I was planning on supporting the national show this year after a break for two or three years. I thought I'd go and do a couple of dressage classes and sent off my entry. Its not a cheap show and as I'm not an AHS member I expected to have to pay a day membership or extra entry fee. According to the schedule I could pay £20 for an associate membership. So with my entry fees, first aid levy and membership I wrote out a cheque for £57. Quite expensive for two dressage classes. Anyway I got a call from the AHS saying that as I was exhibiting a pure bred I had to pay the full years membership fee of £49, ie an extra £29. This would make my two dressage classes cost a grand total of £86 or £43 a class. That's without the diesel to get there!
Am I alone in thinking that this is outrageous? I wouldn't mind paying a reduced membership fee recognising that I will only benefit from 6 months membership. After all, what exactly do you get for your membership if you are a non-breeding, non-showing person? A glossy yearbook. Well sorry but I'm a bit underwhelmed by that.
So it looks like I won't be coming which is a shame as I was planning on doing the Elementary and the Medium - can't be too many pure breds competing at that level.
I've just entered 2 horses in a showing class each and with the stabling it's cost £225! Plus the membership and the diesel! Outrageous, so I am determined to enjoy it!!
I received a call today to say that one of my entries in the coloured classes cannot be accepted because he is a pure bred Yet, I can substitute this entry, even though this one has fewer white markings Why? Because he is a part bred. Shouldn't our society be promoting its own horses at our National Show? They accepted my money for registering him, import fee, DNA testing etc etc but I can't show him in a coloured class only because he is a pure bred Arabian. Other societies recognise that pure bred Arabians with sabino markings can be registered as coloureds. No wonder many have become disillusioned when the AHS discriminates against its own.
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United Kingdom
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 10:13:35 PM
Why? Because he is a part bred. Shouldn't our society be promoting its own horses at our National Show? They accepted my money for registering him, import fee, DNA testing etc etc but I can't show him in a coloured class only because he is a pure bred Arabian. Other societies recognise that pure bred Arabians with sabino markings can be registered as coloureds. No wonder many have become disillusioned when the AHS discriminates against its own.
