not SWPA members of course!] Like, for example, people who take card after card for the same championship - just to knock out the opposition I presume, - why, when our rules clearly states that the second card will invalidate the first - yet they still do it and I only have to look at SWPA, and all the results sheets other shows send me, to see this happening? I always point out to people they do it and "name and shame" when necessary - yet it still goes on.
Everyone should get involved with running a show to experience the difficulties putting a show on has. Pressured into running classes to suit individual competitors, pressure to ask a particular judge to attend, pressure to run certain affiliations, pressure..............! All at a time when you are busy organising a show that must be sucessful and pay for itself. That's why we are eternally grateful to our sponsors and I must say SWPA has great sponsors who never pressurise us in any way. They tell us what they want out of their sponsorship and we aim to give it to them.
When I started showing judges were not put on schedules - you took what you got and if there was a problem you did not enter the class. The only shows that publicised their judges were the major county shows. I often wonder how so many local and affiliated shows get their schedules passed, particularly by affiliating societies, with no judges printed on them - ours have always been rejected when we have had trouble finding a judge - that's why we have had to drop some affiliations this year - no judges.
We aim to run a Championship show and give all competitors a fun experience for 2.5 days. Competitors have the choice to enter what classes they want to over the 2.5 days or sit back and watch the ones they don't want to enter. We put them on, and you guys enter what you have chosen. End of story. The rest of the thread indicates how popular the Gwynbeth is going to be.
SWPA's mission statement was born out of a lovely older lady friend of mine saying one day, about 15 years ago, "This showing is all getting far too serious! We need to drop all these qualifiers for a year and then let's put the fun back into showing"
How true!
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Post by rozjones on Jul 17, 2009 9:13:08 GMT
I'm sure there is a way around the situation should you enter and find out on the day that you are connected to the judge in some way, either a second judge or a refund. I'm sure that most of us will be there for more than one class/one day so is not a total waste of fuel.
I think this event is going to be something special and we should be positive and trust the honesty of the SWPA memebers and judges.
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Post by Hats Galore on Jul 17, 2009 9:20:54 GMT
May I just make a point here. There are hundreds of judges who do not currently breed equines or train so the selection for Medwin and Richard, in my opinion, is not difficult for availability and competence only a personality that will enjoy the big occasion along with the competitors. The GwynBeth is one class which is different and not everyone will feel comfortable with the criteria and they will not enter but for those who do, the rules are transparent and they will be made very welcome.
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Post by masters on Jul 17, 2009 9:40:20 GMT
We know who our judges are at the top three shows in the country, RIHS, HOYS and Olympia, before most of the qualifiers !!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by kitty on Jul 17, 2009 10:12:43 GMT
May I just make a point here. There are hundreds of judges who do not currently breed equines or train so the selection for Medwin and Richard, in my opinion, is not difficult for availability and competence only a personality that will enjoy the big occasion along with the competitors. The GwynBeth is one class which is different and not everyone will feel comfortable with the criteria and they will not enter but for those who do, the rules are transparent and they will be made very welcome. Hear, hear!! Why can't people just enjoy this for what it is! Surely people aren't just going to the Champs to do this one class; there are plenty of other classes to enter!! This is a real 'Bonus' and the entry fee to this one class is still cheaper than all the classes at BSPS and PUK and the prize money is way beyond expectations ;D We won't be competing purely because we don't have anything over 14.2hh but what a fantastic opportunity for everyone who does and I'm really looking forward to watching this one hopefully with a glass of wine by my side
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Post by karcher on Jul 17, 2009 22:34:10 GMT
I'm sure there is a way around the situation should you enter and find out on the day that you are connected to the judge in some way, either a second judge or a refund. I'm sure that most of us will be there for more than one class/one day so is not a total waste of fuel. I think this event is going to be something special and we should be positive and trust the honesty of the SWPA memebers and judges. Here here, you answered one question straight away. x
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