'A set show ensures consistency'

Martin Jones on the quality of exhibits, set shows and avoidable upsets

- Alex Robinson

OPINION

JUDGING the ridden mountain and moorland (M&M) classes at Royal Windsor was a privilege, and I take my hat off to the team who had done a brilliant job in ensuring everything ran smoothly, the ring was in good order, and that we weren’t wallowing in mud.

My co-judge, Charlotte Miller, and I were on the same page throughout and we were both delighted with our champion (Castle Kestrel) and reserve (Westown Wild Fire); two lovely stallions who had stood out from the moment they entered the ring.

They were both pulled in top in their respective classes, had excellent conformation and breed type, and performed well. They both looked bright and exuded presence in the Castle Arena championship in the evening.

In the classes, Charlotte and I agreed to pull in between six and eight ponies after the go-round, as it’s important to recognise initial efforts – but we weren’t afraid to use our marks to move around the line-ups based on what we saw.

While each of our winners were deserving, there was a bit of a tail end in each class, as the standard of presentation, type and conformation dropped off towards the end of the line.