Eventing Cost

M

MagicMelon

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 November 2004
Messages
16,399
Location
North East Scotland
Visit site
I know this has probably been covered already Im sure, but Im still horrified by the increase in cost for competing on a day ticket. Its just priced me completely out of the sport. I cannot possibly warrant around £175 to trundle a young horse round an intro. Why have they done this? How is it fair? They've just made more elitist IMO and honestly cant understand their way of thinking on this one... There's so few events up here anymore its not worth me joining, but now day tickets are out the window too. Such a shame, I love BE and have supported it for many years but sadly looks like no more. We hardly have any RC/PC level ODE's in my area either these days so guess I'll just have to accept we'll need to up our game BS instead. Anyone else not doing BE anymore?
 
I've enjoyed our couple of BE runs, but I've also enjoyed our unaffiliated runs. I was happy to pay the higher rate over the last year or two to have a record and be able to say we'd gone BE. I think the idea of the new system is the more you do the cheaper it works out but I was never going to do more than a couple and it's completely priced me out now. I'm lucky that we have a few unaffiliated too.
 
Roxylola said:
I've enjoyed our couple of BE runs, but I've also enjoyed our unaffiliated runs. I was happy to pay the higher rate over the last year or two to have a record and be able to say we'd gone BE. I think the idea of the new system is the more you do the cheaper it works out but I was never going to do more than a couple and it's completely priced me out now. I'm lucky that we have a few unaffiliated too.
Click to expand...

Thats the issue, so many parts of the UK arent well served with BE events. Im in Aberdeenshire, we have no local BE events anymore, my closest is 1.5 hours away, then about 3 hours to the next. So I literally cant go to enough to make it cheaper. I think many amateurs might only want to do a handful a year, but now they risk not having that. Are the lower levels going to be empty now I wonder. Yep you're lucky you do have a few unaffiliated, wish we did!
 
My plan for this year was to get my nice young horse out at BE a couple of times. Wont be happening now at the new prices!! I am very lucky to have a fair amount of unaffiliated stuff near me so will sadly go that route with him instead
 
I got priced out over 10 years ago. At that point my horse was stuck at novice, not fast enough to make int speed and so the progression for me was things like old cci*. but the one I did cost me about 1k for the 5 days we were there so that was the end of that. Absolutely unaffordable.
Can't see me returning tbh though my homebred seems like the right kind of horse for the sport? turns out dressage is the poor man's option ?
 
Mine only go BE because I’m interested in them going beyond 100. If they or I were pootling about 80-100 then I’d just use the multitude of good unaff that is on around here.
I think BE are seeing that shift already in their membership for the people wanting to compete one off.

The new PAYG option seems good if you will do a handful of events
 
I saw on a FB group that the cost on PAYG would be cheaper than under the old ticket system for four runs, same for three runs and you'd be worse off doing just one or two.

If that's true, I can't only think they're trying to stop people doing just one or two events and do more - but I'd have thought it's more likely to put people off altogether!
 
Our 2 nearest BE venues run an unaff event (SJ and XC ) a week or 2 after most of the BE events (over the same course, minus a couple of the biggest jumps). Don’t know if they do that near you?

Our local RC and PC stopped running ODE due to the insurance costs.

It’s 3 or 4 years since I last did a BE and not up to date with the new system, but £170 !!! Don’t think I’ll bother!
 
I don't know how it compares from years ago to now, but when I was doing Novice eventing back in 1970s, the cost to enter was £5.00, which, incredibly, was a good chunk of my weekly wage.

I know I started work at 18 at £9.00 per week, but that was in a hotel where we had food and accommodation. So by the time I was 21 I was working in an office and had bought my horse for about £200 and I can't remember how much my wages were, but they weren't that much more!

Eventing has always been expensive. You are lucky that there are good unaffiliated competitions as the hunter trials that used to be run seem to have died out.
 
Yes, the cost will drive people out of the sport (much like horse prices in general), but I don't think people are making huge amounts of profit from running these shows. Everything is getting more expensive, making luxuries (competing and owning horses) out of reach of many.

There are also a number of people who can't afford to heat their houses, buy the food they'd like to, afford a house, etc, etc.

None of it is very fair, but it is where we are at the moment.
 
I haven’t decided what I will do yet. Realistically will start season at unaff and then see how I feel. I am so behind where I want to be that I haven’t made any plans yet. I am spoilt as in the eventing heartland so well served by both within 90 mins.
 
FlyingCircus said:
Yes, the cost will drive people out of the sport (much like horse prices in general), but I don't think people are making huge amounts of profit from running these shows. Everything is getting more expensive, making luxuries (competing and owning horses) out of reach of many.

There are also a number of people who can't afford to heat their houses, buy the food they'd like to, afford a house, etc, etc.

None of it is very fair, but it is where we are at the moment.
Click to expand...
Its not really about fairness, I'm struggling financially but in a better position than many I know.
BE want the sport to continue, I want the sport to continue. I appreciate organisers likely aren't making much but BE made changes to encourage people to affiliate, to make affiliating more affordable and have increased the price of your first entry by about a third.
Its not about fairness, or the fact that it's a privilege we can do what we do. I'm just sad that even though I'd like to I'm unlikely to justify the cost of running BE any more
 
Mule said:
Do you think she isn't the right sort for dressage?
Click to expand...
No, i think she will make an excellent dressage horse if her field prancing is anything to go by. i just haven't had anything that has enjoyed or been medically fit to jump for a long time so had put eventing into the "ain't gonna happen again" pile.... she has the right kind of attitude to make a brilliant XC horse but I will stick to unaff if she does do any.
 
milliepops said:
No, i think she will make an excellent dressage horse if her field prancing is anything to go by. i just haven't had anything that has enjoyed or been medically fit to jump for a long time so had put eventing into the "ain't gonna happen again" pile.... she has the right kind of attitude to make a brilliant XC horse but I will stick to unaff if she does do any.
Click to expand...
I understand now. I thought something had gone wrong.
 
There’s only one BE event within a 3 hour journey from me now; there is absolutely no point in affiliating or even spending that much money on a day ticket. I can run 3 times round the local cross country at 90cm ODEs for that, and still have some left to buy some chips and a nice photo.

It stops people from trying the sport out and cuts the pipeline of new riders coming in.
 
Roxylola said:
Its not really about fairness, I'm struggling financially but in a better position than many I know.
BE want the sport to continue, I want the sport to continue. I appreciate organisers likely aren't making much but BE made changes to encourage people to affiliate, to make affiliating more affordable and have increased the price of your first entry by about a third.
Its not about fairness, or the fact that it's a privilege we can do what we do. I'm just sad that even though I'd like to I'm unlikely to justify the cost of running BE any more
Click to expand...

Totally agree, exactly how I feel. I love eventing, especially BE as the events are well organised, courses are great, always a good atmosphere etc. so I do find it really sad that I am now priced out of it. There must be somethings they can do to cut costs somehow to lower entry fees again? Encourage more venues to host then they'd have more events running meaning more money? I really dont know but I find the way its gone really very sad.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top