# Pony club mounted games team disqualified - sour grapes comment



## Destiny95 (16 August 2008)

Am I being over sensitive? I've just read the news item on H&amp;H about 'Pony Club mounted games team disqualified for 'cruelty' and I'm amazed that the disqualified team manager claims people reported the cruelty because they didn't win! 

"But trainer of Cheshire Hunt North, Richard Marsden, said: "The majority of the complaints came from one team. It was sour grapes.""

As the team manager his comment read to me that he thinks the cruelty was acceptable? Surely Mr Marsden should set an example to impressionable youngsters under his guidance and admit his one team member's actions were unacceptable?


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## Ezme (16 August 2008)

I'm reluctant to pass comment, pony club is one of the most internally politically charged arenas there is and it is all to common for things to be blown out of proportion so I do wonder what exactly happened but there must have been SOMETHING along the lines of cruelty for them to be disqualidified and of course thier trainer is going to try to defend them, no matter how feabilly.


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## only_me (16 August 2008)

i thought that, and the disquailified branch seems to think it was from the east downs (which would be unlike them as they are a neutral branch -from ni )and i dont think that their dc would not complain unless needed.

the disqualified branch seem to think that the cruelty didnt take place, but there is no smoke without fire!


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## Bella3puff (16 August 2008)

and were they disqualified cus they are listed as 2nd now on PC website so could go back for a second go at champs on tuesday and still go to HOYS......  I noticed the pony in question is now for sale on a website.

As with everything there is and will be more to this but its back to fact is the poor ponies and kids that a wrapped up in it. If it had been sorted at the time kids sorted on day at end of race and points removed there and then there would of been far less upset.... good/bad line calls go on all the time but to sort it after the day seems hard.


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## skewbaldpony (16 August 2008)

so sad that PPC has come to this, it was meant to promote good sportsmanship and horsemanship on good all round ponies.
I'm afraid I do think the ptb give into pushy parents all too easily, and with a bit of inventiveness, mounted games could go back to being fun for all. Like for example introducing style and sportsmanship points, and taking points away routinely for bad riding or bad attitude.


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## christian (17 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
  do wonder what exactly happened but there must have been SOMETHING along the lines of cruelty  

[/ QUOTE ] 

read what the witness said. Helen Sear. She is my sister.

Even if the boy hadnt beat his pony with the stick and merely just smacked it, he should STILL have been disqualified from that race as hitting is just NOT ALLOWED in mounted games in any way, and THAT would have cos them the win anyway as they only won by one point. Our team manager attempted to lodge a complaint at the event but her cheque was rejected, and the line judge also claimed to have seen the boy beat his pony and yet on the day still nothing was done on the day. 

Having been involved somewhat indirectly in the incident (my younger sister was competing on the day and my older sister wrote to H+H to descirbe what happened) I am glad that justice was done and the East Downs qualified, and I am also pleased that Cheshire will have another oppertunity to qualify.

Helen even went up to the boy in the presentation and told him how lucky he was to have qualified after the incident.


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## Skhosu (17 August 2008)

C+C-what exactly happened?


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## skewbaldpony (18 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
 [ QUOTE ]
  do wonder what exactly happened but there must have been SOMETHING along the lines of cruelty  

[/ QUOTE ] 

read what the witness said. Helen Sear. She is my sister.

Even if the boy hadnt beat his pony with the stick and merely just smacked it, he should STILL have been disqualified from that race as hitting is just NOT ALLOWED in mounted games in any way, and THAT would have cos them the win anyway as they only won by one point. Our team manager attempted to lodge a complaint at the event but her cheque was rejected, and the line judge also claimed to have seen the boy beat his pony and yet on the day still nothing was done on the day. 

Having been involved somewhat indirectly in the incident (my younger sister was competing on the day and my older sister wrote to H+H to descirbe what happened) I am glad that justice was done and the East Downs qualified, and I am also pleased that Cheshire will have another oppertunity to qualify.

Helen even went up to the boy in the presentation and told him how lucky he was to have qualified after the incident. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that it matters much, but the above says it is a reply to me, and then quotes someone else. I did not say, what it says I said.
I think particularly in such highly charged discussions, it might be an idea to make sure that you reply to/ quote the correct people.
As I said, it doesn't matter to me at this point, and I am not in any way involved, but it could matter if someone is, if you see what I mean.


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## christian (18 August 2008)

sorry... my mistake. Didn't mean to cause offence i'll be more careful when posting next time.

TripleSandH, basically in the litter race the boy missed the changeover in the box and failed to hand the stick to the next team member. He then smacked his pony with said stick and thumped it in the head before handing the stick to the next rider. These sticks are not very forgiving, it not like he was hitting the pony with a whip.

This was ignored on the day despite people attempting to lodge complaints (including our team manager) but following an investigation after the deluge of letters sent to PC headquarters, H+H etcetc, the team was disqualifed from the litter race, which lost them their 1st place overall to East Downs but meant they were still placed high enough to go forward and ride at the PC champs and qualify from there.

What was so contraversial was that the team was not eliminated from the race at the time and they were allowed to think they had qualified. The elimination only came afterwards, which is why I am glad they still have a chance.


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## Bella3puff (19 August 2008)

Well CHN made to to HOYS in the end.......  They won at PC Champs today.


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