New pre-Intro classes

L

LottieandMaisy

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 November 2005
Messages
51
Location
New Forest, Hampshire
Visit site
As a non-eventer I'm quite positive about these as it means that I can try eventing on my dressage horse without being overfaced - for those eventers out there and others, what do you think of this new level?
 
TBH I am not convinced, think it would be an expensive way to go eventing. If you look around loads of riding clubs and PC's run ODE's (very professionall to) at 2'6" and the entry fees are half the price of BE and more often than not no registration/day ticket fees. My young horses go to these events before going to the more expensive and slightly bigger affiliated Intro events at BE.
 
I think they may take off. I do intros on one of my boys, the other boy has foot problems so can only compete on good ground. Therefore i may buy him a ticket and compete in these as the ground should be better than the RC unaffiliated ODEs. I hope there are some near us next year as i will certainly enter. I know a lot of people say they are unneccessary but i think they will be quite popular. It will be interesting to see!
 
Agree with MrsT really - especially in this area most unaffiliated are run over BE courses anyways and they also have the smaller 2'6 courses alongside - so in a sense built to the same standards. Those that aren't on the BE calendar have been built by BE course builders so the standard is the same. It will obviously open up affiliated eventing to another category and that may be a good thing for BE in terms of revenue. However with BSJA offering smaller classes and now BE and BD already offering prelim to non-registered horses and riders, I do think RC's will suffer tremendously and may find themselves losing memberships - that is just an opinion though.
 
I know there are many anti people for these classes, saying why dont you compete at unaffiliated etc. but the fact is many unaffiliated events are very hit and miss regards quality of the ground, very dodgy showjumping courses etc etc, so you never really no what you are going to get. At least if you had chance to do this you get a real proffesional feel about it, and you will no what the standard is always going to be! As long as it isnt hurting any one at the higher levels let the not so braves have a go!
 
I am heavily involved in RC and my feelings are that people are scared of doing intro because they think its big. Ironically these very people are taking part in the RC champs over what was the intro course at Pontispool on Sunday but becuase it is advertised at approx 2'9 they are fine about it. If the following week I said right you are going to do a BE intro at Pontispool they would be wetting themselves.
I think its the perception that BE is hard and more proffessional so people are not willing to give it a go and try it. They want an easier level first.
 
I know what you mean Lec, i used to think Intro was big but i started at unaff and realised i was actually jumping the intro courses so i then started affiliated. The biggest difference is that the pre-intro courses will have good ground where as unaff events dont do the work that BE do. Thats what would make me run my other boy at pre-intro. Its worth paying the money and once he has a few of those under his belt he could start at Intro. If i enter him for the unaff ODE i risk having to withdraw when i get there if the ground is bad due to his foot problems.
 
I think its quite ridiculous. If you have a half decent horse it should be able to jumnp round an intro track. If you dont have a half-decent horse or dont want to jump 2'9 xc fences then you shouldnt be going affilated. People no longer have to aim to compete affiliated, it's no longer a thing to be proud of!
 
Sorry Bossanova! I think you being really mean, there are lots of riding club people and people who have had a break who would love this stepping stone, you cant just say if you havent got a decent enough horse etc, its not that cut and dry! You look like a very experienced rider not everybody is that lucky to have had your sort of experience.
 
You keep referring to the fact that BE events will always have good ground but I dont personally think this is always true. I have been to a couple of BE events were the ground has not be up to scratch and hence withdraw or retired because of it. It was mainly due to the weather, but there was definately something that could have been done about it e.g. watering, aerovating etc.
The riding club and pony club events round here pretty much always have good ground that I have been happy running my horse on. At my PC ode we did do work to ensure the ground was good (well the owners of the venue did) but luckily the weather did most of the work for us. Then again at PC area HT last year they did no work on the ground and it was diabolical and they got slated for it. They are not going back to that venue again in the near future which is a shame because it is a BE venue, but we cant really blame the venue as it was just the fact that the committee had made no effort.
There is one venue round here that really does look after its ground and it is a very well established reputation and it doesnt want to ruin it and they always produce fantastic events.
So I agree to an extent that it can be a bit hit and miss but generally it is good.
 
But thats what riding club is for! I start young horses off at riding club things if they arent ready to do an intro straight off. A very large majority of PC/RC things round here are very well run and are very nice to compete at. Events arent going to fund major work on ground for what is effectively a 2'6 xc course so you cant use the ground argument, I've seen RC events do more to the ground than they do on many BE intro tracks.

The standard of riding is awful at intro level, it's even pretty shocking at pre-novice and that isnt how affiliated should be. The only argument for running pre-intros is as an easy introduction for baby horses but I think you'll find many people dont even bother doing intros on their baby horses.

The fact I've ridden to a half-decent level has nothing to do with it, I'm by no means a pro or particularly good rider. I'm back onto baby horses now and cannot see why I'd need to start any of them over something smaller than intro!
 
