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Re: [RC] Progeny championship percentages - SandyDSAIn a message dated 3/21/2003 12:13:46 PM Pacific Standard Time, reshan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:I find that relatively meaningless, considering what I see winning in the show ring. All that a high percentage of champions means is that a high percentage of foals were shown successfully. And that's only useful if you're interested in breeding a horse suitable for the show ring. It won't tell you a lot about their potential as endurance sires, or field hunters, or working ranch horses. It won't even tell you too much about their prospects as a show horse (generally indicating halter horse), since a tremendous part of a successful campaign of a show horse is who is at the shank or in the saddle. The fact is that unless and until trainers/judges wear paper bags over their heads and the judge/trainer at the show does not knwo who is who - horses, owners and riders/handlers - the who is who of trainer/judges will have a huge impact. Some exceptionally nice horses never made it to the top because their owners either could not afford thee high costs of the Flavor of the season trainers, and/or could not stomach the abuse in the show industry. Conversely, some fairly trashy horses have won multitudes of "championships - if only they had the right handler, superb turnout, exotic head, "hooky" neck "trotty" movement, flat topline.... In the end a horse is only as good as its genetics, training, management and in the show ring...its wallet. San (who has been there and done too much of that)
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