Tom Best: Local star shines at Tarland Show

Blessed with good weather and a beautiful setting, the atmosphere created by the local farming community well rewarded their hard work in creating such an event. I’m not too sure what the Health and Safety Executive would have thought of aspects of the organisation and there was an obvious lack of experienced stewards in the horse section. However, full marks to the chief steward who did her best to keep things going.

I have gone past questioning where all the entries have gone for there weren’t many. However, the clash with Keith Show on the same day may well have exerted an influence. Small numbers locally seem to be par for the course these days, which makes giving exhibitors a good experience all the more important. I’d like to think that I did that and I certainly enjoyed judging them.

Small numbers inevitably lead to slow judging which has a knock-on effect on the show’s timetable – in this case the main ring. It seemed a good idea to move the veteran classes to the main ring but the convener there, keen to get the pipe band in to start the afternoon’s entertainment programme, left the overall horse championship stranded after the second ring had been commandeered for car parking.

Unlike many ‘horsey’ events when there seems to be a bit of umming and ahing, the force of the farming community quickly came into play and a ring was constructed out of nowhere in double-quick time. Therein lay a problem: it would have taken a dozen cattle beasts at walk but not the same number of horses and ponies that needed to do a bit more.

I found myself among a good-natured group of section judges who readily decided to make the most of the situation and got on with the task in hand. I’m not sure about the ‘committee’ approach to judging supremes as there’s no guarantee that the system based on placings comes up with the best result.

Personally, I think it’s better if one person comes up with a bad result than several so I’d always opt for an individual to cast an eye over all the section champions every time. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of compromise and in Tarland’s case, I think we were all happy with the outcome. While I feel that the general public missed out on the spectacle of the overall horse championship, which would have created quite a show of equines, I was reminded that the eviction from the main ring did allow for a parade which included them. This is a rare event at many shows these days large due to the extensive programme of equestrian classes staged throughout the day.

Tom Best (Image: Web)

It was always a large part of my early days showing when all prize-winners paraded with pride (may I add) so my heart was gladdened by the sight of a group of young riders gathered under a tree in the car park in readiness to take part. Among them I spied a young girl who had impressed me throughout the day with her showmanship and skill. Small and slightly built, self-assured but not precocious, she seemed to appear on all sizes of ponies but was best suited to her smaller show pony which was my champion and overall best ridden of the show.

I know from experience that this is the kind of local rider who would be scooped up by the professionals ‘down south’ to ride clients’ ponies. She would have had the benefit of their knowledge and expertise with training to take her to the top.

I saw this first hand with Jack Starkie, a young show jumper, who was spotted by leading producers Bob and Julie Templeton from Lancashire to ride their top ponies which included our home-bred Waxwing Paintbox. Jack rode him to championships at both the Horse of the Year and Royal International Horse Shows.

Similarly, I remember judging a young Charlotte Dujardin who rode for the famous producers Ron and Debbie Thomas from South Wales. Riding Ardenhall Royal Secret, she was my champion at Cheshire County before going on to take the ridden pony championship at HOYS that year.

Jack has gone on to be a specialist face reconstruction surgeon while we all know the heights which Charlotte has reached within the world of dressage.

Which brings me to the topical subject of her recent ban from the Olympic Games following the emergence of a previously unseen video where she is seen administering excessive use of a lunge whip. Without entering the debate surrounding this event and so adding to Charlotte’s misery and trial through social media, what I would like to point out is the effect our actions can have on young riders without realising it.

Returning to my talented young jockey at Tarland, I did notice that she had fallen foul of the bad habit of ‘seesawing’ the pony’s mouth in order to achieve (in her eyes) some sort of carriage.

It’s not uncommon in both adult and junior riders, and contrary to good horsemanship in my view. I hate to see it. I first became aware of the practice more than 50 years ago when continental show jumpers, with their big, strong warmbloods, literally hauled them into shape – thankfully completely different from the horses and riders we witness today.

Nevertheless, it caught on and we see remnants of the practice today. When I brought it to the attention of my rider as something she really shouldn’t do, she admitted that she hadn’t been taught it but learned to do it herself. So the question lies: where did she witness this technique? It had to be from others. There is good news, though. In both ensuing championships, it was a mark of the talent of my young rider that she had listened and learned and subsequently dropped the practice – and the pony went beautifully. As a former school teacher, it made my day.