Between 2011 and 2016, Betty Finke was a regular columnist for The Arabian Magazine. Some fifteen years down the line, we thought that now would be a good time to share Betty’s articles, which remain as pertinent as ever.
One thing that has been puzzling me for years is what has been happening to movement at the international shows. Mind you, it is not the only thing – but while such aspects such as styling or even the pose are basically a matter of taste, or lack thereof, movement is actually pretty much straightforward, or at least should be; pun intended.
Rule No. 22 of the ECAHO Blue Book states quite clearly: “Exhibits are to be judged standing, walking and trotting.” Now the walk has always been a problem, as a horse needs to be relaxed to show a proper walk, and show horses are anything but relaxed. And let’s face it, on the scorecard, ‘movement’ equals ‘trot’. At least, that’s what I used to think. Nowadays, I am not so sure because very few horses show a proper trot, either. In some cases, they don’t show any trot at all, or at least nothing that really deserves the name. Of all the shows I have attended this year, Malvern was the only one where I have seen horses trotting out properly on a regular basis. The international shows have been something else.
Take the All Nations’ Cup. What happened to the days when the horses would come trotting proudly into the ring to thunderous applause? The applause is still there, but almost no horse trots into the ring, much less all the way around it. Usually they come bursting in at a gallop, circle around wildly, sometimes on two legs, and then continue to jump wildly around for most of the way. Some of them do manage to show a little trot just before they are posed. The few that actually trotted all the way around usually came from Poland.
Now, given that the rules specify trotting, and that horses at international shows are mostly shown by professional trainers who get paid real money to show the horses properly, this seems strange. You would think that a paid professional would be able to trot a horse properly, at least down the long side of the ring, wouldn’t you? I mean, that’s what they get paid for, isn’t it? If I paid someone to train and show my horse and he or she ended up wildly careering around the ring without properly trotting once, I’d want my money back. But people obviously don’t do that or some trainers would be out of business by now. Instead – and this is where it really gets weird – the trainers apparently pay people to sabotage their own performance. Or how would you call it if ‘helpers’ popped up at strategic places, practically pouncing on the horses, brandishing whips and yelling? Because it is these antics that prevent the horses from trotting, together with the fact that before the horses even enter the ring, they are chased around and ‘hyped up’ by the same people to a point where it becomes next to impossible to show a decent trot even if they actually have one.
Now you would think if a horse showed little or no trot, it would be reflected in the movement score. But it isn’t, on the contrary. The most baffling case was one I witnessed at this year’s Egyptian Event Europe. One stallion was chased all over the ring by several whip-wielding ‘helpers’, which of course resulted in him jumping around wildly. Towards the end of this undignified display, he actually trotted for about two or three paces, very spectacularly and with a totally stiff back. It may have been technically a trot, but not the sort you could actually ride. The scores? Five times 20. Go figure.
At the All Nations’ Cup, they have the Handlers’ Cup, where some of the younger trainers compete against each other and are judged by the applause from the audience, and it is very instructive to watch. Now I must confess that I clapped and cheered for the winner as much as anyone else; but that was because I have seen him at many shows this year, and I know he is good. But if I had gone by what he showed on this occasion, I would not have supported him because he and his stallion basically just cavorted around the ring. They clearly had fun, and so had the audience, but it had nothing to do with proper showing. And this horse can trot five 20s, only he didn’t. So, you might as well have a liberty class; it would probably be more fun for the horses. They might even trot.
On the other hand, I was amazed, and delighted, to see a young handler from Jordan, if I heard correctly, who gave a picture-perfect display of how to show a horse. He trotted in and all around the ring, walked in a straight line towards the judges and posed his horse properly. Chances are, though, that in a short while he’ll go the way of all others, because people don’t want to see horses shown properly. It is not really about judging horses, it is about show business. But even so, I still stubbornly believe that a horse with a real, big trot is so much more impressive than one that jumps wildly around because he is startled by people brandishing whips. Those who were there at the time will never forget the trotting contest at Aachen between Vodolej and Premier. Now, that was movement!
Of course, the ring was larger then. These days, the VIP area takes up so much space that the ring itself gets smaller every year. This may turn out to be a good thing. If they enlarge the VIP section much more, we’ll end up with just a narrow aisle in between the VIP tables, so all the handlers can do is trot their horses in a straight line up and down. That’d take care of the problem – there would simply be no room for circling and leaping around…
First printed in The Arabian Magazine October 2012
