Blewbury today... call me sour

Exactly what today was - a day's holiday!! I still stand by my point, why put an established horse in a 90cm class, and sorry teh 1.20 arguement doesnt stand in my book, it's jumping that in its events, so would expect at home its jumping bigger more complicated fences anyway
 
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Why on earth would he be wanting to qualify an intermediate eventer for a 90cms class?
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It might be for sale and selling a horse with a qualification an amateur can use may increase saleability and price.

He might seriously be aiming it at scope - yes you only jump 90cm in the first round of a BN but the regional finals start at 1.05 and the JO can go up to 1.20 - for which you need a horse and rider capable of a hell of a lot more than going round a 90cm course. If you are seriously trying to qualify, then you need a horse with experience round tracks bigger and more complex than intermediate BE to do well. So not at all inconceivable that someone should take an intermediate horse out at BN to try and qualify for the regional final and the final - in fact it makes a lot of sense to me, especially considering you actually win decent money for doing well BS!!
 
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I'll eat my hat if he jumps it at Scope
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Care to have a wager?
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Not really - the point is that all he is doing is making it more marketable (if it is for sale) - it can jump DC round BN, it has a qualification an amateur can actually use, but if someone wanted to do something more than Blue Chip with it, they have a horse with a track record round big enough courses, without the notional money to stop them getting to know it round smaller courses - which seems like good business sense to me.
 
Can I be pedantic and say the BC qualifiers are for the show at Hartpury, which is local for Paul. I doubt he would go to Scope either as that is oop North for us Southerners
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I cannot decide on my side of the fence on this one. I know him and he isn't a pot hunter so feel he wasn't out to piss people off. He is within his rights to enter. It is a useful qualification. You also win money at BS and all riders have to make a living.

If I had been there and come third, so missed a qualifying place would I have been pissed off - yes, probably, but for no good reason.
 
But why does it need a track record of jumping round a small BS course when it has a track record at Intermediate BE?



P.S. Take a joke..



ETA: or do you mean it will be more attractive to an amateur show jumper if they know it can jump intermediate
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But why does it need a track record of jumping round a small BS course when it has a track record at Intermediate BE?

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Some horses are dangly and careless over small stuff.....
 
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But.. would an amateur show jumper really buy an Intermediate eventer? It just doesn't add up in my eyes. What was the horses name Julie?

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If it was careful enough and couldn't go up the grades or keep on going XC then why not?

What if this horse injured itself between its last run last season and now, or has some other issue which stops it going XC, but is careful enough to go and be a SJer to whatever level? I know this is just speculation btw!

The horse and rider were eligible and it's affiliated so you expect to be up against pros - suck it up - we all miss out on things because the pros are better than us, otherwise clearly I'd have handfuls of N points and would be qualified for the Novice champs at Gatcombe.....
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So there were 8 places to qualify and you wasnt in them?
Your blaming this on ONE rider that had 2 horses in the line up - 2 horses that ARE just as eligable as yours is in that class.

Im sorry but thats life - ive been pipped by pros that have no intention of jumping the finals - but, as they are eligable for the class then so what?

I also work full time and keep my horses on DIY livery and i work anti social hours to keep them but im sorry this post smacks of sour grapes!
You didnt qualify, so go home and think where you could have turned tighter / gone faster to get a place - and put it into practice next time.

Getting wound up about a pro doing well really isnt worth it.
 
Personally I dont see that he did anythng wrong, both he and the horse were eligable so why shouldnt he compete. A Pro rider has to make a living from what they do so in my eyes to go HC and forefit any chance of prize money just doesnt make sense.

There may be many reasons why the person in question entered this class, the horse has come back from injury or a winter holiday and needs tuning up or as has been mentioned the horse may be forsale and he is opening up the market to as many people as possible.

Its unfortunate that you missed out on a placing due to a professional being there but surely that is the whole point of competing affiliated? you are up against the best so the sense of achievement when you win or do well is even greater!
 
Yes!

Sorry to be blunt but i think most horsey poeple who work full time and compete, work damn hard.........

If you don't want to play with the pro, simple don't affilate. I love competeting against them as they should beat me every day of the week not matter how young, inexperence or experenced thier horses are!. So when i do beat them it's fabby

So why worry about things you CAN'T effect and just worry about the stuff YOU can effect which is how your horses are going and jumping and as for everybody else - hay ho.......
 
Haven't read all of this but used to love competing against top eventers when I show jumped - a highlight was beating Lucinda Green and Regal Realm (prob in a Newcomers) with my little mare who cost £800 and was kept at a farm DIY. I appreciate they were there for schooling rather than trying to win the class but it still counts!
 
I had a horse who competed at IN and Int (once) eventing. Its show-jumping record wasn't horrendous and I also jumped up to Foxhunter on it but had limited outings so consequently was still eligible for BN.

For various reasons we had a small show-jumping crisis at home and I took it out several times at BN/Disco to regain confidence. Looking at its BE record at the time you would have thought I was (legally) pot-hunting, however I had my reasons and at that point the horse would no more have jumped a 1.15/1.20 than I could have done on my own two feet!

During that time I won a Disco with Ellen Whitaker in it. Do you think that she went home moaning about the pot-hunting intermediate eventers keeping her out of the places?
 
Sorry about joining in a bit late here, but thought i would just add my point.

