BE Prizes In Kind... best, and funniest/worst you've received?

kerilli

kerilli

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A few of the comments on the ERA Forum thread about topics for ERA to take to their meeting with BE got me thinking... someone mentioned getting a Likit treat bar as a 2nd prize for BE100...! I'm sure I heard ages ago on here about someone 'winning' an apple, or did i dream that one? also of 'winning' vouchers for something that were being given away free elsewhere! Hoof pick and dandy brush stories also dimly stir in my memory...
So, best/worst prizes at BE please.
btw, i totally agree with the point put forward over there that the prizes should really be of a minimum monetary value, and as even as possible across the sections...
 
for winning a BE90 section i won a GP white square (which doesnt fit any of my saddles due to the cut!) which i saw the following week for sale at £15 or 2 for £20!!

ultimately was better than nothing and the event was otherwise brilliant but when it was a sponsored section and the PN sections had leather headcollars i felt a tad hard done by!! Where as my only other prize was for 6th and was a tub of hoof moist stuff which retails in most places for £10-15 which I was actually rather pleased with! :) and the other prizes upwards in the section were very generous with 1st place worth at least £50-60 by looks.
 
kerilli said:
A few of the comments on the ERA Forum thread about topics for ERA to take to their meeting with BE got me thinking... someone mentioned getting a Likit treat bar as a 2nd prize for BE100...! I'm sure I heard ages ago on here about someone 'winning' an apple, or did i dream that one? also of 'winning' vouchers for something that were being given away free elsewhere! Hoof pick and dandy brush stories also dimly stir in my memory...
So, best/worst prizes at BE please.
btw, i totally agree with the point put forward over there that the prizes should really be of a minimum monetary value, and as even as possible across the sections...
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A mini tube of Colgate toothpaste!!!

This was of course the perfect prize for celebrating coming 2nd at Goring a couple of weeks ago! :D :confused: I think everyone who was placed got one - very odd and rather amusing! To be fair, it was accompanied by a packet of polos for very clever horsey, and a voucher for an online equestrian shop.

I have also won a single ice boot... I wasn't too impressed with that one! I have had the usual sweat scrapers, hoof picks etc too.
 
It may have been me that mentioned the apple? I can't remember who it was now who told me, but they received an apple for coming sixth :eek: :D

One local HT near me (in march time) used to give easter eggs as prizes - great prizes! I Think prizes don't have to be of minimum monetary value - you can get boxes of chocs for less than a fiver - just have to have a little thought put into them if they can't afford to spend much money :)

I'm thinking jams etc made from fruit from whichever farm/estate the event is held on - actually they sound rubbish don't they!
 
I think all you who spend thousands doing BE are incredibly hard done by! For coming 1st you should get prizes/money that equates to equal value or greater than your entry fee at the very least...BE do need to look at BSJA when it comes to prizes. I would go as far as to say 1st to 3rd should win cold, hard cash.
 
I was thinking about all the decent things I have won this year - and all the really good ones have been unaffiliated :o

Unaff 80cm - 3rd - Set of NeoIce bandages and refill pouches
Unaff 80cm - 2nd - Silver box with enamelled star on lid from HiHoSilver
BE90open - 2nd - photo frame and voucher for picture
Unaff 90cm - 5th - nothing
Unaff 90cm - 2nd - £54
Unaff 1m - 2nd - lesson voucher worth up to £50 (that I can't use as Aston le Walls is so far away!)
BE100open - 2nd - cheque for £33ish
BE100open - 10th - nothing

Last year he won some lower level prize money at 100 and N (never enough to even cover entry fee) and a roma saddlecloth for being 5th in a N = £20ish.

ETA: I was formerly so hopeless that I went for about 5 seasons and collected 1 rosette for being 9th in an intro because everyone else fell off XC or some other disaster. So I am disproportionately pleased with even getting a rosette this year! Looking over that list, there's nothing much there to be too disappointed by - though the cheap saddlecloth is beginning to look a bit tired!
 
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The best I have had was from winning at Mattingley a few years ago. I got a cut glass rose bowl which is lovely and when prizes are like that, I prefer them to the cash! It takes pride of place on my mantelpiece - the toothpaste won't be joining it!
 
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My sister last weekend at West Wilts won for coming 5th in a Pre Novice..... 2 bottles of liquid handsoap! WOW!!!! Especially galling as the other sections for coming 5th got leather headcollars. 6th also got handsoap.

