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  Discussion on Working Hunter Classes
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Posted on Monday, Mar 13, 2000 - 10:07 am:

Hi Barbara. Working Hunter classes in the UK are basically a showing class. First you jump a course of unpainted jumps with brush fillers, a water jump maybe, DrOp fences if the natural terrain permits, ie. "natural" obstacles". You get points for style of rider and horse, and penalties for knockdowns and refusals (fewer for a knockdown so different from showjumping). If you go clear or have few penalties then you go forward to the next part which is the showing. Everyone walks, trots and canters together and then does an individual show (figure 8 in trot and canter, rein back, gallop- that sort of thing). At big shows each horse may be untacked and trotted up in hand. The judge may also ride each horse, or just to decide between the top placings. Its a nice class for the not so beautiful animal which has good manners and jumps ok - bumps and scars are often ignored. The jump heights and spreads are at the judges discretion but over 15hh they could be up to 4 feet high which I think is a bit much. Normally they would be around 3 feet high though, so manageable for the average horse. What are your classes like?
Helen

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 14, 2000 - 12:48 pm:

Hi Helen
The Working Hunter class here is a 4ft division. The horses are judged on "performance and soundness". The fences are mostly painted and have brush and flowers in front of them. Usually you jump 8-10 fences. The judges are looking for a very well mannered horse who looks to be easily loping around the course and getting the correct number of strides between each fence. The horses jump usually 4 courses over 2 days. After each over fences class the top horses are jogged in untacked to check soundness. the horses in the division also do a "hack" class. Everyone in the ring together, and they walk/trot/canter. The judges are looking for the fancy "daisy cutter" trot (not high knees) and a nice canter and good manners. You need to have a fancy horse to enter the rated shows in this division, most of the riders in this division are professionals.
I got tired of the subjectiveness of the hunters.
Right now I show in the jumpers, which is all about speed and keeping the rails up. There very rarely is a question over who one the class. It's who goes fastest and keeps the rails up!
~barbara

Posted on Saturday, Mar 18, 2000 - 12:02 pm:

The Royal Dublin show (first week in August every year) now holds an American style working hunter class on the last day to act as a comparison to the British/Irish working hunter classes and to train Irish breeders in what Americans are looking for in horses which are sold for export. It's very interesting and I also feel Americans like their horses rangier whereas we like them more compact for soundness.

All the best

Imogen
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