Unpressured Showjumping Equitation

Peter

6 years ago

Designing and watching the five Showjumping Equitation classes at last weekend’s STCEC horse show made me realise that many showjumpers don’t see it as a class they should enter. There were more entries in Sunday’s jumping classes than in Saturday’s Showjumping Equitation classes.

Perhaps, because it isn’t an objective of clear round and fastest time but a slightly subjective how-well-you-rode that decides the winners, that more riders don’t take part in it.

The best coaches always tell you to get other coaching too. We recognise that many roads lead to Rome, and another coach may have a different approach to some problems you may be having. Getting comments from a good showjumping equitation judge will help you.

In Showjumping Equitation, it is important that the judges give you feedback, not just marks. Like dressage, there should be comments, and it is this feedback that should help you to improve.

Perhaps riders don’t want the feedback. These are the experts who will never improve. What did Einstein say about doing the same things over and over again?

If you are not afraid of feedback, Showjumping Equitation can be an unpressured way to ride and improve.

Wan Ming, who won the 1.10 m Showjumping Equitation, and the next day’s 1.10 m Jump-Off class with her horse Cavi, wrote on Facebook, “I find showjumping equitation classes really fun. No pressure to beat the time. Just go out there and try and ride a smooth round. I’ve been so lucky to have some really good coaches (Lorna Fisher, Sue Leslie, Peter Abisheganaden etc) in my riding career that have drummed into me the importance of having a good position, rhythm etc.”

It’s nice to be mentioned in the same breath as Lorna Fisher and Sue Leslie, and it is nice to be remembered as a showjumping coach. At KL Academy of Polo, I mainly coach riding for polo and new polo players.

We do quite a lot dressage events and we have some low level jumping at KL Academy of Polo. I shall be reintroducing Showjumping Equitation at our next show on Sunday 13^th December, where we will jump at to 1.0 meter.

Images courtesy of Ms Ong Wan Ming by Natasha Syamsur and Syahida Hani.

Please follow and like us: