BE XC Start Box Rules?

Honey08

Honey08

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Hi. Just a quick question.

Are you allowed to walk into the box during the countdown? Does anyone know what the actual rules are? (I'm not competing this year, so haven't a rule book to hand..)

I've always done this with my fizzy mare at BE intro, usually being fully in the box by roughly 3 seconds to go, and have never had any starters say anything, however my friend did this in the BE100 at Stafford, and because she wasn't fully in the start box before 5 seconds to go, the starter restarted the countdown, insisting that she was in the box for the full ten seconds - resulting in her horse spending most of it on it's hind legs, and having a volatile, quite scarey start.
 
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not sure on rules but i've seen several enter at literally the last second! I do believe you have to enter safely aka at walk so you don't risk catching the horse on entry.

Personally Fleur stands quietly so I normally enter at the 10 second mark and stand still till 'go'!
 
when they say 10 secs i normally go in and wait...but if horse was naughty in there i would probably explain to starter that i couldn't stand and wait in there...fairly sure you don't 'have' to....
 
photo_jo said:
One of mine I used to lead in and then got on in the start box :eek:
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Wow! I think my horse would have gone over the first fence before I got my leg over!

I wasn't sure if there were any rules (probably are - they cover everything!), but it just sounded pretty harsh stewarding to me.
 
I have always entered close to the count down as all my horses have been a bit stuffy and I like to keep them moving. My sister has collapsed a start box before when the horse reared up over backwards as went in too early so guess that has stuck with me. I do circle close to the starter though so they know I am paying attention when it gets to about 45 secs I then start heading towards it at about 20 seconds and am in the box with about 10-7 secs left to go.
 
Honey08 said:
Hi. because she wasn't fully in the start box before 5 seconds to go, the starter restarted the countdown, insisting that she was in the box for the full ten seconds - .
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weird... don't know if there are any rules about it but have just checked our video from Stafford (Saturday) and they walked into the start box and cantered straight out so must have only gone in on about the '3' count.
 
Floss can be a tricky starter, she gets all excited and gets stuck and goes up if she has to wait.

I have to lead her and B around from 1 min or so, I always tell the starter what we are up to and promise them a trouble free start if they let me have my way! She wanders round on a totally loose rein, enters the box at 3 and is straight out, once in she just wants to get on with the job. If I don't lead her then B feels the need to pick up her reins for some control and the tension starts.

You do not need to do a standing start, you can just walk through. You may not canter through and you must start between the flags. Generally the starter will be fair and start the clock as the horse leaves the box, rather than on 'go', so it doesn't matter if you are a second or two early or late. However the clock will start and you will loose time if you have been told go and don't!

You DO NOT need to be in the box for 10 secs, however at one PC event this happened and the mare went up, luckily I was hanging on and anchored her.
 
You absolutely do not need to be in the box for any specific length of time - in fact I believe the rule is if you don't start when they say go, then the clock starts anyway and if you haven't started within a set time (isn't it 2 mins) then it is E - I am sure that is how Sharon Hunt got E at Badminton (though I suppose FEI may be different). I never go in before the starter gets to 5, however I walk (bounce/spin/jog) by the start box and every time they give me the next set of numbers I make eye contact and say ok or thanks so they know I've heard and am getting ready. There is no way I'd go in any earlier than 5, sometimes I go in on 4 or 3.

Did you see this happen to your friend? I would guess there is more to this story than meets the eye as I can't see any BE starter being unaware of this.
 
Starting
i. The start box will be approximately 5m square. It will have an open front and
must have entry from a gap on one or both sides of about 2m through which
competitors may enter. The gap(s) will be protected to prevent injury. The start
box will be marked with a red and white flag at the front;
ii. Time is counted from the moment that the start signal is given or when the
nose of the starting horse crosses the start line, whichever is the earlier;
iii. Any horse which is ridden through the gap in the start box at a canter, or
faster, may be disqualified on the grounds that the Rider was guilty of inappropriate
riding;
iv. The starter will count down from five before the start signal;
v. If the Competitor has not crossed the start line after 1 minute from being given
the signal to start, he will be eliminated. Assistance within the start box is permitted
up to the start signal being given. Thereafter it is treated as unauthorised:
Rule 3.03 will apply.
 
I *think* it was the unauthorised assisstance bit that got Sharon Hunt - the helpers were fine until the starter said 'go', after which they were classed as outside assisstance. I think the time limit would have got her in the end anyway.

Fwiw I'm usually on babies and like to keep them moving forwards at all times. I usually go in on 4 or 3 and keep walking forwards but I do nod or say 'thank-you' on all the timings that I'm given prior to the 5,4,3,2,1 (similarly I nod to the dressage judge when they blow their horn).
 
Thanks all.

No I wasn't there this time, so didn't see it, but her dad was with her, and they're both people that I would believe, not inclined to exaggerate.

Perhaps she didn't say anything to the starter before doing it (although I though she said that she had). Bet she will next time! She did get a nice clear round after the start drama though.

Last time I did Stafford I was the last one on the course on my day, and I asked the starter if it would be ok to walk into the box as my horse was a bit silly, and he said "No.......(pausing and scaring me to death) I don't care if you come in backwards, I'm off home after this!"
 
I usually hover in walk on an older horse, walk purposefully through the back as the counter's on 3, pressing my stopwatch as I go, then kick on. Last year at Sandillion CIC all the foreign competitors got rather upset as the French riders were all going a mile back from the start and literally galloping through. They'd built the box with a massive gap on the back side so it was possible to do this, and you weren't given a count down, just told, "ok, anytime from now". Really messed with my head not having my 5 4 3 2 1, and I partially blame my inability to get past fence three on it!
 
i CANT stand in a start box on FH as he will try and kill anyone near him and then he won't leave :o So I trot/canter in on 3 or 2 and go. I have only been told off once but then the I showed the starter what happens and she soon let me do my own thing!
 
Honey08 said:
the starter restarted the countdown, insisting that she was in the box for the full ten seconds
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VoR said:
Starting
ii. Time is counted from the moment that the start signal is given or when the
nose of the starting horse crosses the start line, whichever is the earlier;
iii. Any horse which is ridden through the gap in the start box at a canter, or
faster, may be disqualified on the grounds that the Rider was guilty of inappropriate riding;
iv. The starter will count down from five before the start signal;
v. If the Competitor has not crossed the start line after 1 minute from being given the signal to start, he will be eliminated. Assistance within the start box is permitted up to the start signal being given. Thereafter it is treated as unauthorised:
Rule 3.03 will apply.
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The extract from BE rules suggests that, from the description given, the starter was wrong! There is nothing I can see in this to say that the horse has to be in the start box for the full countdown, in fact, it's not even clear that the rider couldn't be counted down, given the start signal and THEN walk or trot (but not canter or faster) into the box and start, it'd be THEIR time being wasted.
 
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