Where have the good hunters gone?

Hunters are stereotyped as goofballs who can't ride out of a wet paper bag. Well, there are a lot of hunters out there who look like frogs going over fences and are famous for sticking their butts out and lying across the horse's neck. It's a broad generalization, but I think hunters have lost a lot of respect in the horse community. Could it be because hunter-type disciplines are popular with novice and young riders? Whatever the reason, I think it's sad. The talented hunters out there don't get enough recognition and the discipline's reputation suffers for it.

Let's run a comparison.

Here's a good hunter:

And a goofy one.

Good hunter:

Goofy hunter:

Good hunter:

You're getting the picture, yes? See, there are some good hunters in the world. At least, I thought the good ones in the pictures looked pretty good. It's time to bring back our sport and restore its reputation. I'm tired of hearing, "Hunters don't know anything" and "Hunters can't ride".

Hmph.