Can you help? bright ideas needed!

[cornwallexracers]

Hey guys,

Just wondering if I can pick your wonderful HHO brains!

Have just been to the riding club AGM, who have decided that unless we as a club can come up with some ideas that they will be shutting up shop, as we've had such appalling turnout this year. This is a real shame as the club has been going for over 30 years, and is really friendly, they've also been about one of the only ones that have supported our exracer classes in the past.

Now I know that in the current climate that people are picking and choosing what they do, but we've got local people driving a 60 mile round trip to go to a show, rather than coming to the riding club thats on their doorstep.

So anyone got any bright ideas? What type of things do you like to do, what showing classes, what other stuff do your local riding clubs do? How do they get new members?

As I say, any ideas will be gratefully recieved, we have a week to come up with something.

(Also in New Lounge)

 

[Lolo]

The RC we're involved in was having similar problems- we moved venue and opened everything up so there were no members classes. There were walk/trot dressage tests added, and the jumping starts at a 55cm clear round, with a crosspole working hunter class in the showing ring. They also advertised all their shows quite a lot in the newspaper and on websites. It worked. But I think the change of venue was one of the biggest factors...

 

[Sneedy]

Why don't you ask your members what they want? Maybe send out a questionnaire or start a Facebook page and get some feedback?

Does the club have access to indoor facilities to run some training clinics during the winter?

If you run dressage or sj'ing why not have some sort of accumulator / winter series to encourage more loyalty?

I really believe the best thing you can do though is ask your members what they want from THEIR club!!

 

[Pocket_Rocket]

Sorry to hear this. Maybe people don't likethe venues/instructors the RC is using? Maybe it would be a good idea to send out a questionnaire to all of the members asking them what they like about the club, what they dislike, how things can be improved, which instructors/venues they prefer or can they suggest new instructors/venues that the RC don't currently use. Then once you have the feedback you can go from there and see where the RC is going wrong? Maybe a few sociable events would help give the club a boost to?

 

[cornwallexracers]

Thanks, I actually suggested a questionaire at the AGM, but some of them seemed to pooh pooh it. I actually think unless they do that then they're not going to know what people want to do! And not only to members, maybe drop some in at local livery yards as well?

 

[MissSBird]

Questionairres are great in theory, but you'll be lucky if you get 4 returned to you unless you're going to stand over people and force them to fill them out.

I think the key is making sure you're offering people what they want, at a competative rate. No one is going to go showjumping at an average venue at £10 a class when the excellent venue down the road is offering the same for the same price or slightly more.

I think Lolo's club has the right idea. There's a lot competative amateurs can do these days outwith riding club - Club BS, BD and BE all offer levels now that are within the grasp of most people. I think riding clubs need to make sure they are providing for the people below that - who just want to potter around at dressage with a nice judge who isn't going to be extremely critical, or those who quiver at jumping 60cm. The local rider who just wants to enjoy their horse, rather than the competative amateur who has set goals (and nowadays doesn't need to rely on riding clubs to access trainers/training/competition). This might mean dropping some competitions in favour of ride outs, horse back treasure hunts, games nights etc.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Honey08]

Do you know what kind of things members are into? Do they event/dressage..?

Could you organise some winter talks from famous riders? Clinics?

Shows - which are popular? Could you try some new things - mini ODEs etc. This year I organised a 2' XC clinic for people that were really nervous and novice - they said that they felt like there had been nothing aimed at real novices until then..
What kind of qualifiers do you have? A lot of non-members come for them. What are your entry fees like? One local rc to me has put entries at £5/class members and £7/class non-members, so I don't go to them much! Another riding club does massive rosettes, which tempts a few people!

If people are driving miles to go to other shows, does it mean that the courses are not very good perhaps? Something must be putting them off. My nearest RC changed show organisers a few years ago, and they had never really done much course building so the courses were poor - especially for those with green horses!!

 

[Lolo]

One big attraction of our RC I think is that although the courses and things are smaller (though they also do SJ up to 1.05m and dressage to Elementary with a few Medium classes) is that all judges are listed, and we use BSJA accredited course builders so you know you'll get judged fairly, or go round a decent course.

 

[Nosey]

Don't know what riding clubs you have near you missbird but ours has members that are v diff from those you describe. Lots of our members are v competent at aff. Level too just enjoy the support & companionship that the club gives. We do lots of subsidised training with top trainers & fun things like spook busting wiv mounted police officer..talks on things like sports psych & comp at decent levels too. We are successful in a variety of non rc events & make a positive choice to be part of a rc not just cos we are incapable of doing anything else!

 

[MissSBird]

Don't know what riding clubs you have near you missbird but ours has members that are v diff from those you describe. Lots of our members are v competent at aff. Level too just enjoy the support & companionship that the club gives. We do lots of subsidised training with top trainers & fun things like spook busting wiv mounted police officer..talks on things like sports psych & comp at decent levels too. We are successful in a variety of non rc events & make a positive choice to be part of a rc not just cos we are incapable of doing anything else!

I never meant to imply that those in RC couldn't/are incapable of competing at affiliated level. And our riding club does have members like those you describe, including some members at very high levels.

But, certainly round here, it's always the smallest classes that are the busiest - prelim/novice, 50/60/70 showjumping. Go any higher and the entires tail off dramatically. The busiest shows are often the ones advertised at being aimed at novice combinations.

