I've been complained about! What would you have done?

I think you did right. A schooling show if FOR schooling. You gave the young lady a chance to do just that and made it a valuable experience for her and her pony. No one was hurt or even inconvenienced since the show was on time. If I were competing, that would not bother me at all. In fact it would please me to see someone go out and have a good round even after being eliminated so that they are set up for success in the future. There have even been a couple of occasions where I have been the competitor finishing a round after being eliminated. I have always appreciated the judges allowing me to do so as an opportunity to school my horse so that our next trip will be better. It's so disappointing to do all the work involved in getting to a show, and then to get eliminated on the first jump. At least this way, you still get some good out of it.

If there is one thing I have learned about horse shows, it's that someone will ALWAYS complain about SOMETHING. I would have done exactly what you did, and tried not to worry about the complaints.

I think it was actually really sweet what you did for the girl. It ends her course on a happier note then it would have been if she quit her course after she got eliminated. I think the other kid just complained to you because she probably didn't place well or found that you treated the girl better then you treated her.

If I was showing and the judge put the jump down I would be ok with it. In no way would it make my jumping round or my placing any better or any worse. I've been to shows where the pony was misbehaving/ refusing so the judge let them put the jump down. Of course the kid was eliminated but she still got to do the course.

I think you did the right thing. I'd like to have a judge like you. At the places I compete, if you are eliminated then they let you jump a single fence, to finish on a good one. If your horse won't go over it tuff luck. There's no chance they'd put it down for you, never mind let you do the course. I think its not your fault that the girl misunderstood you when you said carry on, just learn from your mistake and make sure you say, "just jump that one fence" or something like that, so its clear.

I think it all depends on the situation, how I would feel. If there were 30 in the class, and I was last, I might be a bit annoyed that you let her jump round, however if it was me that was eliminated, then I would have been pleased if you let me jump round, while it was the first jump, and I paid for the class. I'm sure if it was the other way around then the girl would have jumped round.

My horse and i were in the same situation. He and i were going over the jumps and he was cantering to the 5th jump and tripped and realized he couldn't jump the jump that was a couple strides a way. He stopped because i leaned on his neck and thought he could jump it at the same time. He stopped and i fell over his neck and fell on the jump. I was ok and checked my horse. I wanted to get back on and keep going bacuse it wasn't a ''A'' show and i needed my confidence back, but my trainer said that i couldn't because of the rules here. I wasn't happy and really nervous when i had to go again for the next course and was worried he was going to try to stop since he did it before.

It does either way.

1. I think i should have been let to finish the course.

2. But people shouldn't have green ponies who think can stop at the jumps doing the show.

3. It is good practice for riders to know what it is like in a ''A'' show or not a local one, but if the pony or horse or child needs to learn and know it is going to be ok. Then i think you made the right choice.

P.S. There will always be someone who doesn't agree or like what the judge has done.

I would be very annoyed.I mean what a brat(who ever complained), big frikin deal.You did the right thing by letting her go around the course so she could help her pony!I would have done the same thing if I was judging locally(now at a show rated A or AA or AAA or a classic then I wouldn't but just locally it's no big deal and I don't think it says anything in the rule book about not being allowed to let a rider help her pony build his confidence.I'll have to check on that.Lol.

I would have done exactly the same as you! That other competitor was just out to cause trouble! Once you didn't give the eliminated competitor any points or call her back in for her dressage then i can see no problem. If i was competing i wouldn't have had a problem with it, but some people are just strange..i don't understand why people get so anxious to go through their round so quickly, isn't a show something you should relax and enjoy...a day out? instead of a frenzy of grooming, tacking warming-up etc. I think people need to calm down at shows and enjoy the day!!

Don't worry, you were right in your decision!

xx Love Maz xx

I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot with the competitor that complained it would have been a different story.

I think what you did was very honorable..the fact that it was a schooling show and it did not give this person an unfair advantage, if I was a part of the show, I would not have had a problem with it.

I am a fair and compassionate person.and that part of me just might have come out in this situation. Especially a kid on a pony who probably was feeling as low as you can get.

If an announcement was not made..perhaps at first I would have wondered what was going on..but in the end, I would have appreciated the same opportunity.

oh please, you're one of the good ones out there! The girl complaining probably just had some personal beef with the girl you let ride the course haha.

I love judges like you, you care about building confidence and helping young riders train their horses! I had a similar experience at a dressage show years ago, but my charming arabian gelding decided that "medium canter" down the long side meant throw your head up and run like a madman (to be fair a horse in an adjacent ring spooked as i cued for him to lengthen his gait haha). Given the size of dressage ring fencing and my lack of control, we promptly left the ring at a full tilt gallop, right past the judges booth, before i could stop him. All four hooves out the ring means disqualification. The judge was really nice and asked me to ride the test again for no score.

Seemed innocent enough but that was one of the first classes of the day, and when i won in another test in the same ring, the 2nd place competitor complained that i had been given extra time to allocate my horse to that competition ring due to my first disqualification where the judge let me re-ride.

Naturally, no one really cared, you are allowed to ride for no score, you can even sign up for a class in that regard, but this girl just wanted something to complain about!! there were no repercussions, but she complained to the entire show grounds! So don't worry, it's not you, some people are just looking for excuses. I always remember how nice that judge was, and I'm sure the girl with the spooky pony will always appreciate your help!

You did the right thing- I'd have done the same in your shoes. That pony needed to be taught that he wasn't allowed to say NO to his rider and get by with it, and your allowing the girl to complete the course despite the fact that she'd been eliminated by the early refusals did just that. This other girl who's complaining is probably just jealous because she didn't get to do the same thing- and naturally, she doesn't like being upstaged by someone who was eliminated. I'd let this one pass and just not respond to it, since you have made it clear that the show committee and organizers are backing you up. This sounds like a little girl who needs to grow up and get over her temper tantrum to me, and realize that winning isn't everything.

Good luck- you sound like a judge I would love to ride under and meet if I could.

i was at a show last weekend and whenever the horse was eliminated by the 3 refusals the judge would let them take 1 jump and then they would leave the arena, but yh i do think you did the right thing by letting the pony go over the jump, the rider mightve thought u meant keep going around the course, but thats a clarification fault so u did the right thing since she was already eliminated!