Craziest thing you ever saw at a show...

I was at a local show when I was 14 and a man and his mare were running home after a barrel run. The gate had a bolt sticking out and the mare ran her shoulder into it. Gashed it open. I've never heard so many, "Call a vet!" screams in my life. From what I heard the poor mare was okay and when I was at the grounds the next time the gate had been fixed.
Posted via Mobile Device

Snobby people.

Showing is my lively-hood and how I make my money. What i'm asking for is for these people to step up their game and give us quality competition instead of just being fillers. I understand that some of them enter just to get their feet wet in the show world, which is great, but after going to 3 shows in a row looking the same and making no improvement is when I start to think it's crazy. They see what wins, and I feel they need to improve towards that since it will improve their horsemanship and knowledge, instead of just pee-diddling around and entering classes for a ribbon.

Uhm... I have to admit that I've been one of those that runs into the ring for a barrel pattern, gets her shirt stuck on the horn, rips it, and goes flying in the wind... lets just say that I finished the pattern one-handed. Not only did it happen once, but it happened TWICE! The first time I didn't have a tank top on under my shirt, but the second time I did. The worst part of it all: they were T-SHIRTS! Not button ups! how does that happen?? Needless to say, I retired that horse, and no longer run him. Lol He was about 30 years old, anyway.

The craziest thing that I've SEEN (not experienced.. lol): a lady just finished the pattern, crossed the timer, and the end of the arena ended with a short alleyway and a gate. (which was stupidly closed. It irks me when they close the gates. My boy doesn't have a screeching stop when he gets hyper LOL it's like stopping a freight train!) Anyhoo, the horse took two giant steps, and launched himself over the gate! Clearing it by 2 feet, too!! They landed on the other side, and the lady did a one-rein stop. Nobody got hurt, but still! Everyone was like lol

My local areana closes the gate and half the time this is the reasult

You'd think they would learn!

You would think!!! Most of the time they leave the gate open, or there is no gate at all!

MidsummerFable - I hear you but look at it this way. Those "filler" competitors are helping find the shows. Imagine how little shows there'd be if suddenly half the competition didn't sign up.

Craziest thing I've seen - At a fancy gaited horse show, a man dressed up as Darth Vader - complete with faux light saber - entered the speed rack class. It was NOT a costume class!
Posted via Mobile Device

This is an EXCELLENT point. I have this in the winter at my ski areas - certain times of the winter, the place absolutely fills up with noobs and rookies, and they totally clutter the slopes, make a nuisance in the lift-lines, and do the occasionally dangerous thing. Every time I find myself thinking "GRRR" I just remind myself that they're financing a lot of the operations, thus making my days when I have the slopes almost to myself, possible.

... Everyone has to start somewhere. While some of us have a natural ability and the means to take us that far doesn't mean people shouldn't be allowed pursue something they enjoy. I happened to be an excellent swimmer and swam varsity all through Jr high and high school and was asked to join a club team people pay big bucks to put their kids on. I would never think say to them "they aren't good enough competition" aka "you not as good as me, therefore you suck".

Maybe if you find your competition to petty for your liking maybe you need to take your riding to the next level!!
Posted via Mobile Device

I was scribing at a dressage show once and this lady came in on a Tennessee Walker. Nice looking horse, nice looking rider, cute pair over all. I think it was an intro class. Anyway, so they're walking around and then they go to trot. But it started gaiting. Listening to how the judge reacted made me lose my cool and start chuckling a little. So she rings the bell and calls the rider over and asks why she isn't trotting. The judge told her that she wasn't doing the correct movement and that she could finish the test but she won't mark it unless she trots. The lady starts arguing with the judge, got mad and left. The judge just shook her head.