covid and competing

[racebuddy]

morning everyone

hows everyone feeling re competing

i am finding its working out very expensive for competing for just 2 min in the ring , literally turn up , jump and go ,

good points are you know when u are jjumping so havent got horses waitnng around for hours on the lorry

bad points

not much time to work in
not as fun , havent a clue if u need to go slow . fast to get in placings , best bits is lap of honour and that doesnt happen now , especailly at stay away shows they were the best part ,

very difficult times and its hard as sport does need to keep going but everyone watching therer money and i have been getting more enjoyment out of arena hiring and getting a good jump , horse is older now and knows his job so doesnt need the benefit of show atmospohere ect ,

my pan is to do this until dec/ jan and see were we are and then re register bs if shows still going ahead ,

hes a buzzy competition horse and thrives on being out , so with the threat of poss full lockdown hes not easy to keep settled so hes finally happy he can get out jumping , gallop work ect , on the plus side its been nice just to have few months of fun no pressure of chasing qualifers up and down the country , but hoping we get some sort of season next year but not actually hopeful as wales havent been allowed to open .

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I feel fortunate to compete in what I consider to be a luxury sport during a pandemic.

If I feel it is not worth the cost and experience, I won't go. Simple. I'm not entitled to competing or a certain completion environment.

I'm waiting for tighter restrictions to come again, but comps are mostly done with here aside from the very odd indoor. Mostly swapped over to riding clinic season now.

 

[scats]

I do dressage but I’m quite liking it with the covid rules! You take a large SAE to the venue and leave it in the office and they post out your sheet/rosettes. Results appear on horsemonkey throughout the day.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

It's worked wonders for me. Mare is green out competing and the warm up would just blow her mind. I think seeing that many horses in one place took her back to her hunting days and she would completely tense up and lose all concentration. So having smaller warm ups has meant she's gradually got used to more horses being around.

But this is just local unaff stuff, I can appreciate for the more serious shows the cons probably outweigh the pros!

 

[Roxylola]

I like it, you were always paying for 2 minutes in the ring really and it was always expensive. I like quieter warm ups, in fact I think it would be ideal if you had a young horse to get them out now so they get used to being out and about without all the extra goings on.
I've been lucky enough to get some competitions in since july and have been really impressed with how everything has been run.

 

[fredflop]

If you don’t like it you don’t have to compete

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I have quite enjoyed it. First in lockdown it took all the pressure off going out and I I throughly enjoyed my horse again for a few months. Once back out competing under new guidelines it's been lovely and quiet with no hanging around! Not bothering to compete much now as weather has turned so hoping to get plenty of flat and jump lessons in in our local indoor..

 

[racebuddy]

hes enjoying going out , but travelling 2 hours each way is alot , local shows are ok , but hes happy getting out and about , as he did nojt appreciate lockdown at all

 

[jnb]

I have enjoyed the very few shows I have got to (apart from one which was a nightmare wit no social distancing so we just went home)
Dressage I love, no hanging about & showing, it's great knowing how many in your class and "not before " times, no more - "I'm in the 10th class after 8am, might be at 9am might be 3.30pm"

 

[Bernster]

I haven’t competed at all this year (not that I do that much anyway) so not experienced this. It is a lot of time effort and money both the actual competing and the prep, and I probably enjoy the training aspect more than the comp itself.

interesting to read that the extra planning and timing due to Covid has actually improved the day for a lot of folks. I wonder if that will continue or if it’s too much for the organisers?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I haven’t competed at all this year (not that I do that much anyway) so not experienced this. It is a lot of time effort and money both the actual competing and the prep, and I probably enjoy the training aspect more than the comp itself.

interesting to read that the extra planning and timing due to Covid has actually improved the day for a lot of folks. I wonder if that will continue or if it’s too much for the organisers?

I thought about this too. I wonder if it has made competitions more organized and efficient.

Honestly, I don't mind. I'm all about getting there, doing it, then heading home. I did enough hanging around competitions all day in my younger years. ?

 

[Roxylola]

Most of what I've seen has been positive really. I understand the bit about fuel etc to go for your 2 minutes in the ring, but other than being able to hang about afterwards or ride round the working in for ages that expense hasn't changed.

Most recently I was at kelsall, I've never been BE before so no previous experience. The dressage working in was a huge bit of hilly field and stated no more than 30 riders at once. Tbh, if precovid that would have been more it would have been terrifying imo - think I'd have just had a little trot round the car park instead. The area was huge but lots of steep spots so hard to find a quiet bit.

Maybe I'm lucky in that I dont need loads of time to work in and thats my personal preference as well. You're either ready or you're not, it's a warm up not a schooling session. I know at higher levels the warm up will take longer and require different work but even so schooling for 45 minutes before doing a test has always seemed excessive to me

 

[Bernster]

Wow 30 people seems like a lot! But I also haven’t done a BE event. id actually like to go spectate, which I do like doing, and I have fence judged, but stupid Covid means that’s not possible either now.

