A Note to eventing lot about to invade BS

You forgot to add

Plaiting is unnecessary,
Pre - entry is not required
Make sure you have at least 3 grooms with you, and make them wear your name embroidered on their jackets, just so everyone knows they are with you.
When you go in the ring, a rein back is necessary, followed by walk to canter.
 
Love it but from my brief and hopeless forays into BS shows, scarily accurate :eek:

The putting the jump up huge thing is mad. The height of the warm up oxer for an 80cm open had my eyes watering!
 
Mike007 said:
Just one further point regarding those of us who have to put the poles back up after your eventing elephant has strewn them over half the warm up areas. This is ok! What is not ok is to make me spill my cup of tea while diving for cover , or worse still ,TO FLICK SAND IN IT:eek:
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Ah. That would have been my elephant. Apologies :o
 
Oh, and you forgot: The schedule may say first class starts 9am prompt, but in showjumperese, that is the time the first lorries will start rolling onto the showground. It will also say that numbers may be limited, entries will close after X number etc - these are lies designed to make you arrive early and/or pre enter. No BS show has ever closed entries, and they will accept them even as the last person is in the ring for that class. It is perfectly acceptable to enter at that point, before your horse is even tacked up, then make everyone wait until you are ready. If they say no entries accepted after X time, you can tag another 30-40 mins onto that no problem.

Confusingly, when the judges say 'if the next competitor isn't in the ring in 2 mins we will shut the class', they actually mean it.
 
SpottedCat said:
Confusingly, when the judges say 'if the next competitor isn't in the ring in 2 mins we will shut the class', they actually mean it.
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SC makes some good points :D
I should alos warn you that unlike DR and XC judges, BS judges are not to be spoken to and should be avoided when at all possible.

I give you an example. I approached the juges one hot summers day (remember them?) and asked...
Me "Are jackets required today?"
Judge "We normally dispense with them if its hot"
Me "so we dont need them today then?"
Judge "Is it hot today?"
Me "Erm (sightly confused by now) yes I think so"
Judge " well then you wont need them will you"

Like I said, keep away :confused:
 
I believe the correct etiquette for the warm up ring is that the biggest/flashiest/most out of control horse has the right of way.

Oh and between classes one is expected to have a fag in ones hand, riders and grooms.
 
Charem said:
I believe the correct etiquette for the warm up ring is that the biggest/flashiest/most out of control horse has the right of way.

Oh and between classes one is expected to have a fag in ones hand, riders and grooms.
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I see you are well versed in the ways of the showjumper and require no further enlightenment. :D
 
PaddyMonty said:
SC makes some good points :D
I should alos warn you that unlike DR and XC judges, BS judges are not to be spoken to and should be avoided when at all possible.
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Hmm I encountered this.

Me "Will I get eliminated if I have 2 refusals?"
Judge "You will be eliminated if you exceed the number of refusals allowed for the class"
Me "So how many refusals are allowed for this class?"
Judge "Yes"
Me :confused:
Me "So if I have 2 refusals in this class I will get eliminated"
Judge, looking exasperated, "yes".

So, I had 2 refusals, I left arena and the tannoy announced that I had retired after 2 refusals :o

Oh....and....if you compete on a ticket, they will mention that you are a ticketed rider at every possible juncture; on entering the ring both at beginning and end of reading out your name, and then again when you leave the ring. This is to make you feel useless and show everyone else that you don't belong there and can be safely ignored. :p
 
Agree with communicating with judges...I was reprimanded by one the other week, they're a formidable force ;) oh, and around us, the bigger you are, the whiter and blingier the breeches I find... Also repeated refusals at a practise fence means you now OWN it, and anyone else trying to warm up around you should be shouted at and scowled at, as obviously its their fault your horse doesn't want to jump....
 
From our first ever BS outing last weekend it is also necessary to sit on your horse other than when walking the course, regardless of how long it is until you are jumping again.

On the judge front - we were quite shocked to see a car being driven through the horse walk, there were horses and riders scattering like skittles, this car was stopping for no man, or horse - I joked at the time, it must be the judge and sure enough it was!
 
BeckyD said:
Hmm I encountered this.

Me "Will I get eliminated if I have 2 refusals?"
Judge "You will be eliminated if you exceed the number of refusals allowed for the class"
Me "So how many refusals are allowed for this class?"
Judge "Yes"
Me :confused:
Me "So if I have 2 refusals in this class I will get eliminated"
Judge, looking exasperated, "yes".

So, I had 2 refusals, I left arena and the tannoy announced that I had retired after 2 refusals :o

Oh....and....if you compete on a ticket, they will mention that you are a ticketed rider at every possible juncture; on entering the ring both at beginning and end of reading out your name, and then again when you leave the ring. This is to make you feel useless and show everyone else that you don't belong there and can be safely ignored. :p
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Nooo, they announce you are on a ticket so the other competitors know you're not after their prize money and so are in no way a threat :D
 
Please do not be the only person in a warm up of 15 horses going the wrong way. Fine, if you can avoid others, but most of the time you can't, also fine if you are a local pro.

Never complain if you are bumped down the list - some of us show jumpers have six odd to jump in the class. And no, we shouldn't get there early to put numbers down first. And no, you're wrong..... Our game, our rules and we will do it how we like.
 
And to think I used to event! I got fed up of hard ground, soft ground, cancellations, never knowing what the course would be like, pre entry, long trips to go anywhere, being broke......
 
Charem said:
I believe the correct etiquette for the warm up ring is that the biggest/flashiest/most out of control horse has the right of way.

Oh and between classes one is expected to have a fag in ones hand, riders and grooms.
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Charem, you forgot that the other hand must be holding a phone ;)

Love this thread :D
 
Wrong. The correct procedure is walk in to areana fully flexing horse left and right then reinback (halt not required) and canter flexing twice each way as you go.
Amateurs :rolleyes:
 
You've forgot to add about the overly tight bright red show jackets. I don't understand how some people breathe in them combine that with the tight white breeches and you have a winning combination.
 
i feel slightly afraid to take my 4 year old BS in a couple of weeks now... any good advice to just stay hidden and take in the experiences lol
 
Charem said:
I believe the correct etiquette for the warm up ring is that the biggest/flashiest/most out of control horse has the right of way.

Oh and between classes one is expected to have a fag in ones hand, riders and grooms.
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And of course texting on phone whilst like talking to your mate walking round collecting ring 2 abreast on long rein

Sorry: edit to say Mrs Pink got there before me on the phone comment must have seen teh same collecting ring :)
 
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he he think a small shopping spree maybe needed prior to our venture out.., think i may have the get out my way coming through horse spot on tho! lol
 
Plaiting is actually coming back in BS. BUT you have to leave the forelock unplaited.

Do NOT use a hairnet. your flowing blonde hair should stream over your shoulders in a nifty ponytail

(I don't jump but have a friend who takes it quite seriously. I endlessly plead with her to plait forelocks and use a hairnet :p )
 
This thread is so right and so funny :D

From a showjumpers (albeit amateur ) point of view though we are not all as sterotypical as this some of us are actually quite nice :o
 
ArcticFox said:
Make sure you have at least 3 grooms with you, and make them wear your name embroidered on their jackets, just so everyone knows they are with you.
When you go in the ring, a rein back is necessary, followed by walk to canter.
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These two things are essential. Absolutely essential.
 
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