Can't get my head round MERs and reverse qualifications

Ahrena

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 June 2007
Messages
1,902
Visit site
Okay apparantly I'm too thick to understand the rule books so would be amazing if someone can clarify for me.

I want to do a 1* on my horse (CIC to start with, we def don't have the MER for cci yet)

But I'm not sure if we're eligible.

In 2013 we obtained the MER needed to do a CIC 1*

We didn't do anything in 2014 due to first injury and my mum passed away so eventing just didn't happen.

I've recently moved him back up to novice. I'm having to relearn how to ride him at this level and each time out we've gotten a couple of stops xc. I don't mind because we're doing this very much for my personal reason of just wanting to do it for the experience; he's very genuine and capable and happy to do the job if I ride him correctly. If I don't ride him correctly, he stops. I don't want any debate whether my ambitions are stupid lol because I have discussed this in great depth with my instructor and he approves of me trying to do this.

Anyway basically; do my MERs from 2013 count?

also the back end of 2013 (when the horse had an unknown injury) and earlier this season we had several eliminations due to accumulated refusals. I'm not sure if those count as reverse qualifications or if that's only relevant if the eliminations are at international level?

Just trying to get my head round what we need to do if I want to do the 1*, that's all.
 
MERs do not expire now, so your rounds from 2013 should be fine

Reverse qualifications only take account of eliminations in FEI competitions....so you should be OK there too!

My only thought would be that, as you are only just re-establishing yourselves at Novice level, I, personally, would want the mental security of a recent MER to prove to myself that we were ready! The XC is of novice dimensions, but at some venues, the technicality can be more of an Intermediate level, & sometimes the questions come up a lot quicker than you think!

Good luck!
 
Fantastic thanks!

Agreed that would be ideal, we're making massive improvements every time out, just planning ahead a bit (and just need time to sort out FEI registrations ect) Even if we go without an extra MER I would be going completely ready to pull up if necessary.

Edited - I was thinking south of England ideally, if we aren't ready then Aldon. I can't find any course pictures for SoE so not sure what it's like.
 
Last edited:
FEI registration very easy/quick....just download form from BE website, fill in, scan and email to BE....sorted within a few hours!

XC at SoE goes right down the big hill , usually has a bank to an angled skinny in the main car park, .....in general, approx a half step up from the normal novice if I remember correctly, but mostly fairly obvious, but up to height.
There is a video head cam on you tube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FKtY0HGSC94. Hope that works!
 
Ooh blimey wasn't expecting him to fall at the end!

That's great, thanks! Looks tricky in places but doable - our issue at the moment is xc he very much relies on me for confidence, which is fine, as long as I ride him strongly he'll jump anything but then he starts to feel quite bold and nice, we get through a tricky combination and I relax too much, take my leg off and then he stops - so actually combinations/skinnies ect are fine because I ride them more assertively, it's then the plain log that I let my guard down on that he throws a stop in! So that's my aim for our next outing, but thanks a tonne for that, very helpful!
 
Agreed that the XC for a CIC* can vary, but they would always need considered a top end Nov and don't forget the SJ will be 1.15m for all of the fences or certainly most of them.

I have clicked through to your blog as it is on the bottom of your post, and I mean it kindly when I say I would get more established at Nov and perhaps even drop back down to BE100 to get things together before considering a CIC*

Good luck with the rest of your season.
 
My blog is very behind :) we've come a long way since then

As I said, I've discussed this at great length with my trainer (4* rider). It's very much only penciled in, we have a while yet, and if we did go it would be very much for our own reasons, not to be competitive.

At this stage, I purely wanted to check the Qs as if it's totally off the cards it changes my competition schedule ect ect, he won't be going if I'm not happy we've sorted out our issues and he has a reasonable stab at it. I'm very fortunate he's not a horse who will jump from a bad spot, he'll stop, so our chances of being hurt are minimal.

So thanks but trust me I'm bearing that in mind, at this stage it feels like an unobtainable aim but we've
Made HUGE progress in the last month and I just needed to check the facts before working out the next part of my entries, thanks.
 
Top