PrintWe’ve all got opinions on, well, just about everything—but fashion is a topic, particularly in the horse world, to which everyone wants to add their two cents. Because fashion, or “the make or form of something” isn’t just Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Chloe or Armani—it’s any garment you choose to sport.
And as those who indulge in a rather particular sport, what you don and when—specifically in the hunter ring, can cost you the blue. I was personally schooled in the art of dressing for the show ring by my trainer, Elizabeth Collins, who, even at 23 years old, was adamant about proper horse and rider turnout. She had one particular rule that still echoes in my head today as I peruse the racks at a tack store: I was not, under any circumstance, to wear a sleeveless show shirt under my jacket.
“But why?” I whined.
She offered this explanation: If you ever get permission to show without your jacket because of the heat, it would be a catastrophe (she might have been slightly less dramatic than this, but you get the gist) to be wearing a sleeveless top. She also offered me a trade: If I showed up wearing a sleeveless shirt, even under the most extreme heat index, then I was forbidden to remove my show coat.
I look back now and laugh because the older I get and the more exposure I have to the hunter scene—on all levels—the more I realize the importance of wearing appropriate clothing. If you’re going to commit to competing, you’ve got to give it all you’ve got.
Over the year I casually chatted with some of the hunter industry’s finest. Thus, in preparation for a new season of showing, I come bearing style advice from those who know.
Does It Distract From The Horse?
But before I reveal to you some of the stars’ pet peeves, I felt it necessary to refer to the holiest hunter handbook out there: George Morris’ Hunter Seat Equitation.
Morris touched upon several points regarding turnout in Chapter 10 of the Third Edition, “What The Rider Should Know.” Morris addresses hairstyle, accessories (jewelry, makeup, gloves), habit and boots. His general theme was understatement and taste.
“Anyone can be clean and neat and dress well regardless of his financial position….all in all, a rider entering a show ring should appear elegant in an understated, conventional way,” wrote Morris. “No part of his riding attire should draw attention to itself, and under no circumstances should there be any flashiness.”
Many of the industry’s most successful players are living by his words. Julie Winkel, a U.S. Equestrian Federation “R” judge who has judged at some of the nations most prestigious shows, said tradition still reigns supreme today.
“So in the hunter ring, I’m against anything that distracts from the horses. That’s what we’re there for—to judge the horse,” said Winkel, who owns Maplewood Stables in Reno, Nev.
“It bothers me to see the light colored hunt coats, and gloves should also be traditional—sometimes you’ll see pros wearing light colored gloves, but it draws attention to their hands, again, away from the horse,” she continued.
Jennifer Alfano, a top professional who campaigns many hunters at the biggest shows around the country, noted the importance of a hairnet.
“I hate to see a rider go in the ring and have their hair hanging out,” said Alfano, Buffalo, N.Y. “Although we see it a lot more in the jumper ring, it just looks messy.”
