BE - cancelled event again

[MagicMelon]

Has something changed lately in BE's insurance policies? I haven't been eventing for about 3 years now, entered a BE event for this weekend and its been cancelled as BE have not given it the go ahead because the ground was wet. Now, ok the weather has been awful all day today but it could have improved (the forecast was for showers until the event so not horrific). BE also made the organisers cancel the event last year for the same reason. We are in NE Scotland, rarely is the ground perfect up here (and we're all used to that)! We have very few events up here anymore so I do feel this is a little bit mean to be honest. I remember riding in some horrific conditions a few years ago so they've definately changed something now. There are very very few unaffiliated / RC ODE's up here anymore either so eventing here is really struggling. The organisers I've heard (may be hearsay) may not run again due to these 2 cancellations which will be devastating as its a brilliant event and many peoples favourite. I understand BE have had safety concerns under the spotlight but I fear eventing will be destroyed if events can only run if the going is perfect...

I personally, have rerouted to another BE event (the only other one in my area) but I'm holding my breath as to if that'll go ahead being this time of year!

 

[PaddyMonty]

I think the main concern is often the ability to get emergency services on and off the XC course or any other part of the site, not so much the footing for the horses.

 

[LCH611]

I think the main concern is often the ability to get emergency services on and off the XC course or any other part of the site, not so much the footing for the horses.

This is correct. It isn't a decision that is ever taken lightly, but if emergency vehicles cannot access all areas of the site, it simply isn't safe to run

 

[Alec Swan]

So how do the emergency services (presumably ambulance) deal with out of the way call outs to farms and other sites? Considering the geographics of the area, are they not geared up for situations which aren't city centres?

Alec.

 

[MagicMelon]

So how do the emergency services (presumably ambulance) deal with out of the way call outs to farms and other sites? Considering the geographics of the area, are they not geared up for situations which aren't city centres?

Exactly. And sometimes the paramedics drive land rovers so surely those can get pretty much anywhere. The course in question only had 1 hill, the rest is pretty flat. The dress and SJ was on totally flat ground.

 

[shortstuff99]

They tend to use helicopters for the out of the way places which I'm guessing is very expensive to hire for the day

 

[Alec Swan]

They tend to use helicopters for the out of the way places which I'm guessing is very expensive to hire for the day

If a horse box can get to the site, why not a land ambulance? Is there really a need for air support, except in an assessed need and case? Upon an assessment by a qualified medic/doctor, air assistance can be summoned in very little time.

Alec.

 

[hairycob]

Horseboxes only need to get to the lorry park & if they need to be towed out it's just an inconvenience. Paramedics need to be able to get to & out of every part of the course.

 

[shortstuff99]

My reply was to your comment on how they get to farms, out of the way places (they use a helicopter) which is obviously impractical for horse events to have on hand if a land ambulance can't get to parts of the site. But will be called in dire emergencies. Sorry wasn't that clear.

 

[spacefaer]

I'm secretary of a local point to point. The on-site ambulance and the horse ambulance have to be able to access all parts of the course at all times. If the ambulance had to take someone off-site, we would have to halt racing until it returned, or another ambulance was called in to take its place. We can of course call the air ambulance, which only takes minutes, as we are close to 2 major hospitals. If the ground was such that the land-based rescue services couldn't gain access, we'd have to cancel. In the case of the air ambulance being called, the ground ambulance provides medical support and facilities until it arrives.

No argument, though - them's de rules!

 

[Wishful]

Not just the human ambulance - horse ambulance has to get around and tractor tow probably not acceptable either - would destroy the ground if had to go on course and very slow- so offroader (on suitable tyres) towing heavy trailer. Gateways will be most likely trouble spots.

 

[LCH611]

Yes, the paramedics and horse ambulance have to be able to quickly reach every fence on the XC course/every part of the site. To go ahead with the competition and just cross fingers that nothing happened in an inaccessible spot would be utterly irresponsible.

