Showjumping for children

[Lepoulailler]

Having only just got my head round (sort of) the French showjumping system for adults, my 9 year old daughter wants to go and have a bit of fun at a few shows.  She currently has an unpapered pony, although we are in the process of finding something with papers so she can have a go at PONAM.  Our local riding club are a bit wrapped up in the adult season, and if we wait for them to help us get things organised we'll have missed another year.  I've looked everywhere on the internet.  Where are the classes advertised? How do we enter? Is there anything available (other than the odd once or twice a year club event) for nonpapered ponies? Richardbk if you are reading this I know your daughter has competed over here - any pointers.  Where do we start? It all seems so much more official than the UK gymkhanas that I started with where you can have a go at anything. Any help would be gratefully received.

[Suze01]

Where are you located?

Over on TF someone has advertised a pony show this Sunday near Bergerac organised by an Englishwoman.

http://www.totalfrance.com/france/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13355&highlight=

[Lepoulailler]

Thanks for the steer - unfortunately we are miles from Bergerac in Britanny right on the border with Normandy.  I'd love to take the kids (and me!) to an English style show.  I completely understand those who hanker for a good old British show, and find the French system frustrating to say the least (and for those who hope to convert the French to English style gymkhanas I wish them all the luck in the world - they'll need it!!!).

But it is in France we live now, and I just want to get on with it and join in with the French, it's just a matter of not knowing where to look and who to register with.  If it means that to compete we have to have a papered pony, so be it.  If it means shows are different to those I have grown up with then... well, I know lots of great French riders who don't seem to have been too damaged by the experience.  Surely I am missing the obvious - there must be some sort of website with dates, who to contact for entries etc (is it hidden on the FFE site for example, and I just can't find it amongst all the jargon of D1, B2 etc etc?).