Covid affecting 2021 fixtures

[milliepops]

Just spotted on FB my local county show is cancelled *next* year already.

Anyone else seeing casualties for next year?

Had sort of hoped to take homebred for some showing experience as it's so local and the horse rings are fairly quiet. Oh well!

 

[PapaverFollis]

The Highland Fling ultra running race has cancelled for next spring already. Basically pre-empting the risk of having to cancel and let down suppliers etc. Not seen anything about horse stuff yet but I don't really do any outings so am not paying attention. Only know about the Highland Fling cos lots of my Facebook friends commented on their post. It was mostly positive comments supportive of the decision! No-one wants to train for something like that and have a late decision to cancel!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Trouble is with big events is they take a lot of time and planning. A lot of money, effort and design goes into them. Rather than risk the chance of going ahead on reduced numbers or even cancelled they would lose too much. So the show field could be put to other uses for a year and bring some sort of money in. The insurance premiums won't need paid. Sponsors money wont be having to be taken or given back. Competitors entry fees etc. Better to go now that before they get in too deep and don't have the money to pull themselves back from the brink.

As sad as it may seem it is probably a good thing all round.

The Highland Show has put out a plea for £2million. They are claiming covid but things haven't been right with their finances for a few years now. Plus they have just built a brand new £5million members pavillion that has stood empty and unused since.

 

[Muddywellies]

I'm still baffled as to why they haven't cancelled olympia yet ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I'm still baffled as to why they haven't cancelled olympia yet ?

Because Covid is going to go - hud the bus a second! It's Christmas! Let's spread goodwill and cheer and I will do my part by taking a holiday too and I will see you all again in the new year!

 

[TPO]

Plus they have just built a brand new £5million members pavillion that has stood empty and unused since.

In its defence it was booked out and there was a wedding planned for the week lockdown started iirc. COVID scuppered all the bookings because it would have been a good earner. It's a cracking building too.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Saw earlier burghley is already cancelled?

 

[TPO]

Saw earlier burghley is already cancelled?

For 2021?? ???

 

[Flowerofthefen]

For 2021?? ???

Yes. One of my fb friends posted it. I vaguely know her so assumed it was right .

 

[TPO]

Yes. One of my fb friends posted it. I vaguely know her so assumed it was right .

Burghley website still saying it's running 1-5 Sep 2021??‍ ??

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Burghley website still saying it's running 1-5 Sep 2021??‍ ??

I looked it up as well!! Have messaged her to find out where she got her info. It's so far away tho that anything could happen!!

 

[Lexi_]

We’ve been told at work that social distancing is in place until at least September 2021, so I wouldn’t be surprised. I don’t know how profitable the big events are when you’re running on reduced spectators?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Friend just sent screen shot of the cancellation of burghley

 

[criso]

Not horsey but Larmer tree festival has cancelled. I expect others to follow and some probably won't come back

 

[scotlass]

The Highland Show has put out a plea for £2million. They are claiming covid but things haven't been right with their finances for a few years now. Plus they have just built a brand new £5million members pavillion that has stood empty and unused since.

Did you see they're also using Ticketmaster for ticket sales from next year? They were planning to this year until that got cancelled. That will add an extra fee onto the already extortionate prices.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Did you see they're also using Ticketmaster for ticket sales from next year? They were planning to this year until that got cancelled. That will add an extra fee onto the already extortionate prices.

No I never saw that! Along with a lot of people cancelling their memberships and won't be renewing as it has shot up so much in such a short space of time the Highland may well be short lived from now on in. A lot of people emailed to cancel their membership at the end of last year when the cost went up again, same as the year before and still the Highland took the direct debit and it took a lot of fighting to get it back.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Nothing on the official Burghley twitter page about the 2021 event being off?

 

[SOS]

Friend just sent screen shot of the cancellation of burghley

Can you share this? Nothing at all official been put out so I’m hoping scare mongering! Why do people share things without verifying?!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Can you share this? Nothing at all official been put out so I’m hoping scare mongering! Why do people share things without verifying?!

Looks like it's the burghley fb event that has been cancelled not actually burghley (yet)! Phew!

 

[Bernster]

Badminton feels like it’s very early in 2021 and could easily get cancelled the way things are going ?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Trouble is with big events is they take a lot of time and planning. A lot of money, effort and design goes into them. Rather than risk the chance of going ahead on reduced numbers or even cancelled they would lose too much. So the show field could be put to other uses for a year and bring some sort of money in. The insurance premiums won't need paid. Sponsors money wont be having to be taken or given back. Competitors entry fees etc. Better to go now that before they get in too deep and don't have the money to pull themselves back from the brink.

