Help Dressage Convention - with a little one??

[WelshTilly]

I was just about to book tickets for Dressage convention, my OH has taken time off work to come with me very rare!!! was just about to pay and noticed it says children are fine to attend with an adult if confident they won't cause a distraction but then goes on to say- This event is not suitable for babies or young children???

I've got a 6m old who's a very placid easy going baby not a screamer or cryer.

I'm worried if I pay the money for tickets will I get turned away? Has anyone else taken or attended with a little one? I went to Hartbury but can't remember if I saw any babies!!

Thank you

 

[eggs]

Probably best to phone and ask.

 

[WelshTilly]

Probably best to phone and ask.

Wish I could ....there is no advertised telephone no and the only contact is via there ticket email helpline but it won't allow me to send an email from my mob for some reason!!! Arghhhh how frustrating!!

 

[eggs]

Are you talking about the BD convention at Hartpury with Helen Langenhanenberg or the Carl Hester/Richard Davison one at Bury Farm?

 

[WelshTilly]

The Carl Hester/Richard Davison one at Bury Farm

 

[eggs]

It's not the most helpful site is it. I guess you wouldn't get turned away but you may end of missing a fair bit of it if your baby wakes up.

Maybe try calling Bury Farm direct (01525 222114) and ask their advice?

 

[eggs]

Found this email address buried deep in the website

support@thedressageconvention.co.uk

Also found this

Children

Children under the age of fourteen (14) shall be accompanied by an adult at all times. Full responsibility for children remains with the accompanying adult, including general behavioural control so as not to disturb the others.

 

[Maesfen]

Put it this way, I can see if anyone pays decent money for a decent event then they will be mightily cheesed off if a baby should disrupt it for any reason and you would be duty bound in all decency to take the baby outside which means you will miss it and be cross yourself. Is there anyone you can leave baby with for those few hours so that you yourself can relax and enjoy it rather than be on tenterhooks which will set the baby off anyway?

 

[WelshTilly]

Thanks for that ill drop them an email, my OH was coming with me we were making a rare excuse of a weekend away together he volunteered bless so he was going to help break it up and reduce the burden. I'm lucky he's a very 'good' baby!! He quite happily sits through a cinema showing!!
I found a bit in the Q&A

Accompanying adults should be confident that the child will not cause disruption to other audience members or they may be asked to leave the auditorium and venue if disruption is caused to other attendees, event or the broadcasting.
This event is not suitable for babies or young children.

 

[Tash88]

I'm going to the Bury Farm one and I'm not sure whether there is an allocated seat on my ticket (normal Saturday ticket) but surely if you called the organisers you could have a reserved seat in a place where it would be easy for you/your OH to leave with the baby if necessary, i.e. on the end of a row? It would be a shame for you to miss out, also the sessions seem fairly short so you will have a chance to feed/change baby in the breaks.

 

[WelshTilly]

Thanks Tash yes that's what I'm thinking I've sent them an email so wait to hear back

 

[twiggy2]

This event is not suitable for babies or young children.

surely this answers your question

 

[WelshTilly]

Thanks Twiggy but its the fact that Children are allowed if the adult is confident they will not cause a disruption.... then it goes onto this line which is confusing I am confident my new born will be quiet as a lamb and there would be more likelihood of disruption from children ....

 

[WelshTilly]

Also a lot of places have this line eg most cinemas yet I've taken the baby with me and not been turned away and no issue caused so I'm merely asking as don't want to pay a fortune to attend and be turned away

 

[Maesfen]

I do have to agree with Twiggy2 I'm afraid. They've made that rule in the interest of their clients and demonstrators; it does seem a bit rude to push for that to be broken when it's a basic rule made for the fairness to others; can you imagine how cross others would be in the same boat as yourself but that have left baby behind, they would be mightily cheesed off and I don't honestly blame them, sorry. They have to draw the line somewhere and theirs is no babies or small children.

 

[WelshTilly]

I'm not asking them to break any rules Maesfen I'm just trying to clarify before I spend hundred of pounds on tickets and hotels.

I am lucky that my little one is very quiet and I appreciate that not all are however I'm also still breastfeeding and as you can imagine logistics mean he needs to be close.

I'm sure many other person has or has had this issue and perhaps has attended or asked so merely just asking.

 

[splashgirl45]

I have been to lecture /demos where babies have been allowed and even if they are well behaved, i.e. not crying or screeching, they are still very distracting for those of us who don't have children, how would you feel if I took my dogs? even if the dogs were very quiet they would still be disturbing to people who were not 'dog people'.... I understand that you want to go, but I have had to forego many of these sorts of things because dogs are banned, that's life im afraid...

 

[Maesfen]

I'm not asking them to break any rules Maesfen I'm just trying to clarify before I spend hundred of pounds on tickets and hotels.

.

I'm not being argumentative but you are asking if they will bend the rules that they already have in place for you and your baby.
I totally understand why you're asking but also totally understand splashgirl and her viewpoint too.

 

[WelshTilly]

I'm not being argumentative but you are asking if they will bend the rules that they already have in place for you and your baby.
I totally understand why you're asking but also totally understand splashgirl and her viewpoint too.

It's a difficult one I can see from all angles however we can then start the breastfeeding in public debate however I don't feel a newborn is half as distracting as a child taken along who is asking lots of questions shuffling in their seat and saying their bored as well as as you also inherently get at these events lots of people quietly chatting amongst themselves asking questions amongst friends who can be frustratingly distracting.

