Eventing British Eventing EGM called

[JennBags]

Just had an email through from BE saying an EGM has been called as they've had >100 votes cast of no confidence in the Chairman and Chief Executive. Does anyone know the background to this?

 

[ester]

There's a long thread on twittereventing that mentions that the signatories were mostly organisers but the wording of what they sent hasn't in anyway been clarified though people are assuming money/IT reasons.

the big question is do you have the duff or correct proxy form

 

[JennBags]

Oh god how did I miss that thread? Been pre-occupied with other things recently!

How do I know if I've got a duff proxy form?

 

[ester]

There is another thread for the proxy form, you can't miss it as it is missing a lot of letters in the middle of words so it reads as nonsense!

 

[Velcrobum]

There's a long thread on twittereventing that mentions that the signatories were mostly organisers but the wording of what they sent hasn't in anyway been clarified though people are assuming money/IT reasons.

the big question is do you have the duff or correct proxy form

Could you post a link please??

 

[Tiddlypom]

Is a proxy form a postal vote for folk who can't make the actual meeting?

 

[ester]

No, it's not nominate someone else who is attending to vote on your behalf.

I'm pants at doing links off facebook as it's a closed group does this work?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Ok, cheers, thanks. I can't actually view that. I am more thinking ahead for if there may be an EGM for the BHS...

 

[Velcrobum]

Went to twittereventing and could find nothing is it a closed group?? BE have not as yet released any information about the details of the petition - only giving details on how to appoint a proxy. No good appointing a proxy if one does not know what is being voted on. Whoops missed Ester's reply. The link does not give details and I am not on FB so cannot join.

 

[ester]

Yes it is a closed group.

I think the crux of it is, BE have given no details and arranged it for a Monday. Will report back if anything more helpful appears!

 

[Velcrobum]

I have emailed Wendy McGowan requesting that details be published so that members of BE know what they might be voting on!!! Rather silly to invite votes if the voters have no information..............

 

[VRIN]

I have emailed Wendy McGowan requesting that details be published so that members of BE know what they might be voting on!!! Rather silly to invite votes if the voters have no information..............

I have been thinking the same. Its a ridiculous situation to be in!!

 

[ester]

http://www.britisheventing.com/asp-...t/news/default.aspx?section=59&itemTitle=News

 

[VRIN]

http://www.britisheventing.com/asp-...t/news/default.aspx?section=59&itemTitle=News

This still doesn't give us any background information -why is there no confidence? what has prompted people to sign up?

 

[JennBags]

This is taken from Twitter eventing:

British Eventing has received the requisite signatures of over 100 members calling for an Emergency General Meeting to have a vote of no confidence in the chairman Paul Hodgson and or the Chief Executive David Holmes.
Both were abroad at WEG at the time. Staff at Blenheim were allegedly told to keep a low profile on the matter. BE has not responded publically and appears to be getting advice from lawyers rather than comprehending that a significant number of its members have concerns about how it is led and where it is spending members money. Signatories include owners, top riders and International organisers.

The IT project is woefully late (and the current budget is unclear). The Entries Administration and Scoring system has not been delivered in 2018 as promised but will be trialled in 2019 and 2020 is the new expected delivery date. Over £300,000 is being spent on Commercial and Marketing and Training continues to run at a loss. The handling of replacement events in the Spring caused much dissention and there is long standing disquiet in the Under 18 programme which has been ignored.
It is anticipated that BE will show a loss again this year.

As against this members are facing increased fees in 2019; while this is understandable in face of rising costs for Organisers, Central spending has not been contained.

BE has faced EGM’s in the past when details of the Coral Cove doping came to light.
The date of any EGM has not been announced. It is to be hoped that BE will take this very seriously and hold an early EGM and not wait until the AGM. The selection of a date is important; BE should ensure this is away from busy competition weekends which will effectively dis-enfranchise their own members.
BE’s AGM is on 4.11.18 and there are 2 places open for new Directors. Nigel Taylor is standing for re-election and the other candidates are Simon Blake, Jane Chewins, Suzie Cotterill and Chris Tattersall.

Apparently there's also some talk about getting rid of the agrivators which are hired to events at a subsidised cost, and there are rumours that one of the directors is planning to buy them and make profits on hiring them out.

 

[DabDab]

Oh dear....perhaps time for a serious rework of the UK equestrian organisational structures.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Oh dear....perhaps time for a serious rework of the UK equestrian organisational structures.

It is certainly food for thought.....are we just expecting too much (especially given the force of SM) or it is time for the revolution?

 

[JennBags]

Oh dear....perhaps time for a serious rework of the UK equestrian organisational structures.

Yes, like many large organisations, the people in charge are often well intentioned but lose sight of what it is they're working for, it's a little like government. Rather than simply re-electing the corporate governance every so often, they need a huge shake up, but it means that all members need to be more involved, and usually, if people even cast their vote, it's for the chairman to vote for them, so big change doesn't happen. I'm guessing that the people behind the vote of no confidence have done it to get the membership talking and more involved, hoping for more involvement and change at the AGM.

