The life of a horse person is hard. It’s even harder if the person decides to compete with their horse at shows. Early mornings, late nights and missed meals become commonplace, not to mention the emotional stress exerted and money spent.
Why do these seemingly crazy people do this? Because they want to win. They want their hard work to mean something. They want to be able to say, “Hey! Look what I accomplished with my 1,200-pound partner with a mind of their own!”
Many horse show competitors are youngsters, ranging from one to twelve-years-old. These little equestrians are generally kind to each other – they are in it to have fun and get a ribbon to show off – placing is negligible. It’s the older horse people who are in it for blood, for first place. They must win every time – losing is not an option. They forget what it’s like to show for fun, to enjoy their horse and the camaraderie of other competitors.
What I’m trying to lead into is this: sportsmanship is necessary. It’s becoming a lost art in today’s adult sports world, equine or other.
I get it. Sometimes you have an off day. Maybe it’s your first show and you’re nervous about getting out there or what your horse might do, to continue using the horse analogy. You’re afraid you might forget your pattern, maybe you’ll forget to stop when you’re supposed to, or your horse might act up.
Sometimes you think you should have deserved a higher placing, when in fact you made too many mistakes. The judge noticed them and penalized you accordingly – not maliciously but honestly. You feel so terrible you might even snap at the other competitors, especially the ones who placed higher than you. Judges take note of this. They also notice it when you unjustly punish your horse; usually the rider is the one at fault, not the horse.
When showing a horse, you shouldn’t expect a participation award for showing up and entering in a class, unless you’re in a beginner or lead line class. Your placings are a direct correlation to the work you put into your horse and how much time you spend training and grooming.
I’ve been showing horses long enough to know that sportsmanship is hard, especially when you first get started showing. It feels kind of weird to congratulate someone who did better than you, even if they did just slightly better. Vice versa, if you place better than the other competitors, congratulate them – it could be their first show. Sportsmanship gets easier the more you do it. Besides, it’s better to be remembered as the person who was kind rather than the person who was a snob. The next generation of riders or players may be looking up to you.
Kelly Alley is a junior studying journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at [email protected].
