I Just Don't Think I Can Do This Anymore

[alwaysbroke]

Have pm'ed you

 

[BeckyD]

Not really as it is being run by the same people. With the same judges. same course builders and same collecting ring staff only thing different are the competitors

That's true. But it still seems slicker - as if everyone knows they need to up their game a little.

I quickly learnt to avoid unaff and stick to BS. TBH even BS club is better, generally. Other than the time I went to do the 70cm and 80cm (first outing of the season post injury), arrived at 8.30am as clear round was from 9-10 ("strictly no late entries" hmm) and I wanted to get in early to do that. Finally got to do my CR at 11.30(!!!) and left the show at 1.30pm having jumped in the 70cm only. Gave up waiting for the 80. BUT that was the exception.

 

[HotToTrot]

That's all very well but when you want to jump the second class of a competition starting at 10am you have to leave home before they know how things are running. I thought that turning up at 11am for the second class was reasonable. BIG mistake!

Unfortunately their burger van couldn't make it and the only refreshment was vending machine 'coffee'. Also unfortunately I hadn't enough change to buy a 'coffee' and the venue couldn't change a fiver. No-where to sit except in my car either. It was a loooooooong 4 hours...

Ah, I don't think you do want to leave home before they know how things are running. They start at 10 am, the journey takes you 45 mins (plus say 30 mins to get to yard and get loaded). You want to jump class 2. So, you aim to arrive at 1 pm, on the basis that each class takes 1.5 hours, plus some "faff", so you're not arriving right at the end of class 2. You therefore arrive during class 2 (though you can't walk the course and have to assume they'll take entries after the class has started). Between 10 am and 1145 (when you need to leave the house) you call them for updates, and you're ready to race out of the door if they say they've only got two people per class. And you take a little bit of a risk of having to go straight into class 3, if you get it wrong (and therefore only doing one class, or jumping slightly higher than you intended in class 4, so as to do two classes).

I assume they'll take forever, and I've only been caught out (and missed a class) once. Unless you count the time I was on my own with baby and horse and I slightly wanted to be caught out, to force myself to jump the bigger class! However, even with this approach, I have spent hours waiting about because I've still arrived too early!

 

[Daytona]

Don't bother with unaff, just stick them in the BN as there first class, that's what a guy I'm friends with who sells a lot if young horses does, my 4 year old just went to a BS as his first show.

Least also you know the strides are correct. Our local venues are quite organised so not much hanging about so to speak.

 

[kp31]

I rarely comment on this forum but as I'm slightly connected to the centre I feel I could perhaps shed some light on some of the issues raised. As a relatively new centre they are trying very hard to please the majority of local customers, who when faced with single phase shouted loudly it was too difficult to remember, they then moved to two phase and again got a lot of complaints it wasn't value for money so stuck with A7 as this is what the majority preferred. I think you were unfortunate that you chose their first ever trailblazer show they rarely have that number of competitors in a normal show day. They are trying very hard to provide a good venue and a good days sport. I wasn't in attendance on Sunday as I was competing at a qualifier but I will certainly pass on all your comments so hopefully the service can be improved. They do run clear round jumping on a Friday afternoon at all heights maybe this could be a better option for your babies at this stage.

Competitors complained about it being single phase, then said 2 phase wasn't value for money? I am afraid even if it had been a first show i would have had something to say about that. The show we attended on Saturday ran trailblazers, single phase and had riders as young as 8 managing to find their way round, my 10 year old step daughter who has only been going in the ring on her own for the past few months managed it easily enough. Running A7 classes now, unless for a big qualifier is asking for trouble, especially when you have a high number of entries. I have produced quite a few young horses and far prefer single/two phase, it makes life easier for them and is less tiring all round. I would really address that if i was you. Yes there were lots at the venue we attended, but i have to say they got through the entries, as one person was coming over the last fence, the next was in. Very efficient and well run.

 

[Gamebird]

I rarely comment on this forum but as I'm slightly connected to the centre I feel I could perhaps shed some light on some of the issues raised. As a relatively new centre they are trying very hard to please the majority of local customers, who when faced with single phase shouted loudly it was too difficult to remember, they then moved to two phase and again got a lot of complaints it wasn't value for money so stuck with A7 as this is what the majority preferred. I think you were unfortunate that you chose their first ever trailblazer show they rarely have that number of competitors in a normal show day. They are trying very hard to provide a good venue and a good days sport. I wasn't in attendance on Sunday as I was competing at a qualifier but I will certainly pass on all your comments so hopefully the service can be improved. They do run clear round jumping on a Friday afternoon at all heights maybe this could be a better option for your babies at this stage.

Hi there, I missed this earlier. I thought I might be able to give you some more feedback if it helps.

I find it quite a frustrating place! The facilities are amazing. The arena is huge, the surface in both arenas is brilliant, the jumps are new, smart and professional - BS standard. The people are lovely, really helpful and friendly. The organisation does let them down though. The website is hard to navigate and never seems to give you all the information or be up to date. Twice recently I have wanted to compete on a certain day, checked their website and found nothing on, checked again a week or so later and found that there is a competition on on that day and phoned to enquire only to be told it's been cancelled due to lack of entries. People don't enter because they can't find out about things!

