You can find nice people and snobs in any discipline and in any part of the country. I've found some of the nicest people I've ever met in New York and some of the most rude in the DC area...you'd never expect it...but it can happen. When we were young, my sister used to show in hunter under saddle at local shows hosted by western riders. It was the funniest thing, and most fun, to watch. I remember one judge, with his big ole cowboy hat, said, "well, what do we do with these here english riders?" he asked of the ring steward of the HUS class. He actually had the riders doing patterns and all sorts of different things, then had them ride without their stirrups while cantering figure 8s. The horse and rider that won that class really deserved it! (it wasn't my sister!) Hah! Umm...but that's not how HUS classes are ridden as far as I know. Walk, trot, canter...sometimes halt. Judged on the horse, not rider, but the rider must be accomplished enough to make the horse look good. In the old days, HUS would be a really nice mover, some flexion at the poll, softly round so there's no hollow back, tracking up, somewhat long and low in the head and neck, nose ever so slightly in front of the vertical. No vices like pinned ears or wringing tails. Should be submissively up and down in the gaits. And he should look happy, like he's enjoying his job. Those were the days when you say hunt seat equitation videos by George Morris and the horse could easily be a training level/first level dressage horse by his movement. But now we see hollow backed horses, strung out ponies, not tracking up. I'd like to know where in the country I can finally see real HUS horses.