A Hunter WHAT??
It’s a good thing, no, an amazing thing that a half-million dollar hunter class is being offered next year, right? During the 2011 HITS “Million Weekend” at Saugerties next September, the $500,000 HITS 3’3” Hunter Prix Final will become the biggest purse ever offered in hunters.
Wait. Hold on a minute there. A 3’3” hunter “prix” ? Hmmm, let’s back up for a sec.
Just what is a hunter prix? Is it like a hunter derby, but with better jumps? No, apparently not. HITS’ Hunter Prix specifications note that a) fences will be set at 3’3” with no higher options b) jumps will be “beautifully decorated without any spooky intentions” and c) no bonus points will be rewarded.
So the biggest purse ever offered in hunters will be for a class that is lower in height and less interesting than a hunter derby. Now, a “prix” usually refers to a “grand prix”, and whether you’re talking jumpers or dressage, a grand prix means the highest level of that given discipline. Somehow, calling a 3’3” hunter class a “prix” just doesn’t seem right.
But there are a lot of smart business people running things over at HITS. One must qualify for the Hunter Prix Final by earning points in at least five Hunter Prix classes held at HITS shows throughout the year. And while riders can compete in the hunter prix classes with several horses, they can only qualify for the Hunter Prix Final with one. So as everyone runs from HITS circuit to HITS circuit to qualify, HITS will be collecting extra entry fees and filling more stalls.
And, good for them. A huge pool of riders will look at the height and think “I could do that.” Who isn’t going to want to qualify for a 3’3” class where 1st place payout is $150,000??? Give me a horse and I’ll line up with everyone else!
It’s the amateur’s shot for glory, and let’s face it, it’s the amateurs who pay the bills. Such a lucrative class for riders and horses at the 3’ and 3’3” level is unheard of, and with one horse per rider allowed in the Final, there’s no assumption that 1-3rd place could go to the same person.
But does the Hunter Prix “bring it back to the hunters”, as HITS President Tom Struzzieri said? Um, I don’t think so.
Bringing it back to the hunters would mean solid coops, 4’3” jumps and a whole lot of galloping. Throw in some old-school Thoroughbreds and then we’d be talking.
Hunter derbies bring it back to the hunters. Remember a mere three years ago, when the hunter divisions had devolved into side-diagonal-side-single rote courses of boredom? Then, with the magical invention of derbies (thank you, George Morris and USHJA), hunters suddenly had qualities many thought were lost forever; excitement! flash! interesting jumps! The course for this year’s USHJA International Hunter Derby Final was awash with big fences, technical questions, and that round hay bale thing.
And it was a $100,000 class.
There are more sides to this debate. But most of all, I’m wondering where hunters can go from here. The 3’6″ – 4′ Working Hunters are suddenly seeming paltry compared to the HITS Hunter Prix. The price of a good 3′ horse just doubled – again. If a trainer is motivated purely by dollars and cents (who isn’t?), are they going to shoot for a $100k hunter derby, or the half-million hunter prix?
No, we are definitely not bringing it back to the hunters.
Thoughts?
Photo ©Lauren Giannini
These are the archived posts of former Sidelines web editor Erin Gilmore's On the Line blog. This blog is no longer active.
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We must have a beginning…….and here we are….generating intrest, horses,and most of all exposure……yes I would love to see a grand tb horse galloping to wonderful solid fence……ears pricked…..and perhaps in appointments……and would I love to see perhaps a derby for teams…my father would love to see this new rally in the hunter ring………but we are working from the base up……the 3″3 derby allows green horses to be exposed, riders to gain experince………I think we need to make sure this is a building block not an end to our hunters new infusion of energy .there are no limits to what could be done!
I think that there is a place for both hunter derbies and the new “hunter prix” being introduced next year at HITS. Let’s face it, how many amateurs can compete in a hunter derby where the fences are 3’6″ with 4′ options and challenging courses? The 3’3″ hunter prix allows more amateurs, who yes, pay the bills, compete in a high stakes, high profile class. Will the introduction of the hunter prix cause the price of a good 3′ hunter to double? I doubt it, unless the hunter prix is offered not just at HITS shows, but at shows across the country.
I think what gets so often overlooked is the variety of people of horses … and not all riders and not all horses are cut out for bigger heights, faster speeds, and more technical questions. And that’s totally OK. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to create a horse and rider able to handle the difficult courses of the Hunter Derbies, or eventing, or show jumping. But it also takes a lot of hard work to create a calm, flowing ride and a horse with a perfectly arched bascule, tight even knees, and an expression that shows he’s willing and enjoying himself. I think there’s a lot of merit in offering all kinds of different disciplines and incentives for the people and horses who have very different interests and talents.
I don’t know…. I sorta wanted this class to be the hunter equivalent of a Grand Prix, and I have to say I was disappointed when I read the specs. I get what they’re doing… there will be tons of people lining up to compete in this class and the qualifiers, and that wouldn’t be the case if the jumps were 3’6″ to 4′, but they’re purposely making it a straightforward hunter course? Why? Couldn’t we at least have the pretty (and yes, sometimes spooky) derby jumps? Could we make it a little bit challenging? I’m just not exactly sure what’s going to be special about this class, except for the prize money. At least the derbies call for a special kind of horse — one who is a little brave and maybe a little more keen than your average hunter. Not sure what kind of horse will excel in this class. I guess the fanciest cookie cutter hunter they can find will win it (not that I don’t drool over them on a regular basis, mind you). It should be interesting.