Badminton 2009....why have so many riders withdrawn??

[JMSims2008]

I was just looking on the Badminton website, and have noticed that there are quite a few well known riders that have withdrawn one or two of their horses? Can anyone tell me why this is? Is it because they have competed at a previous event with those particular horses??

 

[loopeepee]

I could be hughly mistaken but don't many of the top riders with a few horses at 4* level, double entry them. Meaning nearer the time they can withdraw the one who they feel is less inclined to do well, compared to the other. Or they have run one of them at, say, Kentucky, so then run the other at Badminton.

 

[billyslad]

It doesnt cost anything to enter badminton so would not be a prob to with draw

 

[conniegirl]

wonder why all but 2 of the irish contingent have withdwrawn?

 

[jenh166]

[ QUOTE ]
It doesnt cost anything to enter badminton so would not be a prob to with draw

[/ QUOTE ]
I thought the entry fees for badminton were huge - like £200-300 at least!

 

[lucretia]

as far as i know they still are but you dont pay for stabling or bedding and your groom gets fed and kept.

 

[Santa_Claus]

no entry fees were removed last year to encourage riders!

 

[ladyt25]

Really? That's pretty shocking isn't it - no wonder the costs of resgistering BE have gone up if the lower entry levels are supporting costs for competitors at top level!

What impact has that had on ticket prices at Badminton?

 

[SpottedCat]

I may be wrong but I am pretty sure Badminton is not a BE event - I think they sold the rights to it for a very nominal sum (£1 IIRC) many many years ago. I cannot remember where I heard/read/saw this though!

I think the tickets/tradestands/BBC deal more than cover their outlay....

 

[Foxfolly]

[ QUOTE ]
Really? That's pretty shocking isn't it - no wonder the costs of resgistering BE have gone up if the lower entry levels are supporting costs for competitors at top level!

What impact has that had on ticket prices at Badminton?

[/ QUOTE ]

BE surely don't subsidise it? Surely it come out of the profits!

If google is right then approx 10,000 people go so the cost would be and extra £2.55 per person!! I am sure an event of this size can swallow the costs very easily buy putting up the charges for tradestands and a little on the tickets! Most of the regular Badminton visitors will pay whatever the ticket price is as they just go every year and find the money!!

I think it is a good thing as it does seem to have encouraged more people to enter, also after the cock up that was 2007 with the poor ground they had to do something to encourage the competiors to come back!!

 

[Shay]

Surely its better to withdraw rather than put a horse not 100% around such a challenging course?

 

[lucretia]

i dont think more people have entered, its just that since they changed the system you all can see all the wait listed ones as well. prior to last year the only ones you saw were the ones definately accepted, there were no additions and consequently there have been some smallish fields in recent years due to the inevitable withdrawals. added to those when the ground was as shocking as a couple of years ago furter withdrawals after dressage meant barely 40 went xc, which was no good for tv or public. hence the Beeb threw their mighty toys out of the pram and demanded change or no more TV coverage, which of course would mean less sponsors and therefore less revenue so changes were made including I suppose dropping the entry fee.
But to be honest no-one would go without the riders would they, the cost of supporting 80 of them and their crews is nothing compared to what the event makes, a proportion of which goes to BE, so that is hardly subsidisng the riders is it. and will make no differenc at all to the annual fees.

 

[teapot]

[ QUOTE ]
If google is right then approx 10,000 people go so the cost would be and extra £2.55 per person!! I

[/ QUOTE ]

You might want to add another 240 000 people to that (over the 4 days)

 

[kerilli]

thanks Teapot, i was about to post that! if only 10,000 people went Badders would go bust!

 

[Foxfolly]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If google is right then approx 10,000 people go so the cost would be and extra £2.55 per person!! I

[/ QUOTE ]

You might want to add another 240 000 people to that (over the 4 days)

[/ QUOTE ]

I did think it sounded quite low!! But whatever I googled it came up with 10,000... damned google!!!

 

[Orangehorse]

Badminton is the second largest event in the world, by attendance, with only a motor race in America getting a larger audience.