Cheating. It is a subject that has made headlines everywhere thanks to the under-inflated footballs used by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship playoff game.
Whether talking about deflated footballs, performance enhancing drugs,
being paid to take SAT tests or using drugs in the show ring, cheaters steal
from the industry. It has long-term effects on everyone, but the
industry usually takes the biggest hit. In the end, cheating is bad for
business and ultimately worse for the cheater and those who blame others
for their own losses. The simple fact is, cheaters exist in every arena. It is also a sad truth that cheaters cause far more damage to their industry than they derive from the act of cheating.
Consider the damage done by headliners caught cheating in the horse business over the years. People may think that once the cheater is taken out of the game, competition will improve. But rarely has that been the case. In fact, it takes years to overcome the damage done by a single exhibitor’s dishonesty. And while the impact of cheating on an industry can be substantial, the cheating does not have to be real to cause damage. The mere perception of fraudulence robs exhibitors of more than trophies and ribbons.
In some classes, numbers are down because exhibitors believe that one horse or another cannot be beat, so why bother entering. This misconception, that the results are predetermined, has hurt participation in the event.
Showing horses is akin to the All-American dream. People spend their lives trying to breed, raise and show the winner. To tell them it is not possible because the results are determined in advance is to kill the American dream. People stop breeding their horses, kids stop thinking they can be the winner and the young trainer stops believing he or she can be the next World Champion.
In a recent web blog, titled, How whining about cheaters is worse than the cheaters, Kate Lambert discussed the negative effects of accusing winners of cheating. In this case, the author was referring to showing sheep, but the result is the same regardless of the animal being shown. Lambert talks about how accusations and whining about cheating create harmful false impressions like the notion that everyone is doing it. She argues that when children think everyone is cheating, they become defeated and drop out of competition all together; something we can easily relate to in the horse business.
Think about the effects of derogatory ringside talk. Whether someone blames politics or accuses the winner of cheating, the result is the same. Responsibility for the results is deflected away from the exhibitor and a negative light is thrown on the sport as a whole.
A famous trainer once gave me some sage advice. Thinking that politics was to blame for my poor results, I was going to ask the judge what he did not like about my horse. After asking how I placed, this friend told me the judge had already answered my question. I’ll never forget it. I had placed fifth in the class – the judge liked four horses better than mine. It was up to me to go home, practice and bring a better horse to the next show. The ribbon earned in that particular class represented the judge’s honest opinion of my horse that day.
There are cheaters in every field but we cannot let their existence provide a reason to stop playing. Nor can we falsely accuse everyone who beats us of playing politics or cheating. It is not only irresponsible, but also detrimental to the survival of our sport. Horse shows, more than any other sporting event, offer a level playing field by their very nature. Both horse and rider must perform in order to win. Even the most expensive horse needs a skilled pilot and together, the best team wins.
It is up to each of us to reward the positive attributes of our rides, the rides of our children and the rides of our competitors. We ride, train and show horses because it is an exhilarating feeling to put together a great ride. To be rewarded with a ribbon is simply icing on the cake.
The All-American dream still exists at the horse show. Rags to riches stories are prevalent around the show ring. Celebrate small accomplishments, relish the experience, the friends you meet and the time you have with your horse.
About Stephanie Lynn: Professional Horseman Stephanie
Lynn coached her first AQHA World Champion in 1988. She has since
coached, trained and shown World, Congress and Honor Roll horses across
disciplines. She is a judge for AQHA, NSBA and APHA and has judged World
Championship shows for each association. Most recently, Stephanie is
the author of The Good Rider Series and A Lifetime Affair:
Lessons Learned Living My Passion. The Good Rider Series is a library of
resource material that is both practical and applicable in the barn and
show ring for riders. Stephanie can always be reached through her
website: http://www.stephanielynn.net to answer your questions, schedule a clinic or lesson.
Sources cited in article: Lambert, Kate (14 January 2015) Stock Shows: How whining about
cheaters is worse than the cheaters (blog post) Retrieved from:
http://www.uptownsheep.com.