Also mud being transferred onto a highway is a major issue and once all vehicles have to be towed on and off site it is hard, if not impossible, to keep the highways clear for other road users to safely use.

 

[ajn1610]

I sympathise with you but they must have been convinced the ground is unsafe to cancel at this point. Remember it's also to do with emergency vehicles being able to access the course not just ridability. Plus I'd be very unhappy if I'd paid the huge entry fees and found that the conditions were in your words 'horrific'! At least this way you get most of your entry fee back and time to reroute. Personally I'd rather that than get there find I'm not happy and withdraw or having it cancelled very last minute when I've already spent time and money getting up and travelling.

 

[glamourpuss]

It is this situation that organisers are damned whatever they do. They cancel because it is considered too dangerous to run & people who really want the run & have mud loving horses are unhappy.
They run & people who consider it too risky to run withdraw & aren't happy because they've lost their entry & think the organisers should've cancelled. Rock & a hard place.

I think the recent cancellation of Burnham Market has frustrated a lot of people. They stated on their BDWP page that if entries were low they would only run one day. Then straight after ballot day they cancelled the whole event due to low entries. No warning. No message to competitors that if entries didn't increase they would cancel.
I know a few people were wanting to enter but waiting refunds from another event/pay day after the bank holiday.
Not a very good state of affairs IMO.

 

[glencol370]

Whats happened in the last 3 years we now pay an abandonment insurance premium. They get the insurance money if they cancel with a good enough reason covered under the abandonment insurance so why bother having anyone on the land !! We get our entry fee back less abandonment premium.

It is this situation that organisers are damned whatever they do. They cancel because it is considered too dangerous to run & people who really want the run & have mud loving horses are unhappy.
They run & people who consider it too risky to run withdraw & aren't happy because they've lost their entry & think the organisers should've cancelled. Rock & a hard place.

I think the recent cancellation of Burnham Market has frustrated a lot of people. They stated on their BDWP page that if entries were low they would only run one day. Then straight after ballot day they cancelled the whole event due to low entries. No warning. No message to competitors that if entries didn't increase they would cancel.
I know a few people were wanting to enter but waiting refunds from another event/pay day after the bank holiday.
Not a very good state of affairs IMO.

 

[MagicMelon]

Surely it shouldn't be up to the competitors to pay for the abandonment insurance? Shouldn't it be up to the venue to get insurance for this... I can't think of many other sporting events which make the competitors pay for it...

As it turned out, the weather continued to be pretty wet and horrible in the days after so by yesterday the ground was pretty horrible, in this case it probably was the right decision but they couldn't have known that back on Wednesday when the ground was fine. The main issue is that up here in Scotland we really do have very very few BE events nowadays, so the ground is probably rarely as good going as it is down south. It just means no events will run at this rate and more venues will stop doing BE all together. My fingers are currently crossed for my next BE event in 2 weeks time to not be abandoned - being held in September, its 50/50 as to if the weather will be good enough!

 

[Alec Swan]

……..

I think the recent cancellation of Burnham Market has frustrated a lot of people. They stated on their BDWP page that if entries were low they would only run one day. Then straight after ballot day they cancelled the whole event due to low entries. No warning. No message to competitors that if entries didn't increase they would cancel.
I know a few people were wanting to enter but waiting refunds from another event/pay day after the bank holiday.
Not a very good state of affairs IMO.

I'll admit that the lack of interest in the event has me a little confused. BM is a hard and chalk based track. During periods of drought, they scarify and loosen the surface in an attempt to loosen the going. We haven't got a drought, anything but, and I'd have thought that the going would have been near ideal, for that ground, so why so much lack of interest? Could it be the location, so far to the East?

With insufficient entries, the organisers can hardly be blamed for cancelling. Events are very expensive to produce, despite the free and donated labour of the stalwart supporters, and losing money makes for little sense.

I'd bet that those in the NE of Scotland could do with some of our free draining chalk!

Alec.