Clear round s/j comps - sorry got to rant!!

[Ash the arab]

Went along to local venue for some clear round jumping - wish i hadn't bothered!!
According to the schedule it would start at 60cm and go up by 10cm every hour.
The plan was to take my friend for the first class then come back and pick up Joe to do class 3 and possibly 4.
Everything was fine first thing, friend had a couple of nice clear rounds, i checked that it would be running to the schedule and off we went back to the yard to change horses.
On arriving back at the venue at 11.15am i found they were walking the course - great i think - must be about to start class 3. But NO, it was class 2

.
I hung around and hung around, and come 12.30 when they weren't half way through the numbers on the board i gave up!
I did 20 mins in the warm up area with Joe and went home at 1pm (still no where near finishing class 2)

Now whilst i appreciate the money to be earned in the lower classes, way can't they stick to the schedule or maybe give a start time for the larger classes - 2pm for example?

Just a waste of a day for me

(we aren't particulary good but 70cm on a 17.2 - even a baby one - isn't really enough!!)

 

[Seahorse]

Hiya! How annoying, I hate hanging around like that.

How is the big lad?

 

[Ash the arab]

Joe is great as ever - making my hunting debut on wednesday with him

Had a jump clinic with him yesterday and whilst he didn't do anything wrong he was def. having a 'green day', i suppose it is too be expected with youngsters. Hope he is feeling a bit braver next week when we are in a Oliver Townend Clinic

 

[Seahorse]

Cool, I bet you can't wait to go hunting on him! I'm doing some more dressage on wednesday with Axey 2 tests this time, P10 and P18.

Hope you have a great time

I'll be thinking of you having fun!

 

[Ash the arab]

Lets have some proper pics this time please!!

 

[Seahorse]

OK I'll fully instruct Vicky on how to use my camera this time then

 

[nomini]

That always happens to me too! In schedule says class will start at a certain time, when you turn up they are running about 3 classes behind schedule, is very annoying!

 

[susan_w]

But that is the thing about showjumping, isn't it. The show venue, never has a clue how many are going to turn up.

I could understand your annoyance if they said that they were going to start class 3 at 2pm, and they started it at 12, but I don't see how it can work the other way around. Do you expect the show centre to refuse entries, because they've got to start the next class by 11 for some competitors that may not even turn up.

As a show organiser, I often feel that the competitors will complain regardless of what you do - they moan if it's raining, they moan if it's hot, they moan if it's indoors, and they moan if it's out. Sometimes, you just can't win.

 

[Rambo]

I agree with you Susan...there's not much you can do if you get huge entries turn up. I do think it's nice of venues to say that a later class will start NOT BEFORE a certain time...and in fact a few more seem to be doing that this year

 

[lisan]

I went to do the Clear round and 75cm class at Myerscough unaffiliated last sunday. By the time the juniors had finished the 75 class was running 4hrs late

It seems very rare jumping runs on time! I just wish they did seniors first, rather than waste a whole day waiting around!

 

[Ash the arab]

I do agree with you Susan.
MKEC usually have a 'not before' time for later classes to start, and whilst they still might be running late, it does give you an idea of when to arrive.