Holes in the BE Calendar

LEC

LEC

Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
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Just thought I would start a thread about holes in the BE calendar. I overheard the TD at Sapey saying that Amanda Ratcliffe was working hard at trying to resurrect some old events which have disappeared and I really hope this is true.

I have just discovered a massive hole in the SW calendar in that there are no BE90 between 5th March and 2nd April which is nearly a month.

Any others as I guess the BE calendar will be in progress for next year?
 
The SW calendar is pretty poor in my opinion. There is nothing for ages and then everything at once! I couldn't do anything for a month July time as closest event was 3+ hours away. but yet may/june I could have gone somewhere every week for 6 weeks within 2 hours from home!

Winkleigh was missed this year (hoping it will be back next year!) but still I don't really get how all the local events for Devon and Somerset are grouped together so closely!!?!

Although next year I may be complaining about a whole different region! ha ha
 
We do have Aldon which is middle of march but must admit they do all seem to be grouped together. I have also heard that Bickenhall wont be running next year which in my opinion is a great shame, it was always my favourite event. Apparently BE are not at all accomodating to people who want to shift dates.
 
I've had a but of a rubbish season even though there's usually a fair but going on up north. We've just moved up to Novice and it's really restricted the amount we can do. Hutton int was cancelled which didnt help and I can't make Hutton 2, then t turned out Allerton is massively oversubscribed so we've been waitlisted but unlikely we'll get in apparently despite volunteering to help at the event. Then it's aske 2 the following week then pretty much end of the season. And we've do e richmond twice cos there's not much on. A bit pants really, hope next year's better!
 
There's no Intermediate between now and Gatcombe I don't think...they are now oversubscribed and will need to ballot all classes I think.
 
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Interesting thread and I do hope they resurrect some of the defunct ones. Although Mini TX and I live in the SW area we are quite well served as from where we live we can do most of the SW ones, most of the south Wales, border country events, Midlands, up to Central region and even some of the Berkshire and Oxfordshire events, because we live so close to the M5 and M4. It would be great to have Belmont and Bath and West back on again. Altough not a favourite of ours, even though she had her first PN win there, it would be nice for Urchinwood to do a Novice again, as its a nice confidence giver.

However, my main gripe, and of course my daughters is the fact that in our region, the first ONu18(Q) is at Aldon, which means you only get one run in advance, which in our case is usually at Moreton. Aldon is massive, and if things dont go to plan at Moreton its a huge ask. Also BE also run their ONu18(Q) in our region at Stockland Lovell at around the same time as Area 14 Pony Club Area eventing, so a choice usually has to be made to do one or the other, plus the Wilton qualifier is pretty close as well. I'm not the only one to gripe about this, as our Area Co-ordinator has tried to take BE by the horns over this with no luck.
 
I wouldn't want to try and plan the BE calendar looks like a terrible job. However the assigning of dates is a bone of contention. I know of an excellent, established event which would like to run two dates (one for 90 and up, one for bigger levels), the courses are built but they can't manage all the classes they'd like to offer over one weekend. Despite being fantastically well run and receiving loads of praise for the standard of course, ground etc. and that there are free weekends in the area, they have been knocked back. I can see no logic in refusing their application. IMO if events have been lost it's usually because they weren't up to scratch. (I know there are exceptions where the owners/organisers are probably just fed up of it taking over their lives or circumstances changes.) There's a reason some events have ballots and wait lists and others can't fill their sections. Perhaps BE should poll riders in the area and ask what events they'd like to see moved having extra dates or whatever, at the moment it all seems very cloak and dagger.
 
The general massive lack of events in Surrey!! The only one is munstead (runs twice), the very sad demise of Stilemans which was a great event - hope that one could be resurrected.

There is also a shortage of BE90s in the SE late august until late september.
 
Here centrally/SE it comes in spurts. Have a few weeks when i could choose anything, then after Munstead (2), there is nothing under 2 hours away.

Theres also nothing from after Hambledon until Ascott Under Wychwood, when i could choose masses of events to go to from June-July, then a bit of a gap in august.
 
The thing I will say is what are you doing about it! do you go out and encourage venues to run BE .
I am afraid it is not easy running these events and BE arent always over helpful with the cost of reserving dates in the calender.It is also a very considerable investment to build a course from scratch for example a water jump on average will cost around 25K to construct.Venues in the same area do tend to keep events close together as this naturally cuts the amount of balloting needed.I do have to chuckle when people competing at 90 and 100 are moaning just try finding runs for Int and Adv horses now that is getting quite desperate
I can remember the good old days when there was 2 seasons with spring and autumn events and no events through the summer months also you started at novice.
 
I do find it absurd when events clash in the same area as seems to be a bit of a stab in the back for the smaller event.

It would be interesting to see a calendar put together by the event organisers association and also one put together by riders. I guess no event wants to run in August. I admit its very tricky but BE90 is a massive money maker for BE?
 
agreed nutwell for example suffered badly this year as dauntsey and stockland lovell were both within 7 days. they managed 1 day's worth of entries but only just.

none of the events locally have balloted full stop this year with many remaining open up until the last few days before. and the ground locally has generally been good as well. only one which i didnt enter i wouldnt have run at! Stockland lovell only did 2 days instead of 3 as well!

i know we are the lowly end but we are the money making end. but i wonder if there was more flexibilty with dates are the chance of more venues running two events or two days if they would then build the bigger courses.
 
I asked this very question on the BE Forum earlier this year & they replied but did not actually respond to or try to answer the question. It would be great not to have to travel circa 3hours to begin your season in March.......
 
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