Show Horse Committee Report - December 2021

The EV Show Horse committee met on Tuesday 21st December and is pleased to submit this summary of business.

COMMITTEE RESIGNATION
Unfortunately we advise of Lea Vasilopoulos's resignation from the committee.
We thank Lea for her contribution and generous support and hope that Lea will still be able to assist the committee in an unofficial capacity.
We will of course see the Vassey Park team continuing to compete and we wish them well.
It is likely there will further vacancies on the committee in the foreseeable future and in due course we welcome expressions of interest to fill those roles.

BARASTOC
Barastoc entries have closed with numbers consistent with recent years.
Late entries open on 1st January and close on Friday 7th January. There is NO provision for entries after this date.
Measuring for Barastoc will take place on Thursday 10th, Friday 11th and Saturday 12th February. Please note there will not be measuring on Sunday 13th February as numbers in recent years have not warranted engaging measurers for this day.
The timetable has been completed and will be released after close of late entries.
Workouts will also be released at this time.
Although we have a wonderful group of volunteers, if you feel you may be able to assist on one or more days, we would love to hear from you.

MEASURING
Measuring will take place on the following days.
January.
Friday 14th. 5.00pm - 7.00pm
Saturday 15th 7.00am - 9.30 am
February
Thursday 10th 5.00pm - 7.00pm
Friday 11th 7.00am - 9.30 am
5.00pm - 7.30pm
Saturday 12th 7.00am - 9.30am
5.00pm - 7.30 pm
Sunday 13th NO measuring
Bookings must be made via Nominate. You are also reminded that all horses must be bitted to be measured. Please ensure that you have your EA registration papers and previous measuring certificates if applicable.

It is strongly recommended that people avail themselves of the measuring available at the Summer Show on 14th and 15th January as bookings during Barastoc are always heavy.

NATIONAL SHOW HORSE COMMITTEE
EA has advised of the 6 month amnesty given in regard to the FEI ruling regarding whiskers removal. It is expected that this rule will now be implemented in June 2022.
However further consultation is taking place and guidelines have been requested for organisers of events where this rule is to be introduced.
There is some indecision as to who is responsible for policing the new rule at events. We are awaiting direction from EA in that regard.

DECEMBER SHOW
766 entries were received for this show and we thank our sponsors Racing Victoria, Woodside Park Stud and Vassey Park.

SUMMER SHOW
Entires close at 5.00pm on Wednesday 5th January.
Barastoc has kindly supported this show, donating a bag of their Barastoc Supreme feed for every champion in the EV rings.

OWNER RIDER CLASSES
The EV Show Horse committee continues to undertake reviews of current processes and identify opportunities to improve member experience across the range of shows, events and competitions which sit under the Show Horse Banner. As a priority area, identified from recent feedback from members and wider stakeholders, we are developing updates to the guidelines and processes for Owner Rider events. This process will be developed internally at committee level, however your input into this process would be valued and appreciated. It is planned to have a draft document by March 2022 with the final approved version to be implemented 1 July 2022.

EV AWARDS
The recording of results from the qualifying shows for the annual EV Show Horse awards has proven to be a gigantic task.
As a result the committee discussed various ways of simplifying the process, all of which involved an unacceptable amount of recording.
Therefore it was suggested that competitors will be required to nominate their horse if they consider they may be a contender for an award.
Further information will be provided at a later date.

NATIONALS
The schedule for this major event is now available with entries opening on 4th January and closing on 21st January.
Competitors should ensure they are aware of the changed conditions for this 'doubleheader' Nationals.
Once final entry numbers are known, final planning will be undertaken to provide the most suitable conditions for the Championships.

JUDGES
Discussion took place regarding some judges not being familiar with the rules applicable to the classes they are judging.
Whilst it is the judge's responsibility to ensure they are aware of any rules pertinent to particular classes, this committee also encouraged stewards to be mindful of those rules to assist the judge.
It was also suggested that a run sheet could be provided to ensure that Show Horse judges understand what is required for particular classes.

MEDIA POLICIES
It was noted that often photographers were seen to be photographing too close to judges.
Agreement was made to provide guidelines for photographers to ensure they do not impede judges' sight lines or interfere with the conduct of a class.
We agreed it is imperative that we receive as much media exposure as possible, however we need to also protect the interests of competitors and judges.

After a turbulent year and unfortunately many cancelled events, we optimistically look forward to a more consistent year where we can all enjoy our competitions and each other's company again.
In the meantime, on behalf of the committee, I wish you all a safe and happy 2022 and the best of luck with the forthcoming events.

Peter Heagney
Chair EV Show Horse.