I think ALL horses are capable of doing an intro - its the riders that are not or think they are not capable. I also agree with Flic over the ground - I never run my horse in July or August doing BE as the ground is usually rubbish. All the unaff I have ever done were fine or run over BE courses anyway. Its all in the mind!!
 
couldnt you try it unaffiliated first, alot cheaper even with reduced price day tickets? and there isn't the prestige of competing against professionals like you get with PNs. i'm not really sure that I see the point in spending the extra money affiliating at your level sorry!
 
i also think its unreasonable..when i started at intro last year it was really somehting to work to and i had been doing RC level and made sure i was prepared but then when i actually went out and did BE intros i found that they weere in fact slightly easier apart from the odd thing than the unaffiliated...and now looking back i cant see why you would want an easier level.
if i went and bought a young horse now then i would be more than happy to take it to RC/PC events which in most cases are on similar levels of gorund quality and work my way through that then take them into intro...or even PN now thazt i know what is required.
 
We've had this debate a couple of months ago.I still think affiliation is something to strive towards, when you you have atained eno.ugh experiance and skill at PC and RC and through training then you go affiliated.
It will lower the acceptable level and standards of horsemanship and horsecare.
I have winessed decresing standards especailly in the jumping and have seen some genuinely disgracefull displays of horsemanship at lower levels.
I mean really courses of that size are for children on ponies.
It's almost as rediculous as walk/trot tests for dressage.
confused.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
We've had this debate a couple of months ago.I still think affiliation is something to strive towards, when you you have atained eno.ugh experiance and skill at PC and RC and through training then you go affiliated.
It will lower the acceptable level and standards of horsemanship and horsecare.
I have winessed decresing standards especailly in the jumping and have seen some genuinely disgracefull displays of horsemanship at lower levels.
I mean really courses of that size are for children on ponies.
It's almost as rediculous as walk/trot tests for dressage.
confused.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Very well said!!
 
I sort of agree as my horse has been diagnosed with a problem which means she wont do novice eventing but can jump. As my first love is eventing, it opens up an opportunity for me. But I am asking myself if it is worth the expense! Bearing in mind I know there will possibly be a ceiling to what my mare can achieve.

I am also concerned about points and if points are not awarded could this lead to pothunting? Could it be all won on the dressage?
Im really not too sure about it!!! But I also know that there are fewer and fewer unaffiliated events going on due to lack of volunteers to run them! Even riding clubs struggle.

I really think it is about revenue for BE and not a lot else but at the end of the day they have to make a buck! And this might be the way forward.
 
I really dont think it is a good idea, it undermines the whole affiliation level, will clog up events, and think if they were not done on a regular basis, there would be so many people balloted it would not be worth it. British Events, are supposed to be a cut above, hence the astronomical fees they charge (which are ok, as they do a fantastic job). I think it should be left with intro at the lowest level, if people are competing below intro, what is the point, they are clealry not aiming to be the next olympic rider, so why not to it cheaper, equal height, and less pressured elsewhere? I think although it is a nice idea, and would certainlyopen up eventing to wa wider audience, it could perhaps encourage nad riding, and horses that really aren't up to coping with the job, but people would bring them as it was only 2ft9 - 3ft! I think if people really want to event, they can do unaff, the n work up to intro, and that is fine, if they are really not that serious, then why pay BE's big fees, to potter round one event every four months??
 
As a relatively new rider I have always aspired to competing in a BE event. I have only just been riding 2 years and have only had my own horse now for just over 6 months.

I have spent the last year doing cross country training at Poplar Park and Stratford Hills, both in themselves BE accredited courses designed by BE accredited course designers. My trainer has brought me on well and I am quite happy to jump a round of jumps at either course up to about the 3ft mark.

I compete at local shows in my area and i have started winning in show jumping, and I'm just missing the placings in cross country shows.

I feel I could affiliate now but my major lacking is dressage. I wonder if I would be good enough to carry out the dressage test and even if i would remember it so I did not get eliminated before i even get as far as show jumping.

Surely that is the essence off BE and eventing. It is a test off horse and rider. I feel by opening up a 80cm class would weaken the BE events and as some one pointed out in an earlier post, there would be a major amount of entries at this new smaller class.

Riding is like an apprenticeship.

You start off doing your flat work in the manage building up your walk and trot, then as you get more experienced its off hacking putting into practice what you have learned in the school. You might then start jumping a small round off fences or do some dressage and start to progress up through the PC / RC circuit.

As you progress up through the PC / RC circuit you will know when you are ready to affiliate into whatever discipline you choose. It should be something you have had to "work" at to attain. If you have not had to work at it then whats the point off having affiliated and unaffiliated. All you are going to end up doing is having a lot off horses doing pre-intro classes who will then be excluded from PC / RC classes as the have evented in BE classes.
 
I'm a wussish rider and don't really do SJ courses bigger than 90cm : my place is at the unaffiliated RC and PC events. I would like to think that when (if!) i ever affiliate, it'll be something to be proud of. Anyho, I feel RC and PC events are alot more relaxed and when you have a young horse or are an unconfident rider, they allow you more support and leeway whereas BE, although accomodating: it's stiff competition and they're hard pushed to organise and sort everything and I can understand there are some boundaries which RC and PC are willing to cross that BE simply cannot.
x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top