Daydreaming and noticed...

[Mominis]

I was sitting here looking through the 2010 Nationals schedule, daydreaming about next season and I was really surprised to find what looks to be a scheduling nightmare. They have all of the futurity together, which is certainly understandable for the halter futurities. However, why would they schedule the futurity 3 year old halter classes to be interdispersed with both the 3 year old futurity performance AND the 3 year old Super G futurity performance classes? Surely, someone ran into this in years passed.

Here it is:

Tuesday evening

146 was Futurity 3 Year Old Pleasure Driving, Over

147-154 were all 2 and 3 year old Futurity Halter Classes (Stallions/Geldings and Mares)

155-156 were Super G Futurity Halter Classes

157-158 were Super G Futurity Performance Classes

159-160 were Supreme Futurity Halter Classes

Now, I realize that you have to choose between showing the the performance and the halter in the Super G. But, from the way I'm reading this passage in the ruleboook, you can and are encouraged to show in the regular futurity in both halter and performance: "The great thing about the AMHR futurity is that it is a 4-year program. You can show your horse as a foal, yearling, 3 year old, and as a 3-year old, and you can show in both hand and harness."

I also understand that the Super G is to help support attendence at shows and participation of gelding owners. So, why is it that the schedule is not conducive to this? If I were to show Shake in the classes I'd like to, he'd go in harness and then a couple classes later in hand, and a few classes later in harness again at a 10 day long National show where certainly the schedule could be more accomodating to people in this situation who have been supporting the futurity and Super G programs. This is regardless of other futurity horses that I may be showing in that session! I'm going to have to have people holding sheets up so I can change in the warmup ring. lol (I wouldn't do that, I'd just have to make some hard choices about whether or not to participate in classes that I've been paying nominations to be eligible to show in).

I'm sure some of you have run into having to deal with this. How have you handled it? Have you just cut entering certain classes? Do you think AMHR is losing entry fees due to this scheduling? Who can we talk to and what can be done so that the futurity does what it is supposed to and supports it's participants and encourages the entries?

 

[~Lisa~]

there is only one day that the futurity judge is available so they have to make it work. While you would have a couple back to back classes there is no reason to pay a futurity judge to stay around for the rest of the show until they can figure out a day to put them in. The judge would have to be paid as well as hotel/food until such day to judge a couple classes that in reality are not huge enough to support that.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Also in the Futurity you don't have to qualify the horse so some people just show up for the futurity and thats it. So I'm sure you will get fewer entries if they spread it around.

 

[Mominis]

Heck, I'd pay a little extra in futurity entry fees to not have to stress my horse. I sure see where you are coming from. But I think they could at least switch the 3 year old classes with maybe the yearlings or something so that the 3 year old halter and 3 year old performance go in separate sessions on the same day, if the futurity judge is the issue.

I decided it was probably the AMHR that could do something about it, so I sent that post to AMHR and this is what they said:

"I will bring this to the attention of the AMHR committee and the Show Manager. I have not had any previous complaints in regard to the Futurity schedule since I have been in the Show Department, however, anything that is detrimental to this program needs to be addressed. Thank you for taking the time to present what may be a potential scheduling problem for Futurity participants/exhibitors."

Cathy Buehrer

ASPC/AMHR

Show Department

Website Coordinator

It is nice to be with a breed that actually cares about the feelings of the exhibitors. I was really happy to get such a quick reply!