As sad as it may seem it is probably a good thing all round.

The Highland Show has put out a plea for £2million. They are claiming covid but things haven't been right with their finances for a few years now. Plus they have just built a brand new £5million members pavillion that has stood empty and unused since.

I very much doubt that organisers will be able to insure against cancellation for next year, either. It seems like a sensible precaution but it may be that some of the smaller, easier to organise shows, like RC ones will benefit if things are able to be held at fairly short notice.

 

[Wheels]

It's not all that surprising I dont think. Nothing has really changed and the big events cant risk there being any sort of restriction on crowd numbers. Even busier, smaller events mean a gathering of too many folk.

Not sure what it's like in england but here in NI entries have been very low for a lot of shows over the summer

 

[dorsetladette]

Talking to the lady who organises the horse section of our county show yesterday, she was asked if 2021 would go ahead and her answer was simply 'I don't know'. Our locl county show isn't until September but with not knowing what restrictions are in place that far in the future its all very uncertain.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I very much doubt that organisers will be able to insure against cancellation for next year, either. It seems like a sensible precaution but it may be that some of the smaller, easier to organise shows, like RC ones will benefit if things are able to be held at fairly short notice.

I meant insurance for the show going ahead - public liability etc wouldn't need to be paid if it was cancelled this early on. No insurer is going to cover cancelling for covid now.

 

[ester]

I'm still baffled as to why they haven't cancelled olympia yet ?

They must have heard you, cancelled today.

 

[southerncomfort]

Our big agricultural show has been cancelled for 2 years in a row already (last year the showground flooded). If they have to cancel next year's show too then I don't know if it will survive. Its incredibly important for the local farming economy so I really hope they find a way to keep going.

 

[MagicMelon]

I think its really sad about The Highland Show and the fact they have to ask for £2million to ensure it runs next year. I get that it must cost a fortune to run things like this however why are they specifically out of £2million from cancelling this years show? Yes, they built that pavilion thing but otherwise with everything else cancelled surely they didnt have to pay for it all, or their insurance covered it? Their staff must have been furlough so that wouldnt have cost them anything. I'll admit I rarely go to the show these days, cant face the traffic jams getting in and its all a bit too exciting the one time I competed there on a nutty Welsh Cob. But be a real shame to lose it too.

Ive not heard of anything horsey in my area cancelled for next year yet. Im not sure why the agricultural shows couldnt run just on a smaller format without spectators, I know spectators bring in a huge amount of money but they could just run them for the competitors only. Any money is surely better than none.

 

[scotlass]

No I never saw that! Along with a lot of people cancelling their memberships and won't be renewing as it has shot up so much in such a short space of time the Highland may well be short lived from now on in. A lot of people emailed to cancel their membership at the end of last year when the cost went up again, same as the year before and still the Highland took the direct debit and it took a lot of fighting to get it back.

They tried that with me the year before last, but didn't dare last year. I suspect they will always get the public foot fall - and the livestock / equine entries, but if they wish members to help pay for the new pavilion, they're going to have to start treating them better than they have over the last five or so years. The Ticketmaster idea isn't a good one - and one which I imagine will take the cost of an adult day ticket over the £30 mark.

Given membership works out more or less the equivalent of three days tickets and get a fourth "free", that would put next year's membership around £90 + £8 per day for parking.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

I am so frustrated with this COVID stuff now. Our Government should be ashamed of itself for keeping everyone isolated and scared. Its about time the main media stop scaremongering and ruling this country and things got back to normal. There is no second wave coming, there is no significant increase in deaths from CV19 (the increase currently being spouted by the media is from the fact more people are being tested so of course there is going to be an increase in reported cases!) our NHS should be back to concentrating on other health issues rather than this obsessive focus on one virus that literally hasn't lived up to its expected 'wipe out the human race' apocolypse!

 

[southerncomfort]

I'm sorry but while I share your frustration, I cannot agree with you.

Over 40,000 people have died and if it weren't for lockdown that figure could have been as high as several hundred thousand.

This year has been dreadful but if missing the odd show, and not being able to visit my family for a few months means that lives can be saved then it is a very small sacrifice to make.

The government have made mistakes, but by keeping the lid on the virus now we have a far better chance of returning to some kind of normality next year.