I didn't know it was their first ever TB show, but I would probably still have attended if I had. I think they will have to look at two phase really if they continue to get that volume of entries. I'm sure they got frustrated by the length of time it took too! Mind you I saw a lot of people getting lost round a 9 fence course (which also added to the time!) so perhaps people aren't up to remembering more fences?

I have been to the Friday clear round a couple of times which is a fantastic opportunity, although it does mean taking a day off work. It's well priced and there's someone to help do fences which is perfect when you're all alone. However at some point, especially if you're producing to sell, you have to get horses out and competing in public.

Basically it's a great facility and convenient but perhaps they could look again at show-day organisation (maybe spend a day somewhere that really fires people in and out of the ring and where the people on the entries and collecting ring have it running like clockwork - Port Royal would be a good example - and see whether they can pick up some ideas?) and get the website revamped so that the competition diary is easy to see, navigate and up to date. Some of the big show centre website diaries (Vale View, Arena UK, Port Royal etc.) make it very obvious what's on when and when to enter by.

To be fair the other venue where I had to wait over two hours between putting my name down and jumping is one of the biggest in the East Midlands so they shouldn't be too disheartened!

 

[JackJill]

Thanks KP31 for your comments. As I said I will feed this thread back to the owners/organisers. They have spent a considerable amount of money to create some fantastic facilities and have taken a lot of time to talk to local competitors about what they want hence why the single phase/two phase option was replaced by A7 which was what the majority at that time wanted. I'm sure they will look at it differently if they have these sort of numbers regularly. I understand they started at 10am and ran 5 classes before it went dark at around 4 ish, with 40 in some classes I don't think that's too bad. However I know from experience it's difficult to please everyone but they are really trying to provide a great facility in an area that desperately needs one.

 

[JustMe22]

The only thing I've seen work better are the European shows, where they ram them through, two or three horses in the ring at a time, no fussing about in the warm up, you snooze, you lose. But I think venues are too scared to do that here or in NA.

If I've understood this correctly, this is how it works in SA. All shows are pre-entered (can only think of one venue in my entire province that lets you enter on the day for unaffiliated), they give you a start time for the class and your riding order. If you're late and miss your slot - tough luck. If you haven't had enough warm up and you're on next - again, tough luck.

The stewards make sure there's always at least 3 horses on the go. One is jumping their round, one is in the ring walking around (will get into canter as soon as the current rider is on the second last or so) and they start as soon as the previous round is done, then there is always someone at the gate waiting to go in and do the 'walking around' role as the rider who's just finished their round walks out. You announce yourself as you go in, so the organisers/judges don't have to faff around establishing that people are jumping in the correct order. Riders leave pretty quickly after their round to get out of the way of whoever's just started their round. Obviously then the next person comes up from the warm up to wait outside the gate.

Some of our big venues regularly get 70+ horses and it seems to work fine.

 

[Gamebird]

Thanks KP31 for your comments. As I said I will feed this thread back to the owners/organisers. They have spent a considerable amount of money to create some fantastic facilities and have taken a lot of time to talk to local competitors about what they want hence why the single phase/two phase option was replaced by A7 which was what the majority at that time wanted. I'm sure they will look at it differently if they have these sort of numbers regularly. I understand they started at 10am and ran 5 classes before it went dark at around 4 ish, with 40 in some classes I don't think that's too bad. However I know from experience it's difficult to please everyone but they are really trying to provide a great facility in an area that desperately needs one.

Perhaps the other thing to consider is to hold more competitions? For a venue that must had cost a fortune to create there doesn't always seem to be much on in the way of competitions. As you said it is a fairly poorly served (and highly poplulated) area so perhaps when there is something on EVERYONE comes. If there was stuff on more frequently perhaps people might spread it out a bit? They've got a fab place, I just don't think they've quite worked out how to best utilise it yet.

 

[JackJill]

Thanks Gamebird will pass on all these comments. I'm sure with some time it will become an even better centre and any feedback customers can give will be much appreciated.

 

[ester]

I have SJ unaff a fair bit in the past and also run unaff/BS jumping (albeit the latter generally quiet).

IME most unaff jumpers will not know the difference between single phase and 2 phase SJ and I would suggest that they might need the advantages explaining to them if they are to be convinced. I much prefer A7 because I have a pony who knows it is second round and to get a bit razzed up if he gets a jump off. But If I'm busy I will happily do the other 2 . I guess a fair amount of people do see it as a weekend day out though and plan it to be, kids and parents etc, no other horses to do at home and I don't think 10-4 for 5 classes is bad going really!

Unaff definitely does need a bit more competitor control/pushing though to get the change overs good compared to affiliated.

Perhaps suggest that you run every other A7 or single/2 phase over the winter months and then A7 when we all feel like we get a bit more time with daylight?