SMHA Western day

[Westerngirl]

I rode western at the SMHA shows held at the P.G. Equestrian center and I was very disappointed with the way the western people were treated. The english riders were given the main ring for jumping classes while we had to settle for ring #2. We also had no place to work our horses since the practice ring was full of jumps. I don't understand why there is a western day (on Saturday) & english day (on Sunday) if they are gonna squeeze the western people in somewhere. No wonder there are not many western riders that show up. This is also the case with other clubs that include a western day. Whats up?

 

[HeavyChevy75]

Did you email the show manager with your concerns and questions. The only way things can be fixed or addressed is if they know about it.

 

[paintedpony1234]

Thats a catch 22, most of the western classes don't have more than 4 riders, yet the English classes are quite full. I also don't think that practice ring could have been full of jumps because they only set up 3 jumps in the middle of the ring.

There used to be another ring to school in back by the jumper ring, but because the PG Equestrian Center is undergoing construction they have limited the number of rings that are available.

I am not a SMHA person, but I can tell you that you are going to have to grin and bear it along with everyone else until the PGEC gets their act together and stops digging up the current rings and starts making new ones.

 

[DQ2B]

There is a second schooling ring behind the "S" barns and a third (though I personaly won't use it) over on the track.

 

[Phyxius]

As HeavyChevy said the best way to get answers to this is to talk to show management directly. And, as PaintedPony and DQ2B said there are additional warm-up rings and in warm-ups rings with jumps there are usually one or two and they're in the center of the ring. Not everyone who rides at hunter shows jumps so they can certainly commiserate.

But, suggestions to show management will be taken to heart, they're nice people.

 

[horsegirl]

We show on Western day as well. I have to agree with what is being said about the pushing us to the side. I will contact the show manager as well alot more people would come if they made it more western friendly

 

[Duckz]

I don't see what's so awful about ring 2 - it's pretty interchangeable with ring 1. Unless SMHA is numbering the rings differently than what I'm used to seeing?

 

[fredsaid2]

Those shows have been held for years. They want riders and offer classes that are asked for, then they don't fill. Entries will get you what you want. Get your fellow riders to commit and management will be more than happy to make you happy.

 

[spellbound]

I don't know what the rings are like at PGEC now, but maybe they could rotate the rings.

When I was a youngster and Twin Rivers Riding Club held shows at the St. Mary's Fairgrounds, they swapped the English and Western rings for each show. That way everyone got to ride in front of the Grandstand equal amount. The schooling area was somewhere in a non-fenced area I think.

 

[calamity jane]

Maybe the show management could think about opening the ring for only western schooling and then have English only schooling. That would give the western horses the opportunity to use the rail without having to worry about colliding with faster horses. I think I remember it being done that way back in the early 90's. There were a lot of western people showing then.

 

[campinmutt]

I have shown SMHA western day since 1993....ring 2 is actually the better ring...your horses do not get distracted by traffic coming iin and out. I never had a problem schooling in the small ring, even with jumps. you have the round pen there if you need to lunge first. you also have the grass area behind the s barns to school as well. we have never had ring 1 to school in . even the years before the jumpers they would set up trail in there and you still could not school in there....I do think they cater to the english riders,but that is where all the entries come from. the western day has gotten smaller and smaller. Mari has always addressed any issues I have had and she has always tried to keep everyone happy...so contact her and let her know how you feel.