Blewbury today... call me sour

sam-b

sam-b

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But when an international event rider takes a lorry load of horses, including at least 1 who has been placed 3rd at Intermediate goes to do the BN (which they probably wont even take to the final as will be eventing) and I am just pushed out of the top 8 and they have 2 in there i feel slightly bitter.

Maybe it's the 5am start, the 2 jobs I do to keep my horse and pay for lessons, not to mention the 200 mile around trip on my lorry on my own that has got a it much, but I am rather disapointed. If my horse was capable of jumping clear round BE Intermediate tracks I would not be entering a BN regardless of it being allowed....
 
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Did they not go HC? That's shocking... who was it?
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Things like this annoy me
I've competed against Intermediate horses at unaff restricted prelim (although the rider was not a pro)
And lets not start the whole Georige Spence entering the 75cms CT at west wilts again ...
 
Blue Chips have not gone to plan for that exact reason(people taking qualifing places who have no intention of going to finals when others really want to) this year for me (one lady was even telling everyone how she had no intention of going to the finals only minutes after picking up 3 of the places
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I just think its really wrong - fair enough on a young or inexperienced horse, but please, an intermediate event horse jumping a 90cm class is a bit much - especially when its not even having issues sj!!
 
Maybe I am in the minority but if the horse and rider are eligible for the class according to the rules then I always think they have as much right to be there as any other competitor
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Of course if someone is competing on a renamed horse (rigger) for example that is totally different.

At the end of the day these professionals produce horses for owners or to sell on as a living themselves so need to build up a decent record in affiliated competition.

I am honestly never bothered if I am beaten on the day by whoever is eligible to me that is what a competition is about.
 
But why take up places in a qualifier at BN level when in it's normal life it's competing successfully over much higher and more complex courses? If the horse can jump 1.20 competitivley then why jump a 90cm class? That would be like me entering the local 2'3 / 2'6 - I could, but why would I want to when my horse is jumping BN / Disco successfully??
 
I've not a problem with him doing the class - he's allowed to, and just because it is intermediate it doesn't mean it can SJ.

I do get annoyed at people who jump qualifiers with no intention whatsoever of ever going to the final.
 
Well why is really up to the owner or rider isn't it? It may be coming back after its winter break or he may be building up the horses affiliated results or it may need its confidence built up after an issue that has occured at home. Who knows and whatever the reason if he is riding within the rules it doesn't matter - that's always been my opinion. Each of us is entitled to choose best fitness plan to get horses ready for season ahead.

I have competed against world class eventers on their top horses in Newcomer and Foxhunter classes before and sometimes even beaten them
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All part of the challenge to me.
 
I suppose with qualifiers people sometimes do it to add to a horses value. They may decide to sell it at a future date either with the qualification still available or just to prove ability. Agree a bit unsporting (or at least annoying to fellow competitors) perhaps if they were loudly announcing to all and sundry they had no intention of going!
 
Like I say, working 2 jobs and a 5am start to then be pipped to the post doesn't leave me amused when it is a horse of that record, and am sure if it had issues at home they would be sorted at home, I am only assuming he would not be at the final btw due to eventing - I could be wrong.

I checked it's record - trust me, it show jumps...
 
Hey don't be bitter - when competing BSJA you do compete against professionals and there is no point going to the Blue Chips thinking its a walk in the park - all classes generally have a Pavitt sister and almost all are professionals

I work a full time job, I'm not as fit as I ought to be and I still qualified for the Blue Chips

I for one do not want BSJA dumbed down as I enjoy beating the pros!

Paul Tapner based on the Glos / Wilts border and has every right to qualify his youngsters!
 
My point is - its not a youngster, I waould say an 8 year old who is gaining 3rd placings at Intermediates is pretty established...
 
So? That's BE which is irrelevant to BS?

To be eligible for the Novice it must not have won £100 notional BS, which I am guessing it hasn't otherwise he will get fined

You could be up against Tim Stockdale/ Whitaker's it makes no difference for the Blue Chips, that's the beauty of them. Qualifying is a real achievement.
 
My point would be - why jump in a qualifier if you have no intention of attending the final?? Was there a 90cm Open there as well, though that leads me to the question 'what would it teach an Int horse (which SJ at 1.25 I believe) to jump round a 90cm course'???

Of course any horse can need a 'sweetener' round now and then, but thats like my OH jumping our Nov mare round at 2ft. Her technique would not be improved I would guess, as she could chip in to every fence.

Just my thoughts - don't expect anyone to agree??

Fiona
 
But if it's out jumping a BE 1.15 track why jump a 90 cm BS course, I have done both BE and BS courses and would not drop what is essentially a couple of classes between the 2 - I could go and enter a 75cm trailblazer class, but why prevent someone else from getting there as to whom it would be a genuine achievement when for us it wouldnt be?
 
Agree completely Fiona, like I say I dont know whether he would be at the final or not - I just cant see it when he is eventing for a living, but the fact is its an established Int horse, and yes, there was an open 90/95 class....
 
