BD no incentives. Dull ?

[Muddywellies]

I've just seen an advert for local affiliated arena eventing, and the prizes look amazing. Water bottles, caps, and goodness knows what else, supplied by Equidry and Devoucoux. Entry fee is 22.50 which is cheaper than a dressage test. Also lovely rosettes to 6th place. It looks so much fun !! (I'm a dressage rider btw). Why is dressage so serious, with no fun prizes on offer? Are the sponsors not really invested in BD. I so wish dressage could have a massive shake up and make it lively and fun and entice more people in. Many shows now are so flat, no atmosphere, and literally only a handful of entries and as oer a previous post, more and more centres only giving out 1st place rosettes. Wish I had the balls to go arena eventing!

 

[LEC]

I've just seen an advert for local affiliated arena eventing, and the prizes look amazing. Water bottles, caps, and goodness knows what else, supplied by Equidry and Devoucoux. Entry fee is 22.50 which is cheaper than a dressage test. Also lovely rosettes to 6th place. It looks so much fun !! (I'm a dressage rider btw). Why is dressage so serious, with no fun prizes on offer? Are the sponsors not really invested in BD. I so wish dressage could have a massive shake up and make it lively and fun and intice more people in. Many shows now are so flat, no atmosphere, and literally only a handful of entries and as oer a previous post, more and more centres only giving out 1st place rosettes. Wish I had the balls to go arena eventing!

I came 3rd at BD combined training champs and won £10, a mug and a hemp bag . It cost me god knows how much to do as well!!

Our local unaff does a good champs - lovely sashes and silver platter style trophies.

I think a lot of people like that it’s quiet. Also quite hard to razz up a prelim test compared to people trying to go quick arena eventing.

 

[SEL]

I've won more with e-riders than any other dressage competition!

 

[ihatework]

It’s dressage. It’s meant to be dull. Whoops …. Didn’t mean to say that out loud

 

[The Xmas Furry]

It’s dressage. It’s meant to be dull. Whoops …. Didn’t mean to say that out loud

Doh! That's where I've been going wrong!

TFF, has enjoyed the pre xmas ones where xmas jumpers and other items of kit allowed to be christmassy (living up to my local tag as bonkers old bat looking like Bertie Bassett)

 

[millitiger]

Weirdly I think in most disciplines, unaffiliated have better prizes and rosettes than affiliated.
Not sure why!

 

[silv]

I think a lot of it is a sign of the times. I know over here it is getting difficult to get sponsorship as businesses are struggling and no one has any spare income. I don't know of any unaffiliated competitions where you get prizes.

 

[Hollychops]

Please tell me that is being held in Lincolnshire? (Fingers crossed emoji)

I joined BD as i got fed up of the same riders doing the ua classes and always winning, it was like no one else stood a chance as they never moved up a level, which i know is their choice.

I do agree, the BD classes are so boring. Its a case of enter, turn up, ride, get your test sheet back and possibly a rosette and then go home. The last couple havent even had a steward to call you in, you just had to hope that you got to the arena at the time allotted. No wonder dressage is called boring and the numbers are so low. I know the venues have to make some money out of it, but there was nothing to say, that was worth the money, time and effort.

 

[humblepie]

I think the concept is that the incentive is the training and seeing how you are progressing but agree that unaffiliated generally much better prizes, rosettes etc and there is little atmosphere at most dressage competitions, even championships. The most atmosphere I had was at an unaffiliated championship where they had a DTM and didn't give any results until the end of the class and it was like showing, so in 10th place is x, in 9th place is x and there was a bit unmounted prize giving. I have been to ones without stewards and it feels more like training but with assessment by the judge.

 

[ihatework]

Please tell me that is being held in Lincolnshire? (Fingers crossed emoji)

I joined BD as i got fed up of the same riders doing the ua classes and always winning, it was like no one else stood a chance as they never moved up a level, which i know is their choice.

I do agree, the BD classes are so boring. Its a case of enter, turn up, ride, get your test sheet back and possibly a rosette and then go home. The last couple havent even had a steward to call you in, you just had to hope that you got to the arena at the time allotted. No wonder dressage is called boring and the numbers are so low. I know the venues have to make some money out of it, but there was nothing to say, that was worth the money, time and effort.

Ok, I know I was tongue in cheek before but with BD you are guaranteed a trained judge. You have a structure where you are actively competing against your comparable peers (B/S/G). There is a true path to progression.

Yes day to day comps are very low key affairs but there are all sorts of championships to aim for. I think you get more out of it if you want to focus on really improving your own dressage rather than getting big frills for every run of the mill show.

 

[lizziebell]

Please tell me that is being held in Lincolnshire? (Fingers crossed emoji)

wiltshire

 

[millitiger]

... No wonder dressage is called boring and the numbers are so low. I know the venues have to make some money out of it, but there was nothing to say, that was worth the money, time and effort.

