The British Bridleless Competition

Last weekend, the first ever British Bridleless Competition was held in Merrist Wood, Guildford.

Created in response to the growing movement of riders who wish to compete without a bridle, this groundbreaking event offered something the UK - and perhaps, the world - has never seen before: a full competition dedicated entirely to bridleless riding.

The competition opened with dressage.

Horses competed at multiple levels, from leadline without a lead all the way to Grand Prix.

Lynne Macleod and Hermes

In the afternoon, the focus shifted to jumping.

Jump heights varied from itty bitty to 1.3 meters.

Multiple safety protocols were in place, and bridles were used in the warm-up arena. In the showring, however, only neck ropes were permitted.

Obviously, I was not in attendance, but I've watched lots of videos from the event. It is striking how relaxed and happy these horses look and how few conflict behaviors are present.

In recent years, I have really fallen out of love with most equine competitions, but I would happily watch this all day.

Congratulations to Mia Rodley, the founder of the British Bridleless Completion, and all the competitors who made its inaugural event such a rousing success. 

This is the way forward for ethical horse sport.

Thank you, also, to Tarr Steps Services for allowing me to share their photos. These pictures are so inspiring. Thank you, everyone! Thank you!

More mayhem

Yesterday afternoon, the Denver metro area was pummeled by a massive thunderstorm that deposited up to seventeen inches of hail in some areas.

I was at work in Parker when the storm hit. We had a little rain, followed by a little hail. Then the sun came out, and it was like it never happened.

As I was standing by the door watching the hail melt, my phone lit up.

It was Karen sending pictures...

and video from the barn.

It was intense.

This is my favorite of the group.

Do you see the horse?

This morning, it was warm and dry, but signs of the storm were everywhere.

There was standing water in the ring...

and all the trees took a beating.

More needles on the ground than on the branches!

The upper barn's roof leaked.

All that wet insulation is going to be a big mess.

The white barn, where Sage lives fared better. Still, my tack room was more than a little damp.

The saddles were covered, so they were fine, but I had a lot of wet pads...

and brushes.

I put everything out in the sun to dry.

Everyone else was doing the same.

While everything was drying, Karen, Sage and I walked over to the retention pond. 

No surprise, it was really full.

There are more storms in the forecast today, but so far they haven't materialized.

I am hoping they will not. We have now completed the barn mayhem trifecta, and we need a break.

Shannon's diorama entry

Have you ever looked at one those clearware Stablemates from the Suncatcher Paint Kit and thought, "That could be an ice sculpture"?

Shannon Rodgers did.

Then she took that idea and built an entire diorama around it.

Here's another Stablemate, bringing more ice up the mountain.

Close-up of the harness.

And my favorite part, the tiny, frozen Dala horse!

Congratulations, Shannon. This is so clever and well-done. Good luck at BreyerFest!

Samantha's diorama entry

Everyone who reads this blog knows I love tiny things.

Tiny food,

tiny books,

tiny flowers,

tiny animals...

and especially, tiny horses.

Samantha Thompson's 2026 BreyerFest Diorama Contest entry has all of that...

and more!

She writes: Sigrblót was a Norse Viking celebration that took place during the spring. Literally translated, “Sigrblót” means “Victory Celebration,” illustrating summer’s coming victory over winter.

While this festival started with sacrifices to the Norse god Odin, it would end in the evenings of dancing and feasting. 

These celebrations would take place deep in the woods, where the forest was freshly green and alive with spring in bloom.

These Stablemates have decided to celebrate Sigrblót with a dance around a Maypole, and a feast of epic proportions to enjoy throughout the night. 

Evidence of spring is seen all around the scene, from the active woodland creatures... 

to the lush and colorful flowers.

Amazing work, Samantha! Everything about this beautifully photographed piece is a feast for my miniature-loving eyes. Good luck at BreyerFest!

Sunday Soapbox: Watching the tables

As long as there have been model horse shows, there have been accusations of judge misconduct in regards to pinning their friends' horses. While I have no doubt this has happened, I would argue that most of what people think they're seeing is... not that. In today's Sunday Soapbox guest post, Lesli Kathman tackles this topic head-on with a clear explanation of why judges do some of the things they do. Spoiler alert: It's not about giving ribbons to their friends.

Watching the Tables

by Lesli Kathman

So often when I read one of perennial "judges are awful" posts on social media, the "proof" offered is something that looks very different to someone who does a lot of judging. Here's a recent example, taken from the Modelholics Anonymous group. Someone said they knew cheating was happening because the judge watched people - "their friends" - bring horses up to the table. 

As a judge, I watch my tables a lot. Many times, I am assessing whether or not I can double-load the other half. That's become so much more of a thing in recent years as we've broken the classes down more minutely and fewer horses enter each one. Double-loading means people aren't there all day, which goes a *long* way in making the show a better experience for everyone. The host won't get venue late fees. Entrants might have enough time and energy to grab dinner after the show. Distant showers might have time to drive home, or more daylight hours to do so safely. 

I am also trying to catch horses in the wrong class. This is especially important now as breed lists have changed and there is some confusion. If I monitor things as they come up, I know who to give a heads-up if something needs to leave. That also means I am often glancing at tags and looking for the person who brought the horse. 

Worse, I've even glanced at a tag, looked for an owner... and then not looked at the horse again. In these cases, the tag showed a major misunderstanding - i.e. British Spotted Ponies are *appaloosa* spotted, not pinto spotted - and I had more than six horses in the class so it wasn't going to place. No need to look further... but I did try to look to see who picked it up so I could let them know the problem was an easy fix. (Picking something, almost anything, else as a breed!) 

My focus on the tables is about the logistics of the show, but more than anything, it's about trying to make sure people who came all that way for a day feel welcome and have a good time. I try to keep tabs on which entrants are in my division. I am alert to folks getting overwhelmed, because I will pause if the schedule permits. If I haven't laid down the ribbons, I let people bring a late entry. Whenever possible, I try to make my ring shower-friendly and shower-focused. 

What I don't do is worry about whether being friendly with entrants or looking at the wrong thing will be misinterpreted. I trust that entrants who have questions will ask them, rather than assume the worst. Because, really, why would anyone spend a Saturday crouched down along a table, writing on a clipboard, if they didn't care about serving the hobby community?

Thank you, Lesli, for this detailed - and accurate - explanation of why a judge can and should watch their tables. I really hope this will help clear up some of the misconceptions that plague our community.