My Brother in law got a training day with Eric winter for coming 3rd in a BE80, which he did really enjoy.
 
so far this season we've won:
a rosette for 6th at Tweseldown (unaff 80cm),
£55 for 2nd at Mattingley (unaff 90cm),
£33 and a £10 voucher for an online saddlery for 2nd at Borde Hill BE90,
a rosette for 7th at Rackham BE90,
£70 and a voucher for a free photo for 1st at Borde Hill unaff 90cm.

more than I've ever won at dressage but has probably cost me 4 x as much in entry fees and diesel.
 
I waited once as new was going to be top 5 at ascot under wychwood, and could see lots of bags of prizes :) I ended up 5th and won.... A loaf of bread!
It was sweet really as it was an 80t so don't think they are required to give prizes at all and came with a hovis cake tin, but as a little confusing to open the prize bag and be confronted with a loaf of hovis!
 
ecrozier said:
I waited once as new was going to be top 5 at ascot under wychwood, and could see lots of bags of prizes :) I ended up 5th and won.... A loaf of bread!
It was sweet really as it was an 80t so don't think they are required to give prizes at all and came with a hovis cake tin, but as a little confusing to open the prize bag and be confronted with a loaf of hovis!
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My favourite so far :cool:
 
If only the toothpaste and the bread had been combined in one prize....both nutritionally sound and looking after your teeth ;)

DD I can't believe that's what your sister won! They were giving out really decent prizes on the Friday - people were winning bridles, leather headcollars etc.
 
I have only been placed a handful of times BE.. (not for a while though!)

5th at Firle Place Intro (2004) - £10 voucher for Horses In Sport
2nd at Munstead Intro (2006) - Weatherbeeta fleece rug (all the prizes were on a table and you got to pick, 1st place wasn't there so I had the pick of the bunch!)
8th at Stonar School Intro (2006) - just rosette (from memory prizes I saw were tack shop knick knacks, leadropes, face wipes etc)
6th at Mattingley Intro (2007) - A lovely silver star shaped paperweight with the sponsors name on it

Sounds like not much has changed!! :)
 
My favourite has been for winning a novice, I got an etched glass paper weight, a voucher for the event photographer to get a photo from the day plus a cheque :)
I do like to receive the odd little things you get as prizes in kind, to me they are then a nice reminder of previous achievements.
Many years ago I won a really cheap whip for being placed in the prenovice at Sansaw, and I was quite gutted when a friend dropped it in a pond and we couldnt find it!
My least favourite thing is to get vouchers for money off specific products - I know this is generally due to sponsorship, I got £15 off blue chip feed at Stafford but I dont feed it.
I was gutted at Llyanymanech to see the winner got a bottle of wine (especially as she was under 16!) ... until I realised I had an envelope with a cheque in - £33, not bad for 2nd in a 90, brought my own wine :D
 
i know that events rely upon sponsors for prizes but i agree with weezy that given the cost to compete there really should be some sort of ruling about prizes- certainly if you come top 3 i do think you should be somewhere near getting a refund of your entry fees/ a decent prize. fair enough that lower placings get little 'token' prizes- am fine with that. i've only ever won rugs and numnahs BE- oh and £42 for coming 2nd which nowhere near covered my entry fee.
 
I think the vouchers for photographs from the event always seem like a really nice touch and TBH I think most people would be happy with that from 1st-6th plus money somewhere near your entry fee for 1-3rd and increasing size from 6th-3rd IYSWIM?
 
5th at Twesledown I won a bright orange baseball cap! - just my style, NOT!!
2nd at an open HT I won a leather headcollar, which was nice.
I've won a set of polo bandages, a lead rope and a few nice frillies.

The best 'prize' I won, was at a HT at Larkhill, where we went clear, but ''somebody'' had forgotten to time me through the timed section. As an apology, the organiser refunded me the entry fee, and gave me a bonus of £10 as a sorry! It equated to the winnings, which I was pleased about as the likely hood of me winning wasn't that high due to the sheer numbers in my class. Very nice people, don't get enough of them sadly.
 
Do you really not have to make your money back for a win? Wow.

Mind you, even that can be tricky. I once won a section of Prelim (equivalent to Novice) in Ontario, where you are supposed to get your entry back, and both the other section winner and I go a cheque for a very random amount (less than entry) and a bag of treats from the on site tack shop valued at some totally delusional amount! :mad: We did raise a fuss and the Steward intervened and made them make it up in cash! :)

BEST prize ever was a winter blanket with a sponsor's logo. They did a whole series so there were half a dozen of these blankets kicking about and we all used them as much as possible in public for years. :)

Embroidered coolers and saddle pads are very common prizes in North America and generally very popular, although you really can't use more than one or two coolers!

