Do bigger horses do better in the show ring?

[FEIJuniorBound]

It seems like everyone wants a huge horse these days, even if they are a short peron themselves. Personally, I think a short tiny person looks mis-matched on a big 17H + horse. I notice this mostly in the english disciplines of Dressage & hunter/Jumper. Do the judges really like big horses better? Do they place them higher then their 15.3 hh counter parts? I also notice that the bigger the horse, the more $$ it is. I guess it's just a matter of supply and demand...

[luvs2jumphorses]

i know its seems silly,but it's true bigger is better,and like you said in mostly dressage/hj...in h/j the bigger horses have the stride to make it better in the strides required for hunter and in jumper they cover more ground and are able to finish a bit faster then their smaller counterpart.and the bigger horses seem to make higher fences less intimidating

bigger horses in dressage are about the ability to the more advanced movements at higher levels and do them well and have flow and balance.a bigger horse seems to be more flashy and presence alot more exciting.IMO
i agree with you on the height rider vs the height of horse comparison..as i used to ride a 17.2 tb mare and i am only 5'feet tall.i felt very small and actually felt over horsed in height sometimes...i was in 4-h at the time and got some pretty weird looks...so really she was kind of tall for me..
i feel small on anything 16.3 and over.16.2 is my limit as far as rider:horse ratio.

there also seems to be more opening in terms of showing(classes) as well,as i've seen and heard.

i am also not saying a smaller horse can't achieve above what i said,just that a bigger horse might have an advantage.i have ridden and seen ponies and horses(under 16h)that do quite well at dressage and h/j events etc.
actually don't also know how the trend of bigger horse is better trend started.that will have to be answered by OP.hope this helps on some respect.

[striderrider]

Yes for hunter/jumper the length between the jumps are set for horses over 16hh. They have bigger strides so it is alot more difficult for the 15 handers to make the strides. You feel like you are pushing your whole course because each stride has to cover more ground for it all to fit. It's not the greatest feeling. Don't get me wrong, it can be done, and there are a lot of exceptions with smaller horses that have a large stride.

For dressage, it is about the presence in the ring for sure. Also in general the trend is to use warmbloods for dressage as they have the mind and the movement for the upper levels (i think any breed should be able to do lower levels though) and by nature and breeding, most warmbloods are just "bigger." I will say though that the huge warmbloods (17h++) have more trouble staying sound then the 16-16.2 handers. Their long and lanky limbs are more prone to bumps and strains as well as stress from carrying their huge mass. These guys must be taught to use themselves correctly from the get go whereas the smaller types tend to hold up longer. This is just what I have seen and experienced.