BE price increase!

[Amber_mael]

I'm shocked by this seemingly unjustified increase in EVERYTHING! I run a small yard and have a couple of very dedicated owners who run their horses with me on a shoe string. How am i to explain to them that if they thought it was expensive last season to compete their horse, then next season will be worse!!!!!
Most of them nearly choked when i told them how much it cost for their horse to run at a BE event last season, compared to the unaffliated ones over the same course! What extra are they now paying for?!? Not prizes, as at the lower end of the scale intro and PN (sorry BE90 and BE100!!!) prize money is a rareity and as one of my friends discovered at the beginning of last season, a minor place at a BE event can win that coverted of all prizes.... an apple!!!
Once this gets out, as it seems to have sneaked up on us, i feel that there SHOULD be outrage. BE you are pricing out the very people who keep you running!
I would like to say that I am not just a rider but also a dedicated volunteer chief dressage steward to my local international horse trials and have been for many years as i feel i should put something back into a sport that has suppiled me with many fun moments, but at this rate i will not be able to spare the time from being a freelance instructor and rider, as i will have to work all hours just to be able to afford to compete!
BE, it is not very often i feel the urge to write something this long winded but i feel as a small time competitor i must put forward the opinion of other people in my position

 

[rebmw]

I have to admit I've heard the prices are going up but I'm too scared to find out exactly how much it'll cost to go eventing next year.
I had my first season this year and managed to fund one event a month. I'd love to be running every two weeks and it would certainly do my young horse the world of good to keep getting out and about, but what with cost of fuel on top of the pricey entry fee I really can't justify/afford it.
I understand why they've put entries up to cover the cancellation policy and obviously a lot of work goes into running an event but I think it would be a good idea for BE to publish a break down of the cost of your entry and where it all goes, so we can understand why it is so expensive.

 

[bennsboy]

Does anyone know if, with the huge price increase will we actually get a full refund for cancellation or still lose a % of our entry fee?

Also I believe membership is going up, with only a £5 concession for joining online, has anyone else heard this? and what about day tickets any price hike with those?

I am convinced that many grassroots members will now be outpriced and unable to compete at BE level anymore. Surely there will be knock on effects such as events being under subscribed and I should imagine events could run short on volenteers, if I am no longer competing I will offfer help at unaffiliated events instead of BE as I do now.

Another grumble, wouldn't it have been nice of BE to send their members an email underlining the price increases, not just letting us find out via rumour and then the 2009 event calender.

A VERY fed up BE member