 

[milliepops]

I agree there seems to be huge concerns and disquiet in the membership of many of the big equestrian bodies at the moment. I'm only close enough to BD to understand a bit of what's going on there, but I think it has been building for years. The front line staff seem to bear the brunt of the frustration of the membership on a day to day basis and that must be soul destroying. I think as well as fundamental change there has to be a more modern approach to engaging with the membership. Holding a single meeting one evening in one part of the country makes it impossible for people to see and hear first hand what is being discussed. There are complaints that we don't get involved enough with the elections etc but tbh the higher echelons feel so far away, and the organisation is so lacking in transparency that it's hard to know what difference it would make anyway. surely these days we should be able to have skype/webinars etc to get involved without needing to travel for hours to squeeze into a tiny room straining to hear. it's madness.

*dry laugh* oh, that would rely on their IT being up to scratch. I think we will all have a street party when (if!) the IT infrastructure gets sorted.

 

[Red-1]

I agree there seems to be huge concerns and disquiet in the membership of many of the big equestrian bodies at the moment. I'm only close enough to BD to understand a bit of what's going on there, but I think it has been building for years. The front line staff seem to bear the brunt of the frustration of the membership on a day to day basis and that must be soul destroying. I think as well as fundamental change there has to be a more modern approach to engaging with the membership. Holding a single meeting one evening in one part of the country makes it impossible for people to see and hear first hand what is being discussed. There are complaints that we don't get involved enough with the elections etc but tbh the higher echelons feel so far away, and the organisation is so lacking in transparency that it's hard to know what difference it would make anyway. surely these days we should be able to have skype/webinars etc to get involved without needing to travel for hours to squeeze into a tiny room straining to hear. it's madness.

*dry laugh* oh, that would rely on their IT being up to scratch. I think we will all have a street party when (if!) the IT infrastructure gets sorted.

I do find BD IT to be the worst ever. The online horse records are useless, especially when compared to BE where results are usually on before I even get home. Months behind and not very accurate.

 

[Velcrobum]

This is taken from Twitter eventing:



Apparently there's also some talk about getting rid of the agrivators which are hired to events at a subsidised cost, and there are rumours that one of the directors is planning to buy them and make profits on hiring them out.

I can make a very good guess as to which Director that might be who was also seen at WEG, I was rather surprised to see that director there apparently in an official capacity (wearing a team polo shirt) along side Chris Bartle and Dicky Waygood. Why BE did not put a simple statement out with the EGM announcement I really do not know as that would have then negated the need to subsequently issue a statement as a response to questions posed on social media mine included!!

 

[ester]

Yes I wasn't exactly sure who had said that post on TE and wasn't sure whether to post it on here without knowing. I did post it then wasn't sure!

 

[paddi22]

Just to broaden out the debate, do people agree that the way to crack explosive horses is to be super relaxed on them. personally, I think this isn't the case. I think explosive buzzy horses don't need to be tiptoed around and worked around. I think thats like shuss-ing a child and giving it rewards to stop crying, instead of saying 'look you just have to sit there till your homework is done!' Or someone who is scared of upsetting their spouse in case they get angry.

I love buzzy, reactive horses, I think they are the cleverest and often best types to ride. But they need a rider who just accepts that are like that and isn't intimidated by it. i don't think the key to clicking with an explosive horse is to relax - i think its figure out what triggers the horse when it acts up; boredom, boldness, pain somewhere, confusion in aids, wrong feed, not enough work, wrong kind of work. I'd be really interested to see if the OP went to a good instructor and just said 'what do you really think is happening here when this horse acts up?'

 

[ester]

wrong post paddi?

 

[DabDab]

😁😁 I completely agree with you paddi, but not sure it's strictly relevant to a BE EGM....

 

[VRIN]

I can make a very good guess as to which Director that might be who was also seen at WEG, I was rather surprised to see that director there apparently in an official capacity (wearing a team polo shirt) along side Chris Bartle and Dicky Waygood. Why BE did not put a simple statement out with the EGM announcement I really do not know as that would have then negated the need to subsequently issue a statement as a response to questions posed on social media mine included!!

I noticed one of the directors alongside Chris Bartle and wondered in what capacity they were there and who was paying for the trip..

 

[Tiddlypom]

Posted today on the BE Facebook page re the EGM.

 

[Bob notacob]

This is taken from Twitter eventing:



Apparently there's also some talk about getting rid of the agrivators which are hired to events at a subsidised cost, and there are rumours that one of the directors is planning to buy them and make profits on hiring them out.

What exactly is wrong with that ?If I saw an organization dumping a valuable asset I would also try to buy it .

 

[JennBags]

What exactly is wrong with that ?If I saw an organization dumping a valuable asset I would also try to buy it .

The question to ask is, why are they dumping the valuable agrivators? They are certainly needed, and used; so are they being encouraged to get rid of them (at, one assumes, a much reduced price) to a connected private enterprise in order for said connected private enterprise to then make profits out of them? That is the point.