 

[Roxylola]

I dont think there was 30 and it was massive tbf but still feels like a lot of horses doing different things - at least generally in jumping working in it's a bit more uniform

 

[humblepie]

Dressage I must admit not really noticed much difference as don't generally know anyone to speak to so rock up, complete, leave. The ones I have done I have been near the end of the day and so they have left the sheets and rosettes out to collect. The only slightly odd thing is that with a one way system being on own, can't warm up with boots etc and then go back to lorry to take those off so just warm up without them. I have done one real showing show (as opposed to dressage) and it was nice being given a time although as it say may start before the time given that wasn't over helpful. A not before time would have been better. Grateful that stuff is on - a couple of centres I go to have gates which into the lorry park which require manual opening so that isn't the best from a covid secure point of view but I take gloves and sanitiser. I have quite often been put off going to showing shows where there is no idea of the time and various shows in the past have managed to put not before or class timings so it can be done (though did once go to a not before 2pm and got into the class at 6pm when they were already harrowing the warm ups for the next day...).

 

[scats]

I have enjoyed the very few shows I have got to (apart from one which was a nightmare wit no social distancing so we just went home)
Dressage I love, no hanging about & showing, it's great knowing how many in your class and "not before " times, no more - "I'm in the 10th class after 8am, might be at 9am might be 3.30pm"

I’m weirdly really loving not having a clue how I’ve got on. I arrive back home and everyone asks how I did and all I can tell them is how she felt, rather than her results (which rarely reflect how she felt!) and I feel like it’s taken some pressure off. I’ve become less results driven as a result, which can only be good!

 

[MissTyc]

I am loving the dressage. knowing that I won't get the results while I'm there anyway means I just load and leave when I'm done, enhancing the quality of my weekend! Only 4 in warmup at my nearest venue means it's an easy calculation as so when I can turn up, unload fully tacked up, and go straight into warm up. I have no family so am on my own. Arrive, warm up, ride test, go back to lorry park, hide inside box in the rain, unload again, quick second warm up, second test, untack, leave ... Find out results later. Love it!

 

[MissTyc]

I’m weirdly really loving not having a clue how I’ve got on. I arrive back home and everyone asks how I did and all I can tell them is how she felt, rather than her results (which rarely reflect how she felt!) and I feel like it’s taken some pressure off. I’ve become less results driven as a result, which can only be good!

Exactly this! By the time the test sheets arrive I have finished my own reflection and am ready to engage with the judge's comments.

 

[Cowpony]

I do dressage too and as others have said, quite like just doing the test and leaving. I do feel sorry for the grooms in some venues though - we went to one where nobody was allowed to hang around the warm-up to watch, and could only go to the arena if they were reading the test. Makes it a very boring day for them!

I am however hating the jumping competitions held at our yard. I often steward and it's hard to socially distance when you have whole families milling around, not leaving when they've finished their class, not wearing gloves when it's the rule on the yard that we have to (can't quite understand the logic of making us do it but then allowing literally hundreds of people onto the site all handling gates, door knobs and fence rails with their bare hands.......) I'm pleased for the yard that it's so busy, because they've lost such a lot of income over lockdown, but it's not great from a health perspective. I know the answer is not to steward, but somebody has to, and I'm healthier than some others who would otherwise feel pressured to do it. Oh dear, I'm clearly getting very grumpy in my old age! I do enjoy stewarding in normal times, honest!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I haven't been out at all this year to my hobby of showing. There have been a handful of showing shows up here but one lot seem to be completely ignoring the Scottish guidelines of 30 person sport bubbles, social distancing etc. And they plan on going ahead with yet another - ignore all covid rules - show next weekend bang smack in the middle of a local are lockdown. I really really hope they either restrict entries to Lanarkshire only or postpone a few weeks. Anyone that attends must be so desperate for a piece of ribbon that human lives dont matter.

I know I say this whilst still going racing BUT racing is very restricted. We all have health questionaires to fill in, temp taken before we even unload the horses, mask wearing at all times when near people, Covid officers that tell you off if you so much as put a hair in someone elses space and cleaners that jump on taps, hoses, toilet door handles etc as soon as you finish touching them.

 

[Muddywellies]

I like it, you were always paying for 2 minutes in the ring really and it was always expensive. I like quieter warm ups, in fact I think it would be ideal if you had a young horse to get them out now so they get used to being out and about without all the extra goings on.
I've been lucky enough to get some competitions in since july and have been really impressed with how everything has been run.

I think the OP means the social aspect has gone. You turn up, do your thing, and go. Many people would make a day if it, meeting up with and supporting friends etc, which made your entry fee far more worthwhile as you're not only paying for thst 2 mins, but for the whole time you're there. That was how I interpreted the comment anyway.

 

[JulesRules]

I'm a dressage bunny and it hasn't bothered me much. It's just nice to be back out competing as I find it hard to stay motivated with nothing to aim for.

In some instances I've been home nice and early which is great. I've mostly still seen people either in the warm up ring or in the car park.

I haven't done any showing this year as the couple of shows I woukd normally have gone too were cancelled.

I've also done several fun rides which I've preferred as it's less chaotic with time slots, and less chance of people coming galloping past.