How Disappointing - Riding Club

chickeninabun

chickeninabun

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Joined
4 July 2007
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Location
Yorkshire
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Pointless post really, but just wanted to share how disappointed I am that my riding club can no longer hold clinics/competitions due to such poor membership take up!

We had 90 members last year (our first full year running) and just 11 have renewed their membership
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!! Hardly enough to run/organise the competitions nevermind actually compete in them!

We are hoping to start up again in the late spring if there are more people interested then.
Am hoping it's just with the economic climate and the bad weather combined people just can't be arsed and things will pick up.

Anyone else having problems with their competitions/clinics/riding club/lessons etc.?
 
Can I suggest that they still run the events but make them open to non members. NM pay a higher price/entry fee than members. Our RC does this and it actually attracts more members as people realise that they can save their membership costs over the course of the year.
 
Our RC has the largest membership in our area - We have nearly 300 members. Our membership catchment is huge and crosses over many other RCs but people join us as we do what they want.

www.blackdownmendiprc.co.uk

If you look on our website you can see our programme of events. Nothing special but lots going on. We reckon only 20% of the membership actually do anything but we still keep going!
 
Our comps are open to non members a maximum of 2 times before they have to join to compete, so I think that's fairly covered.

Our problem is we've hardly enough people to help organise the events nevermind actually attend. It just feels like we're all pulling against people to get them to help out at anything, let alone all the people we need to volunteer at the Area events.
We have flatwork lessons supposed to starting tonight with no take up and jumping lessons starting next monday with again just 2 people booked on.
Our jumping comp was scheduled for 2 weeks on sat (6th) and the dressage comp for the 20th Feb.

Here's our website in case anyone wants to critique...
http://www.howdenanddistrictridingclub.co.uk/index.html
 
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Our comps are open to non members a maximum of 2 times before they have to join to compete, so I think that's fairly covered.


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I think that might be part of your problem. The club i used to to belong to has a lot of people who never join but are regulars. They pay a higher price but still attend, i would not be happy to be told i had to join after 2 shows. I might only do 3 of the shows in a year, not really worth the cost of membership.
 
Our RC does discounted membership if you join before a certain date (May1st for us as the shows are Mid May to September), that might be worth considering.

They also have entrance fees higher for non-members, I think it is £4 in advance for members and £5 for non-members and then an extra 50p or £1 on the day.

Dressage must be entered in advance. I think that you have to be a member for dressage, but I think they have changed it now. I'm not sure, I didn't join for 2009 as I knew I wouldn't manage more than one or two shows.

Membership is about £12 for adults I think, but we aren't BRC approved.

I'd love to be able to join a (preferably BRC affiliated) club near home so that I can compete locally when we buy a horse this year but I can't find any in our area.
 
when change of year comes we do carry over peoples membership for a couple of months, so they will get januarys and februarys newsletter as people often forget. They would have to pay their membership before doing any activities though. Also there are probably a lot of people with unfit horses after the weather we have had and that has poss knocked back there want to ride too.

It is always difficult though.
 
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when change of year comes we do carry over peoples membership for a couple of months, so they will get januarys and februarys newsletter as people often forget. They would have to pay their membership before doing any activities though. Also there are probably a lot of people with unfit horses after the weather we have had and that has poss knocked back there want to ride too.

It is always difficult though.

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Haha our RC secretary sends membership forms and reminders out every year to everyone that has ever been a member back to the year dot I think!!! I'm sure she thinks she can harrass us into paying up
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Her post recent "trick" is underpaying the postage on the schedule and membership form so you have to go the post office and collect it. First time I thought she just didn't know about the large letter rate, second time and I'm thinking she does it to draw attention to the forms!
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I'd of joined hun....if I had transport, Howden is just down the road from me too.

But if you ever need pair of hands you know where I am.
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I haven't any transport either, so either rely on others giving me lifts or do something stupid like say I'll organise the dressage comps!!
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Excuse not to ride in them tho!

Well if we get back up and running I'll rope you in Kenzo!
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