If your horses are truly that good, and you are truly that good, and the only thing stopping you from winning is your lack of a "well known face" you know what you have to do don't you? Get out there and show at a whole bunch of shows so that the judges all get to know your face! Promote your horses. Promote yourself.
So you spoke up. Congratulations. That is so big and wonderful of you. May I point out that it is easy to bash and criticize and scream POLITICS and UNFAIR judging when you're hiding behind a screen name and no one knows who you are. Step forward and introduce yourself! I can guess, though, who you are. You were the one that was out there in the ring casting sour glances at the trainers and their horses, scowling at the judges and just generally looking like a sour puss because you didn't win in the last class you showed in and you KNOW you deserve to win this one but with everything so UNFAIR you aren't likely to even place in this class either. The sourpuss expression is a big turn off you know...it might have made a bigger impression than you know on the judges, and judges remember sourpusses as much as they do faces...pleasant faces.
And no, none of us did miss your point. Not at all. And we know it isn't just about one person; we've just all mentioned Erica because YOU did. She is the one you singled out in your first post and so we all went with that example. She IS a good example--a good example of a youth who has come up through the ranks into amateur and open and excelled at what she does--selecting, breeding and showing good horses.
Do you realize how silly it would be for AMHR Nationals to divide classes into all those sections--big trainer, small trainer, professional amateur (what is that anyway??? someone who makes a profession of being an amateur?
) beginner amateur or whatever you called the divisions? You do know that some people could and would take one good horse, send it into the ring with a big name trainer, then send it back into the ring with a small time trainer, and then take it into the ring themselves in whatever amateur division they fit into...and people like you would still find plenty to complain about; you'd still be stamping your feet and ranting about how unfair it all is!
But anyway, I had just been thinking yesterday that we needed a really good thread on here again, things were getting a little dull. Thank you for the entertainment!
Oh, and incidentally, the best horses in the world weren't back in the stalls at that moment, they were right here, out in my pasture! Did you ever consider that?
Sorry, I just thought one silly statement deserved another!!