I do have to disagree there.
BD has record membership and numbers competing, so definitely not unpopular or low attendance across the board.

There's very clear and easy to understand qualification paths for a myriad of championships at national and regional levels from intro to GP- literally everyone has something they can aim for if they choose.

Also on the prize front, I love BD as you win actual cash!
Ok so it might be £25 winnings against a £24 entry but I'll take that over a dandy brush.

 

[leflynn]

I do have to disagree there.
BD has record membership and numbers competing, so definitely not unpopular or low attendance across the board.

There's very clear and easy to understand qualification paths for a myriad of championships at national and regional levels from intro to GP- literally everyone has something they can aim for if they choose.

Also on the prize front, I love BD as you win actual cash!
Ok so it might be £25 winnings against a £24 entry but I'll take that over a dandy brush.

agree tbh and of you need it jazzing up to compete stick to unaff in that case and improve so you can beat the ones that keep winning? I don't do BD to always win, I like to qual for bigger shows and see how I'm getting along so more interested in scores than placings

Must be lucky up my way as there is a lovely atmosphere at most BD shows - made good friends, I find strangers at unaff less friendly unless I already know them...

 

[GreyDot]

I do have to disagree there.
BD has record membership and numbers competing, so definitely not unpopular or low attendance across the board.

There's very clear and easy to understand qualification paths for a myriad of championships at national and regional levels from intro to GP- literally everyone has something they can aim for if they choose.

Also on the prize front, I love BD as you win actual cash!
Ok so it might be £25 winnings against a £24 entry but I'll take that over a dandy brush.

Prize money for winning at the Regional Championships is £43 - entry fee is £40. Not that I would ever be winning at Regionals, but when you think of Championships in other disciplines, I bet there is more than a £3 'profit'.

 

[Muddywellies]

I do have to disagree there.
BD has record membership and numbers competing, so definitely not unpopular or low attendance across the board.

There's very clear and easy to understand qualification paths for a myriad of championships at national and regional levels from intro to GP- literally everyone has something they can aim for if they choose.

Also on the prize front, I love BD as you win actual cash!
Ok so it might be £25 winnings against a £24 entry but I'll take that over a dandy brush.

Nine times out of ten, the prize money goes to a gold competitor

 

[Muddywellies]

Not everyone want to qualify for championships. There honestly are a number of members who belong to BD for the structure, but don't have either the cash (as its so incredibly expensive) to aim for and compete at championships, or the desire. There are many of us that take a more lighthearted approach to it, but BD seems only for those who are truly competitive. I have gone up through the ranks and am now above the level that most unaffiliated shows provide for, but I also have lots of non dressage fun with my horse. When I saw the advert for the BE arena eventing offering lots of cute little prizes it just made me wonder why BD doesn't do the same.

 

[millitiger]

I don't really understand if I'm honest- if Gold competitors always win the prize money, wouldn't they also win the cute prizes if BD offered those too?
I must be lucky as, yes sometimes Gold competitors win but, Silver win too and sometimes the Bronze as well.

I think BD offer a lot to the less competitive with Quest, Home Nations etc. as well as lots of regional and online training days.
However I think you're in quite a niche situation if you're competing at a high level but not interested in any of the many championships on offer as you've probably moved yourself beyond the 'fun' or less competitive levels?

 

[humblepie]

When we were BD’ing we were in the area where lots of top riders took their young horses so Gold would have CDJ for example in it so the prize money was rare but good fun to have competed in an elementary against Gio.

 

[LEC]

Having been a member of the big 3 over the years BD offers the most. I think I worked out they give away around 250 sashes a year vs BE at around 35.
They literally have a championship for everything - ponies, Spanish, cobs, older riders, 3 grades at each level, quest, ROR, home nations, regional teams, u21s, forces and midway riders.

 

[Muddywellies]

Having been a member of the big 3 over the years BD offers the most. I think I worked out they give away around 250 sashes a year vs BE at around 35.
They literally have a championship for everything - ponies, Spanish, cobs, older riders, 3 grades at each level, quest, ROR, home nations, regional teams, u21s, forces and midway riders.

Not everyone aims for (or would be able to) qualify for championships shows.

 

[TPO]

Not everyone aims for (or would be able to) qualify for championships shows.

Why don't you work put what you want and focus on what needs done to achieve that?

Your dressage posts are usually negative. Can't win if you don't have a WB, held back because you're an amateur/work, no incentives, rubbish prizes, etc.

Others have replied over the years with solutions and suggestions. Other amateurs have had good success with horses that aren't purpose bred, they've posted pathways to champs, "sub sections" for different groups/ages/breeds and you've shut down everything I've read.

Now the complaint is not winning caps and water bottles? You don't want to aim at champs and even BDs attempt to make a level playing field (gold/silver/bronze) doesn't work for you.