Personally my baby fits in with my life not the other way around and as a result I have a lovely boy who is happy to watch his mum compete and sit and watch me from his push chair whilst I school .....It's one of a personal choice I feel and one that shouldnt stop hard working mums who still compete and juggle the demands of a baby from attending.....

 

[joycec]

Personally my baby fits in with my life not the other way around

No comment!

.....It's one of a personal choice I feel and one that shouldnt stop hard working mums who still compete and juggle the demands of a baby from attending.....

But this isn't just up to you. The organisers have made it clear that they don't want your baby there.

 

[splashgirl45]

It's a difficult one I can see from all angles however we can then start the breastfeeding in public debate however I don't feel a newborn is half as distracting as a child taken along who is asking lots of questions shuffling in their seat and saying their bored as well as as you also inherently get at these events lots of people quietly chatting amongst themselves asking questions amongst friends who can be frustratingly distracting.

Personally my baby fits in with my life not the other way around and as a result I have a lovely boy who is happy to watch his mum compete and sit and watch me from his push chair whilst I school .....It's one of a personal choice I feel and one that shouldnt stop hard working mums who still compete and juggle the demands of a baby from attending.....

I understand where you are coming from but in my experience parents say that they don't feel their child is distracting because they are used to the general childrens noise, i.e., in the supermarket the parents seem to be oblivious to the racket their children are making but I find it really distracting so I make sure I do my shopping when children are less likely to be there. my dogs sometimes jump up at the window and bark and although it doesn't bother me , I shut them up immediately as I am sure my neighbours wouldn't appreciate the noise. a lot of parents don't seem to have this awareness, im not saying that you fall into this category as I obviously don't know you but I am trying to explain why I don't like children at events where I am trying to learn. im not really a complete grump, honest!!!!

 

[Honey08]

I agree too. I don't think it's right to take a baby. When I've been to talks where babies were welcome I've been totally distracted from the talk. Even if the baby is quiet (and no baby awake is totally silent!) people around tend to coo at them, and a lot of parents don't realise they talk to them quietly themselves.

 

[gmw]

Ohh dear I don't understand why people object to babies at these events. Surely parents will take baby out if he/she start crying. A gurgling baby is far more acceptable than the crisp crunching, sweet chomping, cola gurgling lady that sat behind me at a recent event. Yes go, hopefully partner will help out as much as possible. As for feeding your child go ahead for goodness sake that's what you're made for!!

 

[Horsewithsocks]

I'm going to the Bury Farm one and I'm not sure whether there is an allocated seat on my ticket (normal Saturday ticket) but surely if you called the organisers you could have a reserved seat in a place where it would be easy for you/your OH to leave with the baby if necessary, i.e. on the end of a row? It would be a shame for you to miss out, also the sessions seem fairly short so you will have a chance to feed/change baby in the breaks.

I would be VERY upset if I had to sit next to a baby whilst watching a dressage convention. I am not child friendly - you make the choice - kids or horses. Sorry - do not care if this upset people.

 

[joycec]

Ohh dear I don't understand why people object to babies at these events. Surely parents will take baby out if he/she start crying. A gurgling baby is far more acceptable than the crisp crunching, sweet chomping, cola gurgling lady that sat behind me at a recent event. Yes go, hopefully partner will help out as much as possible. As for feeding your child go ahead for goodness sake that's what you're made for!!

My experience is that many parents wait far too long before deciding that the noise their child is making is unacceptable and take it out. And sometimes they even have a row between the two of them about who is going to go out with it.

Venues do not know which child/parent combinations will create a disturbance and have no option but to ban them all if they want to try to make sure that the rest of their customers to have the right experience.

All babies are capable of turning into screaming machines and this venue has said that this event is not suitable. That should be the end of it.

 

[Tiffany]

I went to the convention last year and don't remember seeing any babies. It was very busy, there were no reserved seating and personally I don't think it's really suitable for babies but if venue is happy then it's your choice.

 

[ihatework]

I'm glad you have a lovely well behaved baby that you feel could be taken to such an event. But the organisers have stated it is not suitable for babies! If you have kids there will inevitably at times be compromises to make and it sounds as if this is one of them.
I'd suggest making alternative weekend away plans this year and then look forward to next year dressage convention when the baby will be weaned and can be left with a babysitter.

 

[PolarSkye]

I don't like children at events where I am trying to learn.

For me, this is the nub of the matter . . . it's a convention/learning environment, not Olympia/pure entertainment. One of my two daughters was an exceptionally quiet, well-behaved baby, but I wouldn't have taken her - and if I needed to be near her because of breastfeeding, I would either have expressed milk or not gone. I am not anti-babies/children in public places/at events - far from it - but I do believe there's a time and a place and the Dressage Convention is not billed as a "family friendly" event.

P

 

[Molasses]

I also went last year and yes it's very crowded and no allocated seating. Even for a baby-less person with one small bag it was difficult to get in an out of seats and they are not in proper rows just sort of haphazard rows on the sand arena. Fine if you are at the very edge by a door, very difficult if you are middle of a scrum of seats. I hope you get to go OP, it wouldn't bother me to be sat beside a quiet baby but I appreciate that others might not be too keen.

 

[concorde]

They state " this event is not suitable for babies and young children "
There's your answer, surely that is clear enough.