I quite like bowls/cups/engraved stuff, although I understand why people go off them. They're surprisingly cheap to do though, if you use one of those corporate outfits.

Photo vouchers are a good idea. And I bet a deal can be struck by the event for that.

Sponsor's stuff is tricky. I can see why giving feed is popular but surely most companies know you won't just go home and feed something new? That said, I did win a HUGE barrel of a basic supplement once and started using the product because of it.
 
My worst was a lilac leadrope for coming 7th in a PN.

The best was my son winning a £50 voucher for coming 3rd at an unaff 2 day event

I did get an apple at B&W for being placed, think we also had some plaiting bands and the apple was because the sec had too many windfalls or something. Horse was happy.
 
I dream of winning an embroidered rug, and more randomly (and more uselessly) a sash. The trouble with rugs is, if it isn't the right size I won't use it....but I would love them to take my details and get one done in the right size! Obviously I'd actually have to win something to get it though....
 
Best - £100 last year at Beckwithshaw for second :D and I must say that they give superb prize money every year so deserve lots of credit for that
A Subaru rug 25 years ago, still going strong now :D
Some Wahl clippers/trimmers at Richmond for 4th in a reg final, probably about 8 years again still in use :D

Worst - Sponge for 3rd in a PC open section ODE
BE - Mouse mat, printer cartridge refill voucher!!!!! Noromectin waterproof leggings, last seen on Dad selling sheep at local auction ;)

Can't beat toothpaste though lol;)
 
Mrs Pink said:
Best - £100 last year at Beckwithshaw for second :D and I must say that they give superb prize money every year so deserve lots of credit for that
A Subaru rug 25 years ago, still going strong now :D
Some Wahl clippers/trimmers at Richmond for 4th in a reg final, probably about 8 years again still in use :D

Worst - Sponge for 3rd in a PC open section ODE
BE - Mouse mat, printer cartridge refill voucher!!!!! Noromectin waterproof leggings, last seen on Dad selling sheep at local auction ;)

Can't beat toothpaste though lol;)
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LOL at 'a sponge'?!!!!
 
The rule states:
3.15 Special Prizes
iii. The value of any prize in kind must not exceed the amount of the upperlevel prize. Prizes in kind may only be awarded in BE80, BE90 and BE100 if approved by the Regional Co-ordinator and must be of an equivalent monetary value to 50% of the the lower prize limit for those classes.

Which basically means 1st prize at intro/PN must be equivalent to £17.50 (half of £35)- £66. they were very generous with the valuation of my saddle pad!!

Edit actually looking at that that is incredably stingy. at novice the lower limit is £67 up to £115 for 1st prize. The majority of competitiors compete at intro/PN and yet we have the worst prizes by far and even if we do get the upper limit prize money (extremely rare) and did win you still wouldn't be getting your combined entry/start fee back!!
 
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seriously the money we pay to do BE can they not do better than a loaf of bread and a tube of toothpaste?! jeeeezzzz... i recently got a cheque for £33 coming second at Burnham Beeches. Didnt even cover my fuel! lucky I dont do this as full time job ay!!! :D
 
Actually, one of the most useful things I ever won was a really cheap plastic grooming thing. Horse hates being groomed, I've never seen anything like this before or since, it is flat, with a strap on the back for my hand, and is plastic strands all sort of woven into each other (like the metal scratch pan cleaners if that makes sense). I use it every day because its the only thing horse tolerates to get the mud off!
 
SpottedCat said:
Actually, one of the most useful things I ever won was a really cheap plastic grooming thing. Horse hates being groomed, I've never seen anything like this before or since, it is flat, with a strap on the back for my hand, and is plastic strands all sort of woven into each other (like the metal scratch pan cleaners if that makes sense). I use it every day because its the only thing horse tolerates to get the mud off!
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I have one of those, don't know where I got it from (i didn't win it though I know that much!) and its brilliant :D
 
I think it would be a nice idea to give BE vouchers as prizes - i.e. a % off your next entry. Not sure exactly how this would work as I'm not in the know as to how events run financially. But I would certainly appreciate something to ease the pain on my credit card every time I make an entry.

I guess this wouldn't suit everyone either but just an idea :D (notice my very white teeth - thank you Goring!)
 
I got a beautiful purple rosette for coming 6th at Shelford BE90 that is in pride of place for our first one!

My 34 year old veteran pony won me £56 cash on the day for winning 2 veteran classes at Newark & Notts, i'm always massively in profit with him!
 
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