Monday, March 16, 2015

Playing fair - what would you do?

After my recent post about playing things fair at a show, I got an email from a reader who asked to remain anonymous. She asked me for advice on a situation that happened at a show some time ago, that she felt wasn’t fair but she wasn’t sure what to do. Here’s the scoop:

At the show, her trainer was working with an individual who was not a regular student. In one class, the individual missed a jump, but the judge apparently didn’t notice.  The person went on to win not only the class, but also the division championship. She never told the judge that she missed the jump. The reader mentioned to her trainer that she would have said something if she had been the rider, but the trainer didn’t press the issue because the person wasn’t a regular student.

This is a tough one. I’d like to think that we’re all honest people and that knowing you won fairly and squarely is more important than a 50 cent ribbon. I would also like to think that trainers would be honest and encourage their students to be honest as well. However, I do understand that if someone is not a regular student, it can be difficult to have that person adhere to your rules. 

At the end of the day, I’m not sure there’s much the blog reader can do about her trainer’s or the other person’s actions. If her trainer not requiring the other rider to be honest really bothers her, perhaps sending a short email saying, “This was the situation and it really bothered me. What is your policy on honesty? If this happened to a regular student, would you require them to admit the mistake to the judge?” Understanding your trainer’s policy – so you can manage expectations – might be helpful. If the trainer is going to leave it to each individual to be honest or not, you may need to consider if that’s the kind of policy you’re comfortable with. 

Of course, leading by setting a good example is the most important thing – in other words, if she’s ever in that situation, be honest about making a mistake. Don’t accept a ribbon you didn’t win fairly and squarely. At the end of the day, YOU are the one who has to live with your decisions. If that 50 cent ribbon means so much to you that you’re willing to be dishonest to get it… well, you might want to really think about why. 

What would you do in this situation? What would your trainer do? And do you have any advice for our anonymous blog reader?

Not worth cheating for

16 comments:

  1. While I'd like to say that I would be valiant and confront the trainer about it, the truth is that I have an absolute rule of avoiding personal drama at the barn. There are two options here: continue to ride with this person, knowing their reputation will be damaged in the local show ring at least, or have a conversation about it, then decide whether to leave or not.

    I am not saying ethics don't matter, this would bother me a lot and I would forever be suspicious of/keep a close eye on this trainer, but if good instruction and care continued, and the trainer never coached this person again (who knows, maybe she told them to fess up and they went against her will and didn't) I would stick around. But geographically, where I am, I don't have a choice.

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    1. Good point about not having a choice. Thanks for your input!

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  2. While the situation was one that was highly disappointing on the side of the rider and trainer, I would balance the benefits the trainer brings to you. I had a trainer that would use tools or push a rider/horse combination in ways that did not make me happy. But when it came to my own lessons, she stayed with in the realm of my comfort level and never pushed me to use tools I did not like or move my horse too fast.
    If the situation continues to bother you, have an honest conversation with your trainer. I am baffled that other onlookers did not call foul, especially since the results were so good.

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  3. Agreed with both above, its important to avoid drama, but if your trainer's ethics do not sit well with you, vote with your feet and your wallet.

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  4. Is it possible the rider didn't know they missed the jump? A long shot, I know, but if the rider rode the course smoothly enough that the judge didn't notice, perhaps the rider truly didn't know there was a problem? Although I still say shame on the judge for not paying attention.

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    1. As I understand it, the rider and trainer were both well aware that the rider missed a jump.

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  5. It's interesting that you bring this up, because a (somewhat) similar situation happened to me a few years ago -- except I was the one in the wrong. I was competing in a Handy class and I jumped the wrong last jump of the course.

    I didn't know it at the time and the judge still scored me (in handy hunter rounds you typically get a score announced right away). I heard my score and thought nothing of it until my trainer came up to me later and said "I think you went off course." After consulting the course map, I realized that I had jumped the wrong jump. But my score wasn't high enough to be in the ribbons, so I never said anything.

    To this day, I still remember that and feel guilty that I didn't make it right -- even though in the end no one suffered because of it. I got no ribbons or points.

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  6. This is probably one of those situations that would make a trainer seem like less of a shining star to me. Maybe your reader is still happy with her personal training, but the situation took some of the goodness out of it. I really think in the end, the rider who made the mistake should have fessed up.

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  7. If I did actually find a trainer that helped myself and my horse progress at jumper shows and did something other than overface us and tear us down and they were unethical about another client taking undeserved ribbons?

    I probably wouldn't leave. I wouldn't be happy about it, but my options are seriously limited and that's something I'd be able to put up with. I don't condone the behavior, but I have bigger issues.

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  8. If I assume the rider in question was an adult, I would not consider it the responsibility of the trainer to rectify the situation. It is the competitor's moral obligation to 'fess up.

    Unless this person was a direct competitor of mine, I would try not to let it take up too much space in my head. I would make a mental note of "Heh, guess this is how this person runs their show" and move on.

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  9. I think this is a judging error and thats all. The judge missed it, and the rider placed. Happens all the time. I would let sleeping dogs lie.

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  10. i dont know if i would be upset at my trainer or not -esp if they were just trying to avoid drama... tho i'd be disappointed that they didn't want to do what's 'right'

    my only question here - is there a 'no snitching' rule at shows? if something like that happened in my class (especially if i was upset about it!) - i don't see any reason why *i* couldn't say something to show organizers... or is that totally out of line? idk haha

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  11. Judges are human, too. I've seen a dressage rider miss a movement in a test that wasn't spotted by the judge, I've seen lots of goings on in showjumping like missing a fence, starting before the bell, not riding through the finish...
    You know what, life's like that. Move on.

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  12. I agree with you. I don't think there is anything anyone else can do but the rider in question. I don't think it was the trainer's place to step in either, considering she isn't a regular student.

    But it is interesting how my feelings change if it were a younger student. Then I think it would be the trainer's responsibility to instill good sportsmanship values, regardless of if it is a regular student or not.

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  13. Late to this party, but I think honesty is valued above all else.

    Last year at a rated event, one of the 14-year-olds I ride with had a refusal on cross country. The jump judge missed it, however (great job, jump judges!) and it wasn't scored, and she ended up in 3rd or 4th place. Once she realised this, she independently walked up to the show office, reported her refusal and the jump number she had it at to the show organizers, and the placings were altered. This 14 year old ended up completely out of the ribbons and all the USEA points for the show, and she wasn't worried about it. To reward her for her honesty, the show organizers gave her a free schooling coupon for their venue.

    I was so, so impressed by this. This kid did the right thing without prompting when rated points were on the line. I hope everyone can be honest to this standard, but I understand it isn't always so. In the end, people do notice these things, and everyone who was at your emailer's show watching that round will know what happened, so while the 50c ribbon is hers, her reputation will definitely have suffered a hit. C'est la vie equestrienne.

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