Like you I have a full time job and only a year or so ago had a part time job also. I only have one horse which is on diy livery.

I have tried for 3 years to qualify for the Blue Chips, going to every venue within 2 1/2 hour radius. I also just missed out a couple of times by pros, qualifying more than one horse.

Now this year i finally made it. Ok i only came 7th but it was out of 70 and i even pushed one of the pros out of a quilifying place myself.

And believe me it felt a hundred times better than coming first with hardly anyone there and no pros. I felt i achieved something.

I went to watch at the Blue Chips last year and if you think the courses are small and easy, they are not. Even the pros in the final were having trouble. Also it is good exposure for the pros selling horses.

Also the BN is for horses to not have won £100 not riders, so if he is allowed to compete then he should. I'm jumping newcomers now but when i have problems and things are going wrong, i drop him down and go unaff for a couple of weeks. To me that is not pot hunting but some may disagree, as i'm allowed to compete, i will.

That ended up quite long
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'BE is irrelevant as much much easier than BSJA, they don't have related distances or anything complex'

PMSL! Unfortunately if only there was a couple of random fences dotted around a field! Would make it much easier.
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I dont think teh courses at teh final would be small and easy at all - am not unrealistic, and if my horse was jumping NC I would not take it unaffiliated if there was an issue unless it was H/c - the same as I would not atke my mare unaffiliated unless it was HC either.
 
I'm with the majoriy here.
Don't see a big issue, you want to jump affiliated then you play by the rules and accept you'll be up against pro's.
If you don't want to be an also ran - then up your game
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FWIW - event sj has a primary aim of jumping clear. Although timed horses don't have to jump fast. BSJA however ultimate aim is fasted clear .... horse may be intermediate but it doen't stop a nippy nobody from beating it.

Turn the sour grapes into a nice wine and enjoy your competing!
 
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'BE is irrelevant as much much easier than BSJA, they don't have related distances or anything complex'

PMSL! Unfortunately if only there was a couple of random fences dotted around a field! Would make it much easier.
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That's what I thought Lec! Either that or we're just picking the wrong events?
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I dont think teh courses at teh final would be small and easy at all - am not unrealistic, and if my horse was jumping NC I would not take it unaffiliated if there was an issue unless it was H/c - the same as I would not atke my mare unaffiliated unless it was HC either.

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Just because i jump newcomers doesn't mean i'll walk away winning every class unaff. If it doesn't have a winning restriction or bs restriction on the class then why can't i? I've been to some local unaff outdoor shows in the summer to give him a break and have some fun and there are plently of unaff riders out there that can beat me hands down.

Just because you can jump big doesn't mean your any good against the clock, and anyone can make a mistake, it only takes one pole to fall.

Your only as good as the competition your up against.
 
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I feel that he has every right to compete. I dont compete affiliated, never have, never will, it's way too high for me to start with and I just dont get the fun factor waiting around for such large classes and just really dont understand what the fascination is! But that is only my opinion.

It sounds as tho you would prefer unaffiliated, there are much better opportunities if you are keen to qualify for something, much more variety, so many unaffiliated championships now, in ALL disciplines including eventing. If it miffs you that much, dont bother re-registering and come to the OTHER SIDE!!

To be honest most people work full time. We have 4/5 horses, I work full time, one 10 year old daughter and most of affiliated stuff SJ wise in our area is during the week, even if I could jump the height I simply couldnt fit it in or afford it. Affiliated to me is for the pro's that want to improve their horses or sell them on.....cannot see the point of it for what I call keen amateurs, there is so much more out there than affiliated stuff.

Having spoken to people from both sides of the fence it appears the ones having fun every weekend are the unaffiliated guys, much more value for money, choice of venue, etc etc.

Maybe an idea?

Back on track, It wouldnt miff me in either case if a pro wanted to compete in the same class, it just makes me up my game a bit more. Whats the point in a compeititon if there is none!!

And from sounds of it you didnt touch the other 6 people in the class either so not sure what your complaint is about this chap having 2 in it??
 
OK. So I was there yesterday.

JulieH, there were about 30 starters, 21 clears in the first round. I know for a fact that you did not have to go fast to qualify, as you would at a normal qualifying venue. If you could not finish in the top 8 yesterday you really do not stand a cat in hells chance in the final.

Also, speaking to paul yesterday, he like me, did not even know it was a blue chip qualifier until he got there and someone told him. He went, he jumped, he placed.

Knowing Paul, I am sure that if he was to read this he would be gutted for you. He is a decent bloke and would not knowingly put someone off.

FYI, I did not qualify so I am in the same boat as you. I would have loved my youngsters to have placed, but really am not that bothered. I would not have taken them to the final.

And yes, I was up at 5 too, getting the yard done before leaving.
 
I dont see the issue. Remember a lot of eventers have their weakest phase in Sjing, they are probably having their first outings after a winter holiday, and would get whinged at even more if they went and did an unaff class at 90cm as a confidence builder
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Pro's have to make a living too, so it doesnt make sense for them to compete HC at an event they are well with in their rights to be competitive at. I know some eventers that literally have to start at baby levels to get confidence up at the beginning of the season, yet are jumping 2*.

Deal with it, their are always going to be people better than you, and worse than you. That is competitive riding. You wouldnt have looked twice if it was an un named rider jumping their Intermediate eventer round.
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