Do you know what do you want? I'm not competitive and, when I don't have horses that are trying to die, I'm happy just to be making progress in any training and trying to be better than I was. I know that judges vary but if dressage was my thing I'd be happy working away at home and testing it at comps and using sheets as feedback to focus in future training sessions.

This isn't an attack. I just think you need to figure out what you want to do/achieve and then how to make that happen. You seem to be stuck in a really negative and pessimistic rut; at least when it comes to posting on here. That sort of mindset will keep you there and in a negative cycle.

It's so easy to take things for granted. You've already done things that others can only hope to do. Milliepops, that used to post on here, didn't have WBs and she was legitimately training GP with a very, very tricky and sensitive cob that she restarted aged 9. You don't need a WB and good judges don't mark badly because you're not on one. Lots of other have posted about their positive dressage/BD experiences on here too.

I can already predict the response but it's honestly not an attack, perhaps an attempt to nudge you out of such a negative outlook that is ultimately only hurting you.

 

[ihatework]

What do you want MuddyWellies?
A rosette for coming 6th out of 6 for example?
I’m really trying (but struggling) to see what your issue is with the competition run by our national body of an Olympic discipline - obviously it’s focused on competition and therefore the people participating are too.
Or those that aren’t too bothered by the competing aspect are happy just to rock up and do their thing.

There are a gazillion of things to qualify for if that’s your thing, you don’t even have to be particularly good to qualify for some of them! If it’s not your thing that’s fine too - maybe look at dressage camps instead if you just want to go out for fun.

 

[Tiddlypom]

When we were BD’ing we were in the area where lots of top riders took their young horses so Gold would have CDJ for example in it so the prize money was rare but good fun to have competed in an elementary against Gio.

I competed pre the Gold, Silver and Bronze era when it was all open classes at elementary and above,

I once competed in the same class as Stephen Clarke at both his and my horse’s first affiliated Elementary class. Me and my chunky little super cob came a close second to the maestro under a List 1 judge.

Admittedly my horse did the best test he ever did by a long way and Eternal Spirit was young and very green, but still.

I’m never one to hanker after getting a trinket for being less bad than the others, I like to aim high, even though I usually fall short.

 

[JFTDWS]

I do have to disagree there.
BD has record membership and numbers competing, so definitely not unpopular or low attendance across the board.

There's very clear and easy to understand qualification paths for a myriad of championships at national and regional levels from intro to GP- literally everyone has something they can aim for if they choose.

Also on the prize front, I love BD as you win actual cash!
Ok so it might be £25 winnings against a £24 entry but I'll take that over a dandy brush.

This. I have loads of issues with dressage, but it’s hard to deny that BD are doing something right just looking at the shear number of people out there competing.

Breed / type championships were a positive move, plus all the areas / regionals etc, team quest, music classes… there are loads of options.

And even as a very average competitor on a native pony, before there were native champs, I took home prize money from time to time, and I definitely preferred the occasional free class to a random, usually unneeded prize.

 

[LEC]

I have qualified for more doing BD than I ever have eventing or BS with considerably less effort. I am not even that competitive BD and I am far from riding a fancy dressage horse. I have spent 20 years failing badly eventing. BD I have gone to quest champs and CT champs all on club membership. I even quite enjoyed it and it definitely upped my training and test riding. I was shit at the champs but that actually made me up my game!
I think BD do the best job for riders as a national body and I am far from a dressage person. I also spend a considerable amount of time moaning that BE should be more BD….!! Regional co-ordinators being one thing BD do well.
Sure it might not suit you, so find something else but BD is the closest thing you will find to being an egalitarian equestrian discipline.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

This is not constructive particularly but reading this thread made me chuckle about me 2nd out of 2 rosette from e-riders for one of their 'highest placed awards'. For an essentially well done for participating prize, it was a very nice frilly to receive unexpectedly in the post!

 

[doodle]

BD is always packed and busy round here. Affiliated always busier than unaff, for example 2 days of BD and half a day of unaff. Lots of things to aim for. I agree that usually gold with the money, however at bronze we have actually won a fairly full section. I also like to write for judges and I love how even up to the top levels there is a huge amount of different types of horses doing well.

 

[Muddywellies]

Deleted

 

[j1ffy]

I view 'normal' dressage comps as a test of where I am in my training and hopefully a step towards a championship - the venues around me give away rosettes like confetti and I usually hand them back. I wouldn't want prizes of plastic water bottles and random caps as I'm sure a lot will end up discarded.

Having said that I've just entered my first BD class since 2021 and it was £32 plus booking fee...ouch! It will give me an incentive not to drink too much at my OH's birthday dinner the night before I suppose

 

[Muddywellies]

It was just lovely to see such engagement from the sponsors who stumped up all the little fun prizes. It doesn't matter specifically what the prizes were (and yes I guess they would end up in the bin which isn't very 21st century) but it all just made if look fun. Thinking I should drop the dressage and go back to gymkhana games