I really could cry, my season so far...

[wallyevent]

2008 event season for me so far:

Stafford PN - cancelled
Sapey PN - cancelled
MKEC PN - retired after a fall xc
Moreton Morrell - entered N, swaped to PN after the above, cancelled
Ascott - ran, came 10th

Catton - balloted
Shipton Moyne - balloted

I am so depressed, could it actually get any worse, without my horse being lame or something of course?! I have one horse, limited funds, no transport so rely on lifts with a friend, I live for my events and this is just getting ridiculous!

 

[SpottedCat]

Sympathy to you, that really is awful. On the plus side, you are clearly due a lottery win!

 

[Horsemad12]

Sorry for your bad luck.

Can you see if you can do a couple of PC events just to keep him running? There are a fair few on the PC website. (I know it is not the same but it may help?)

 

[BBs]

Pretty pants indeed

On the plus side you got a placing, which many dont get even with years of competition.

Fingers x you get a better run the second half of the season.

 

[keekee]

At least you have had a few outings iv been waiting for the summer then my horse did a tendon ....she was just coming back and cut her leg badly this season has been written off for me but good luck for the rest of it for you xxx

 

[wallyevent]

I would enter some unaffiliated stuff, but just can't get to them! I can't really hire transport as Wal can be terrible to load, it took me about 2 yrs to get him loading happily on my friends lorry!

Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone, I know its a bit of a self indulgent post looking for sympathy but its just got me down!!

 

[poggio]

Sounds a bit like my season last year...I had one run that was a p*ss poor performance - on my part - and the rest were all cancelled or balloted. So decided to call it a day in July and my season ended on that one event and spent my money on some nice holidays instead

Not saying thats what you should do but I have the same predicament, begging and borrowing for transport etc and didnt have a school to use at that point so always had to hire, just seemed more hassle than it was worth. Know how it feels, but keep plugging and don't let it get you down too much...as SC you're surely overdue some luck now and things can only get better!

 

[VRIN]

if you offer to help that is a good way of reducing chance of ballotting

 

[wallyevent]

I fence judged at Catton all day on Sunday, was still balloted!! Put a sticker on Shipton Moyne as well. Someone is trying to tell me something...

 

[KatB]

I got balloted from Catton and Oasby! Also had stafford cancelled, but found a PC event to replace it. Have luckily got round Eland, MK's, Prestwold and Draycott, but imagine something will scupper our plans at some stage!! Sure thinsg will pick up for you....lots of chance to practise dr and sjing?!!

 

[seabiscuit]

I am so scared of getting balloted that I always do day before dressage or I offer to jump judge/help when I can. If you do jump judge, you MUST put on the entry form ' I am a jump judge and long term helper' you really should be pretty much guaranteed a place if you do that. Im very suprised about Catton, are you sure that the secretary knew you were helping out?

 

[kick_On]

i with you O_B that's what i do, if you put your hours in stewarding/judging you really should have place at the event..... but you do have to tell entry sec and as they are not normally the sames person to do both jobs

On the good side you have been place this season

 

[kerilli]

fwiw, i have a friend who has 2 eventers at full livery (she works full time in London) and she's got to 1 event on one horse this season... 2 or 3 were cancelled, and then she's been really ill for the last 2 months and had to w/d from all the others.

 

[hotellie]

well i had 6 cancelled last year!!! absolutely awful. then when i entered her up for loads in the back end...she cracked her head open!
i hope you luck gets better and well done for the placing!

 

[KatieLovesJames]

Poor you.

I'm sure it won't make you feel any better but I fell off and bust my leg in Feb and have been ordered off competing on my new and loverly pony for the whole season, I really DID cry

Hope you manage to get in somewhere soon even if its just RC stuff to keep you going.

 

[Bubblegum]

o poor you... yes it sounds like you have had really bad luck. But don't despair... all that practising- you must have been doing... and hunger to do well.... you will be unstop-able!!!
Hope your season picks up.....

 

[saskia295]

I'm sorry to hear that there have been so many cancelled but I do feel a bit miffed that you can be so down about it - you are so lucky to have a horse you can compete on and some people struggle to afford even to affiliate. And you've been placed too, that's great!

So I think you should be a bit cheerier that you have a happy, healthy horse and actually have the opportunity to compete in the first place. You're in a much luckier position than a lot of people I know.

 

[daisycrazy]

I volunteer at events when I can and it does make a difference, particularly when it's not just a one off. I have family who routinely volunteer in other parts of the country (v useful having a geographically dispersed family!) and some of those events are great about not balloting me out, others just ballot me out anyway. But if you don't put it on your entry form it won't work! Sometimes worth calling the entries secretary and asking what the situation is re balloting and what you can do to help. If they say volunteering = no balloting then it is highly unlikely they will go back on that.

I've been volunteering much more this season because I'm unable to compete. Might not benefit me in a ballot if I'm not competing but that's not the only reason to volunteer.

And as others have said, you are lucky to have a healthy, sound horse. I would be just as frustrated as you in your position, but I'd give my eye teeth to swap it for the situation my horse and I are in.

 

[wallyevent]

Believe me I really struggle and go without a lot of things to keep mine and can't compete nearly as often as I would like to, but I know I have been incredibly lucky to have had such a healthy (touch wood!!!) horse, its usually me that ends up broken, I missed a season and a half with broken bones shortly after I bought him! I am also very lucky to have found my friend who is happy to take me with her when she has a space on her lorry, and a very capable horse that would be brilliant if i could just get al three phases right on the same day a bit more often... bless him.

Thanks for all your positive vibes, I'm sure the second half of the season picks up, and sorry to hear about all of you whose season aren't going to plan either!!