I can only speak from my personal experience, most people in riding clubs are looking for something a level lower than affiliated, to bring on their own skills, a nervous/young horse, or simply to enjoy a less pressurised situation.

 

[chestnut cob]

How do you advertise / publicise the stuff you put on? I joined a local RC last year but never actually went to a single thing because they NEVER update the website, don't actually advertise anything, don't send out newsletters and don't appear to have an email list (bar the odd one saying "you all need to volunteer to help at events". So I didn't go to anything because I didn't have a clue what was on, and I wasn't about to keep chasing them to find out when I could do other stuff locally. I joined that particular RC because they said they did a wide range of activities yet the only competitions they seem to run are dressage.

When I really delved into it, the lessons they put on didn't seem (to me) to be very good value... £10 for 40 mins with 4 other riders, with an instructor I'd never heard of. I'd rather pay £25 to my usual instructor and go to her for an hour of undivided attention.

So I think you have to look at the stuff you're putting on, make sure it is what people want, and then advertise it.

 

[maresmaid]

Presumably if you have "members" they have paid a membership fee and fully intended to take part in club events during the year - something is either happening, or not happening, which has changed their mind.

I have to say that the first thing you should do is find out what your members want, and I would be a bit worried about a committee that was complaining about lack of support from members then poo pooing asking the members what they actually want to do! - No members = no club!

I do agree that the questionnaire might not produce much response but calling an extra ordinary general meeting - telling the members that this is THEIR club and that their club was likely to be disbanded due to lack of support, then inviting people to come along with their ideas, might give you something to work with. I would advise that such a meeting is chaired very diplomatically - if people are offering reasons why they don't attend your events, and the committee gets defensive about all their hard work not being appreciated, you could end up with a lot of very unhappy people, so it needs to be kept very constructive and the committee need to be prepared to do a fair bit of listening, without taking things personally, after the meeting you could distribute a written summary of your conclusions to the members with details of action the committee is prepared to take and what the committee requires from the members in order to take that action.

for example

If members wanted more XC competitions you could outline how many members you need to volunteer to help at a XC comp and say you would arrange to run one when you have this many volunteers to help.

Spell it out to your members - the club is in crisis - use it or lose it.

 

[cornwallexracers]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I think the main things that have come from talking to different people are that its the same every year, hunter trials, showing & showjumping, thats it, dressage is non-existent, there's never anything new on the schedules that other clubs seem to be doing. Secondly, the commitee seem to be fairly insular, no-one can remember when anyone last joined it, and people have actually asked to join and been turned down, and not one of them is a rider!! Thirdly, we've lost all but one of our local venues through them being sold to non-horsey owners that don't want to bother with riding clubs, and the one that we do have has had the same XC fences since before I first rode it as a 10 year old (21 years ago!). So I've put my suggestions down on paper and given it to the chairman for them to consider, fingers crossed those that want to keep the club going in future will take them on board.

 

[wench]

What I want from my local RC:

Friendly people -which I have.
Near to home - I dont want to be driving miles to shows.
Cheap training - again near to home/yard - not in an evening.
Mix of competitions - which mine certainly does, but I cant get to any of them as they are all on weekday evenings.

 

[maresmaid]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I think the main things that have come from talking to different people are that its the same every year, hunter trials, showing & showjumping, thats it, dressage is non-existent, there's never anything new on the schedules that other clubs seem to be doing. Secondly, the commitee seem to be fairly insular, no-one can remember when anyone last joined it, and people have actually asked to join and been turned down, and not one of them is a rider!! Thirdly, we've lost all but one of our local venues through them being sold to non-horsey owners that don't want to bother with riding clubs, and the one that we do have has had the same XC fences since before I first rode it as a 10 year old (21 years ago!). So I've put my suggestions down on paper and given it to the chairman for them to consider, fingers crossed those that want to keep the club going in future will take them on board.

Sounds like you need some new blood on the committee. Don't you have an annual general meeting where committee members are proposed and voted on by the members? Take a look at your constitution and see what it says about the number of committee members and how they get elected. The committee runs the club FOR the members and should be elected BY the members, it can be a bit tricky to make a change when the same people have been doing it for a long time, if the present committee has been slogging away doing what they think is right it would be a shame to upset them and make them feel they're not appreciated, but times change and new people and fresh ideas need to keep coming through.

 

[cornwallexracers]

Sounds like you need some new blood on the committee. Don't you have an annual general meeting where committee members are proposed and voted on by the members? Take a look at your constitution and see what it says about the number of committee members and how they get elected. The committee runs the club FOR the members and should be elected BY the members, it can be a bit tricky to make a change when the same people have been doing it for a long time, if the present committee has been slogging away doing what they think is right it would be a shame to upset them and make them feel they're not appreciated, but times change and new people and fresh ideas need to keep coming through.

You're exactly right, trouble is every year they ask to be elected En Bloc, and no one dares say no, otherwise their card would be well and truly marked. My feeling is if there are people there that think its a waste of time, don't want to continue, close the club down etc etc, then they should resign and give others the chance. After all it is voluntary, no one is forcing them to do it!!

 

[Herts05]

What about something to entice people to come along so that you can drive enthusiasm. As everyone wants to save money (or release some cash), why not suggest a table top tack sale? You can then use this as a recruitment drive for your club and ask people what they want and what would persuade them to take part...


Hope you get this or something else off the ground and inject some new blood

 

[maresmaid]

You could always start a new club!