Le Lion & William F-P's column in H&H

Fiona

Fiona

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 July 2001
Messages
10,150
Location
N. Ireland
Visit site
Maybe being from Ireland I am over sensitive, but WIlliam F-P's comments about the entry requirements and balloting from Le Lion in his H&H column this week has made me see red.

He states that Ireland 'somehow' secured 13 slots, while the host nation only had 12 spaces per class (24 in total) and other nations were restricted to 4 slots per class (8 in total).

However he also says earlier that no-one at BE or indeed the riders had realised that the event stipulated that 6 year olds had to have had a CIC* or CCI* run, and that there were no CIC * in GB. Therefore only 1 british 6yo ran at the event.

However here in Ireland for whatever reason we have at least 2 CIC*s (Ballindenisk and Ballygraffan) and also 2 CCI*s (the last one Necarne occuring a month before Le Lion). Could Ireland having slightly more starters than other nations be actually due to the fact that the Irish 6yos were qualified by having completed the required CIC.

The Irish entries for this event were not finally anounced by the performance manager until the end of September, and were fiercely sought after (esp by professional producers).

What is WFP trying to say - that we bribed the french into giving us more slots (ones that should have been given to GBR)???

Anyone shed any light on what might have prompted his rant?

Fiona
 
I don't think he was suggesting that the Irish were bribing anyone. I think it was ore of a dig at the British eventing organisation. I tend to agree with everything he has said to be honest - it's about bloody time riders started voicing their opinions and people started taking notice.

I do think there's a discrepancy in the fact that France had less spaces that Ireland - not on. It's not on either that Le Lion can make up their own rules and still call it a "World" Champiobship wehn they haven't adhered to FEI rules and it's not on either that this country have no qualifying runs to take the 6 year olds. We are supposed to be a leading eventing nation, yet we seem to be failing the building blocks of the system - the young horses. Is there any wonder why British Breeding isn't as well supported?
 
Ireland didn't have more entries than France. Ireland had 13 in total (ie six in one class and seven in the other). France had 12 in each class (a total of 24). However don't blame you for misreading, as that was what it looked like in the article.

FIona
 
Ah...well that was very misleading then!!! Naughty William!!! I do get the point he's trying to make in the rest of the article though - I think that was a minor part of the problem. His biggest grievance was the organisation of entries (then it is the rider's responsibility to check the entry qualifications - nobody else does it for me or my OH). It also is a major downfall in our eventing calendar that we're not providing riders with opportunities to get their youngsters qualified for such a prestigious event - and you'd think that the current 6 and 7 yr olds would be Olympic team contenders in 6 years time!!!
 
One year at Necarne we ran 5 classes (CIC and CCI*, Junior CCI*, and CIC/CCI** all over the trad 4 day period (Thurs to Sun). The CIC* was v similar to the CCI*, perhaps one or two combinations had an easier black flag alternative and was slightly shorter course.
What I am trying to say is that if BE ran one (say at Tweseldown) they might find it was a real money spinner as well as being a great stepping stone to CCI* or intermediate even.
Lots of our peeps did the CIC* one year and moved up to the CCI* the next.
Some people might say that CIC*s are not needed though, as cost a lot to enter, time away from home etc, and would prefer to upgrade horse thru trad PN/N/Int route, in which case as you say - Le Lion are discriminating against those who couldn't/didn't do a CIC. Would love to see a few more visitors coming over from the mainland to do our FEI events though, this might encourage more to come next year,

Fiona
 
[ QUOTE ]

What I am trying to say is that if BE ran one (say at Tweseldown) they might find it was a real money spinner as well as being a great stepping stone to CCI* or intermediate even.


[/ QUOTE ]

As it happens Brynley wanted to run a CIC* there but BE wouldnt let him hence the unaffiliated version he ran instead. Also i am not quite sure why qualification for a six year old at Le lion was such a mystery to the brits as last year i worked for a rider from a minor nation and we certainly knew we needed a CIC or CCIone star because we went to Necarne specificaly to do one. One supposes if that was the case last year the brits just didnt read the rules this year. I sense a buck being passed here....
 
Glad to hear you were on one of our 'foreign' visitors Dolores. Did you enjoy Necarne?? We had better weather this year though!
Good point that if entry criteria not changed from last year, then they should all have known that CIC was required. I thought that possibly it was a new rule sneaked in in v small print for this year (hence his comments). Stil does not excuse his picking on Ireland though!
Fiona
 
love Necarne!! This is first year for ages i havent been actually. And as for the rule, i harbour a suspicion that it was just small enough that it was missed this year. i actually dont recall any British six year olds last year though i am sure there were some. incidentally i believe William was most miffed last year because he didnt get in at all when the french said they only wanted the points leaders in the age group as they insist with their own. !
 
I haven't read the whole thread yet (will later)
But i know a certain Irishman who actually went out to Le Lion, and even then wasn't aloud to compete, due to not enough spaces! So even the Irish had problems!
 
Its so crazy. My friend was 1st reserve for the 6year old class for GB didn't get in due to not running at a 1* altho been placed in many INT. It is same old! RUN A CIC* IN GB! look how popular tweseldown unaff CIC* was so many would love a crack at a 1* without having the hassle of a 3DE.
 
So agree!!
WFP was saying how BE shouldn't have to run any CIC*s.. but why not??? People want them, and it's not as if they would have to build loads of new courses, as i'm sure there are more than enough events already, that would be willing to run them!
Tweseldown for starters!
 
I would want to do a CIC* as for me it is the perfect gap between Novice and intermediate. Hopefully if they run them it would then be in the qualifications for 1* as the N2DEs are so sporadic in fact I think only 3 run in the season - Chepstow, Great Witchingham and Aldon.
 
Well we don't have any N2Ds any more (unless one in Cork very late on in the season), so no chance to use them as a qualification any more.
Pity though as a lot of the amateur peeps used to use out local one at Tyrella in the spring as a bit of a "championship" and obviously got to ride the R&T and chase. I suppose that's where we are moving though, from nov 2 days towards CICs.
Fiona
 
When Sarah_Jane posted about the BE calendar for 2007 last week (before H&H was out) I had a little rant about BE not running CIC*s and cited the Le Lion extra qualification needed as one good reason for them.

I think there was definately some sour grapes going on. It makes a rider look pretty stupid not to read any schedule properly - and that qualification was there for all to see. I also believe that countries are allowed to impose their own criteria for over-subscribed events, whether that is international or national. There are a couple of pages dedicated to this in the BE rule book.

Yes, Le Lion should have been quicker in rejecting those entries that were insufficiently qualified, but I think some do protest too loud......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top