Why am I so dead set against American shows?

I honestly didn't know the answer to this question.  It just bugged me.  But today, while flicking through YouTube videos, I realized why.  No, it's not that some riders who show their horses are ungrateful brats.  It is a big factor, but the system can't be fully blamed.  Nor is it that few classes are of really the substantial height or difficulty as riders claim them to be.  It's not even that most of it seems to revolve around money and how much Daddy paid to get you this push-button saint who'll jump a bridge while carrying a sack of potatoes. 
     The thing I thought it was was the description of the classes.  In hunters and equitation classes over fences, one is not just judged on how many fences they leave up, but how they look and their style of riding too.  At first I thought it was just silly, that if the horse does what it's supposed to, then it's fine, they deserve to win.  But there are some riders, especially here in Ireland where this additional judgement isn't practised, who will win classes because they jump everything quickly and don't knock any poles or have any refusals.  But not infrequently, this is achieved through incorrect, jarring, even unfairly harsh riding.  They'll fry their horse's brains and wallop him around the course and receive congratulations for it.  I despise this method, and know one girl who practically beats her pony, but jumps big, enters shows, and has lots of rosettes.  So I realise that judging a rider's actual riding ability is actually a really good idea.
     What has just dawned on me is that the criteria for such riding is utterly misread in many cases.  Some are totally justifiable, like "Faults are weighed against each other; for example, a rider's heel coming up and leg moving a bit back on jumps is less of an offense than a rider who gets left behind.The greatest offenses could include a dangerous ride, an abusive rider or a rider who very much gets in the way of his horse (like the one who gets left behind)" which was written in Ezine @rticles' Understanding Horse Show Judging.  Fair, okay.  This article also says "In equitation over fences divisions, refusals, break of gait and wrong leads are faults."  Understandable. 
     But riders and judges have warped this.  Just because it's worse to get in the way of your horse by getting left behind, doesn't mean that if you jump miles ahead and your leg is swinging so far back that your heels catch your saddle, you shouldn't be penalised fairly heavily.  Same as if you never go back to trot but dig your spurs in every stride to maintain "rhythm".  But why bother wearing spurs if you have to have a slow, rhythmical canter?  I know a rider's legs should be solid and still, but frequent nudging seems a lot fairer to the horse than rotating the heels so far inwards with spurs on that the poor animal is uncomfortable.  And  young riders without total control of their leg being taught to wear them so as to look neater than kicking is disgraceful! 
     My biggest annoyance however, is jumping position.  The amount of riders who drape themselves over their ponies is ridiculous, but it isn't penalised!  It actually seems to be encouraged, judging by the number of winning riders who have no base of support other than their ponies' necks.  They waltz around the course on their push button, well bred machines, and pop over fences with no regard for the fact that they're meant to be riding, not flopping on their mount and sticking their ass out to win a prize.  Glenshee Equestrian Center has a fascinating post about the deterioration of riding due to the crest release which I recommend you read here---> http://glenshee.blogspot.com/2009/01/crest-release-and-how-it-has-ruined.html .  People are being rewarded for getting in their horse's way, which is exactly opposite to what the rules state! 
     Personally, I think both methods of showing over fences here and in the US should be revised and even integrated.  I love the idea of judging on actual riding, but hate that of being judged purely on how one looks.  The concept of each system is wise, but needs improvement in reality, as horses are being looked on as mere tools for their rider's success.  There arev millions more things I'd like to say, but homework and Sunny beckon.  So, thanks for reading :)