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But if it's out jumping a BE 1.15 track why jump a 90 cm BS course, I have done both BE and BS courses and would not drop what is essentially a couple of classes between the 2 - I could go and enter a 75cm trailblazer class, but why prevent someone else from getting there as to whom it would be a genuine achievement when for us it wouldnt be?

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There are a million and one possible reasons, and I really don't think that we should judge others who are eligible for the class if they choose to jump in it assuming we don't know what has gone on behind the scenes.

As an example: I was pretty horrified to see a fairly well known 4* rider against me on a well established horse in unaff prelim dressage. Of course she won by a country mile, leaving people feeling a bit miffed round the scoreboard. A couple of years later I interviewed her - turned out she'd had a spinal tumour, been told she'd never walk again let alone ride, had no sensation below the knee in one leg and every time the horse moved in a vaguely unpredictable way she fell off.

So unless you happen to be intimately involved in the life of the horse and rider and know for sure they could have been going round the fox class, probably best to reserve judgement and assume that there was some issue which needed resolving - you won't feel any better for being bitter, it won't change the result, but you will feel bad if you make a discovery like I did! So why put yourself through it. And so what if he made it look easy - he's a professional, it's his job to make it look easy even when it isn't.....
 
Seeing as Paul is in Highworth and finals are Hartpury I would think there is a fiar chance of him competing as very local. Plus if you want to sell a horse, much easier if it has a ride to the finals.

BE is irrelevant as much much easier than BSJA, they don't have related distances or anything complex. The 1m BS jump training I did was easier than a BN, so 1.15m is more like a disco. Therefore not really out of the question that the horse should be competing in a BN and the blue chips are supposed to be a tough course (Addington BC 1m sorted a field of 110 to 2 double clears!)

The chap is within the rules, only 2 places out of 8, so why couldn't you beat the other 6 people??

Even if you don't qualify if its local to you why not go to the blue chips? There is a 1m class each day and its fab experience.
 
Because most of those in front of me were also professionals, but probably not on such established horses I would say, and I think being within the top 10 when I am holding down both a full and part time job to fund my horse (who is on DIY I might add) and plus have a house to keep etc is not bad going, but I am never going to beat someone who is riding at such a level and does it for a job - some realism please!
 
That's just defeatist; if you don't want to compete against pros go enter something like the Shires Unaffiliated Championships

I've got short legs, I'm fat (ish), I pivot on my knees, my reins are too long, I cannot afford a pre-made horse so bred mine for £300 and my job means that I only ride a few times a week and ride in the dark

Short comings are nothing but excuses!

Try the amateur championships, as most of the pros don't bother with it, and less prestigious than the blue chips. Generally there are 60+ and you have to be the top 10% to qualify.

Start thinking more positively!
 
Only I am affiliated - so I cant....

It's not defeatist, its realistic, I work from 7am till 5, and then 7 pm til midnight, most nights of the week, not an excuse - a fact, also horse was not ready made - it had not jumped at all until I had her towards the end of last year, anyway I am not here to justify myself, or why today I didnt win, was raising a point - if he had been on a young or inexperienced horse I wouldnt have an issue, to me a novice class should be exactly for that - novices, whether novice riders or novice horses
 
I agree JulieH. Completely different if he was jumping a youngster/un proven horse - but a horse jumping at intermediate shouldn't be getting qualifier places in a 90cms class.
 
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Sorry but i think you're all just playing devil's advocate! He should have gone HC in my opinion.

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Why its BS they are the rules. he is within his right? Why should he HC when the intention was to try and qualify the horse? There is unaffiliated and riding club if you don't want to do BS.
 
If you want to do second rounds and do well you really do need a horse that is comfortable over 1.20 .The courses are usually put right up in the jump offs .Our horse qualified second round and was completely overfaced by it
 
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Only I am affiliated - so I cant....

It's not defeatist, its realistic, I work from 7am till 5, and then 7 pm til midnight, most nights of the week, not an excuse - a fact, also horse was not ready made - it had not jumped at all until I had her towards the end of last year, anyway I am not here to justify myself, or why today I didnt win, was raising a point - if he had been on a young or inexperienced horse I wouldnt have an issue, to me a novice class should be exactly for that - novices, whether novice riders or novice horses

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Then enter classes which restrict the entries in a way which seems fair to you - you know the rules of BN same as anyone else....and why shouldn't he try and add value to a horse which may be for sale by having it qualified? Or would you honestly not do your job in a way you'd found to be successful just because it upset someone else who did what you do for work as their hobby?
 
Worth noting in the Novice at last years blue chips there was only 5-8 double clears out of 120+ with placings to 25th. My horse freaked out at the tradestands in the arena, the final is 1m with a larger jump off.

Saying that you work x hours to keep your horse doesn't really have any bearing here. You entered to compete against the best, you took your chance and hopefully got your entry fee back. If there were less than 60 in the class you had it easy and wasn't the normal weekend qualifier with all the hungry people that work through the week and compete only at weekends.

If I compete midweek, its a days holiday and due to the nature of the work can only take it off at a time to suit my employer.
 
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