Anybody swapped from BE to BS and lived to regret it?

cundlegreen

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As title, really. I've come to the conclusion that all the costs and hassle of running a higher end horse BE is not worth it. She's got good points and being put in foal this year, so thought I'd swap her to BS. I might even win my entry fee back. What a novelty!
 

monkeymad

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I swopped to BS from BE. I was running my only horse at BE100 and 'easy' Novices. The cost was crippling , me as I felt to justify spending so much money to affiliate I needed to run at 10 - 12 competitions a year and then I needed more lessons, my horse needed pads as she felt the ground etc etc - it was never ending. I felt an immediate sense of relief to be honest when I made the decision as I was never the bravest XC - altho my horse was!! I could enter BS on the day and just be away for half a day and actuallly win prize money (something I only ever did once whilst BEing!) I still found I got a buzz from jumping Newcomers and my amazing horse took me round a foxhunter too!! All the BS near me had super surfaces to jump on and there was something on in the week and weekends.
 

cundlegreen

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I swopped to BS from BE. I was running my only horse at BE100 and 'easy' Novices. The cost was crippling , me as I felt to justify spending so much money to affiliate I needed to run at 10 - 12 competitions a year and then I needed more lessons, my horse needed pads as she felt the ground etc etc - it was never ending. I felt an immediate sense of relief to be honest when I made the decision as I was never the bravest XC - altho my horse was!! I could enter BS on the day and just be away for half a day and actuallly win prize money (something I only ever did once whilst BEing!) I still found I got a buzz from jumping Newcomers and my amazing horse took me round a foxhunter too!! All the BS near me had super surfaces to jump on and there was something on in the week and weekends.
Same for me, as I have to pay a rider, and lessons/schooling for them to get a partnership with the horse. As I do all the work, and driving to events, I'm finding that in my 60's I don't want to put in the effort, especially with the costs involved. I think BS is a much better option.
 

milliepops

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Not quite the same but I swapped BE for BD and while I missed xc terribly for a while, I really don't miss the expense. I had a single horse at novice and that was her limit really, we did a cci* which all but bankrupted me so that was the obvious time to bow out.
I usually compete alone so one discipline is much easier to coordinate and I find the social aspect just as good.
For years I made my money back most outings... often not enough starters in my classes now to make them pay out prize money now though!
 

TheMule

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Assuming the horse is a decent, careful jumper and can be competitive, it's great! I switched my Intermediate mare when she wouldn't jump the big ditches anymore, we could have carried on at Novice level but it's just so expensive and it wasn't really providing any sense of achievement. She won a lot of money quite easily, minimum effort from me required and I think she was happier too.
 

cundlegreen

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Assuming the horse is a decent, careful jumper and can be competitive, it's great! I switched my Intermediate mare when she wouldn't jump the big ditches anymore, we could have carried on at Novice level but it's just so expensive and it wasn't really providing any sense of achievement. She won a lot of money quite easily, minimum effort from me required and I think she was happier too.
Sounds just like my mare! She jumps 1-20 easily despite being small, so should be quite nippy against the clock.
 

Asha

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Same for me, as I have to pay a rider, and lessons/schooling for them to get a partnership with the horse. As I do all the work, and driving to events, I'm finding that in my 60's I don't want to put in the effort, especially with the costs involved. I think BS is a much better option.

I get where you are coming from, as I pay for someone to compete my mare too. The costs for BE are so much more than BS. With my first he was a pure SJ, so it was simple, get him jumping around a course of jumps, a couple of trips out to other venues and bingo you are ready to compete. £17 entry fee per class, Jobs a good un. BE, well ive had a shock, different level of fitness required, trips to gallops, trips to XC schooling, dressage test, then out around a course of jumps at a different venue, much more tack required, the list goes on. Then the entry fees are also a bit eye watering. However, I do prefer eventing, in BS one mistake and its game over, you can hang around for ages waiting for your class as entries are usually on the day. I guess it depends if you are looking at it from a commercial perspective or from a social one.
 

ihatework

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I get where you are coming from, as I pay for someone to compete my mare too. The costs for BE are so much more than BS. With my first he was a pure SJ, so it was simple, get him jumping around a course of jumps, a couple of trips out to other venues and bingo you are ready to compete. £17 entry fee per class, Jobs a good un. BE, well ive had a shock, different level of fitness required, trips to gallops, trips to XC schooling, dressage test, then out around a course of jumps at a different venue, much more tack required, the list goes on. Then the entry fees are also a bit eye watering. However, I do prefer eventing, in BS one mistake and its game over, you can hang around for ages waiting for your class as entries are usually on the day. I guess it depends if you are looking at it from a commercial perspective or from a social one.

Very true! It all depends on what you want to get out of it I suppose, and that is fine!

No denying that Eventing is eye wateringly expensive and intensive.

That said I’ve been lucky enough to spend the weekend in Vilamoura with a friends horse. I’m not really into showjumping myself and hanging around a cold wet arena to watch smaller classes, have a pole and then trudge home holds no appeal to me. But when they start jumping big fences and then go abroad - well I could get used to that (but then the whole cheaper argument goes right out of the window!!)

An interesting discussion we had about sj v Eventing this weekend was that - at a relatively amateur / low level for Eventing (eg old money 1*) in the UK eventers can access some absolutely stunning locations. Even the die hard SJ in the group conceded that there was always going to be some appeal to that, even if us eventers are rubbish at sj 😂
 

Asha

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Very true! It all depends on what you want to get out of it I suppose, and that is fine!

No denying that Eventing is eye wateringly expensive and intensive.

That said I’ve been lucky enough to spend the weekend in Vilamoura with a friends horse. I’m not really into showjumping myself and hanging around a cold wet arena to watch smaller classes, have a pole and then trudge home holds no appeal to me. But when they start jumping big fences and then go abroad - well I could get used to that (but then the whole cheaper argument goes right out of the window!!)

An interesting discussion we had about sj v Eventing this weekend was that - at a relatively amateur / low level for Eventing (eg old money 1*) in the UK eventers can access some absolutely stunning locations. Even the die hard SJ in the group conceded that there was always going to be some appeal to that, even if us eventers are rubbish at sj 😂



Have to say, disappearing abroad a few weeks at a time does seem rather appealing. Who cares how many poles you have when you are sitting outside in the sun having a sherry or two .

I wouldn't say eventers are rubbish at SJ,just not always competitive ;). When we went pure SJ with Harry, we would always have a laugh at the eventers turning up pre season, with their tweed jackets and beautifully schooled horses doing pretty ( slow ) rounds. Now we take Aria, and congratulate ourselves on a lovely round, DC or not , as its 'only to get ready for the real job' . The SJ peeps look nuts to me now, jumping seriously fast rounds with handbrake turns :D:D
 
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