OMG cost of PC beginners ODE!

[tootsietoo]

I've got 6 and 7 year old daughters who are loving their ponies and going really well at the moment. They are keen to compete, and we all had a great weekend at Badminton together. So today I found a schedule for neighbouring PC's beginner's ODE which would be a perfect outing for them - a 45cm lead rein class for the little one and 60cm beginners one for the bigger one. Merrily filled in the entry form and then got to the entry fees bit - £25 for the little one and £45 for the big one! A £70 day out! (even before the bacon baps, the obligatory photos, not to mention fuel). Is this really how much it costs to run this sort of event? If there are 40 or so entries (it is popular) then that is nearly £2000 - does it cost that much to hire the venue and insure? I'm sure this isn't much less than a BE event would cost to enter. In fact, even if I take them just to the local arena for a little clear round and mini show jumping show, it ends up being over £30 by the time they have done 2 rounds each.

Obviously they are very little, so I can keep them entertained on their ponies in lots of cheaper ways. I would love it if they wanted to compete when they are a bit older but if we were out once a fortnight or more, then it could be a couple of hundred pounds a month to go to competing, which is a lot to add on to the horse budget! How does everyone else manage it? Are there clever tricks to keeping down the cost of taking the children out places?

I guess I am old and it was all a lot cheaper "in my day". Going to have to keep my nose to the grindstone........

 

[ihatework]

It's an expensive sport ...
I'm not surprised at those sorts of prices

 

[debsflo]

I'm afraid it gets more expensive as they get older and more ambitious.

 

[be positive]

The PC will be trying to make a profit to help off set subsidised training or other activities so however much it costs to run and it will add up to a fair amount, they need to make it pay not just break even, many venues will charge x amount per competitor which means they need a good number of entries to cover other expenses before starting to see any profit.
The entry fee for the mini seems very fair, 3 phases to take part in at less than £10 per phase seems about average, the bigger class is a top end entry fee but they may be paying a premium for a good xc course, it is nowhere near the cost of a BE event though, nearer to £70 with a further £15 starting fee on top for the lower level, £100 plus for higher level one days.

 

[suffolkmare]

Your ODE entry fees do seem high and I'm sure there are cheaper RC events local to you (horsedates?), but unfortunately it has become ridiculously expensive to run a show these days. Apart from securing a decent venue, the major costs are insurance and first aid cover. I'm on our local RC committee and we were recently quoted £1500 for first aid cover for a days' showing show, by one of the best-known organisations. We found a much more reasonable lady paramedic who was wonderful on the day (thankfully we didn't have much for her to deal with), she even ended up helping steward!

 

[wench]

Quite reasonable entry fees, sorry!

 

[MagicMelon]

Sounds pricey to be honest. £30 is what I used to pay (like 3 years ago) for a regular RC type ODE. I'd be horrified to pay £45. I'd rather spend extra and go BE where you know the course will be up to standard and it'll be well organised etc. As a PC, you'd think they'd be trying to encourage the little ones. So yes, I agree that does sound expensive!

 

[Honey08]

It is either good value or expensive depending on how good it is. For diddy classes the higher price is a lot for a pc competition IMO, but if its a super course with decent fences, properly maintained and built, with new fences regularly, then its good value. Our pony club charges about 25-30 for their ODE, but its around one field (a nice encouraging course and well designed to get as many fences in with it still feeling like a good xc experience) so limited..

Remember that a entry at lower level BE would be around a hundred pounds..

 

[L&M]

Both our local PC and RC charge £45 per class for their ode's....

 

[GinaGeo]

I'm paying £55.00 for an Unaff ODE next weekend. It is however run over a BE course, which I know will have been maintained impeccably and will be organised superbly.

It's still cheaper than BE, which is what I'm hoping to be doing next year! I've started living off beans on toast in preparation!

 

[ladyt25]

Expensive in my mind especially for a blooming lead rein class! I think our RC entries are cheaper than that and they are over BE courses generally. I am up North though!

 

[sjb10]

I remember a few years ago wondering why, say, Isleham could charge I think £25 for a pc ode whereas ours was 40 or 45. Was helping with minor preps for ours and DC mentioned that if course needs equivating, that costs around £1000 which has to be factored into costs whereas I guess Isleham don't need to worry about that. I may have details inaccurate due to poor memory but made me appreciate the different things that may need to be factored in.

 

[tootsietoo]

so I am I ladyt! Great, Debsflo and Wench, REALLY want I wanted to hear . Need to revise my budget.

This is at a nice course, so I guess it is worth it. But possibly only when they are a bit older.....

 

[honetpot]

With little ones how a about a sponsored/charity ride with optional fences, most PC's often have novice shows for little ones. I do not think there is any need to spend that sort of money for them to have fun

 

[Goya]

If they have to hire a course that can cost as much as £1500 to £2000, then there are paramedic costs, judges expenses, lunches for helpers and officials. Sad, expensive times we are in I'm afraid.

 

[Mike007]

Sorry I dont buy that,Its very expensive,and to my mind ,not what ponyclub should be about. No wonder the shows localy are so poorly attended. I remember PC shows being PACKED ,and the place to be. Classes running up to quite a good RC standard of course.

 

[Honey08]

Is there not a farm ride nearby? Would be cheaper...

 

[marmalade76]

Sorry I dont buy that,Its very expensive,and to my mind ,not what ponyclub should be about. No wonder the shows localy are so poorly attended. I remember PC shows being PACKED ,and the place to be. Classes running up to quite a good RC standard of course.

Agree with this. Don't think I'll be bothering to sign my two for the PC, the occasional gymkhana wears me out and cleans me out enough as it is!

 

[Lolo]

Sorry I dont buy that,Its very expensive,and to my mind ,not what ponyclub should be about. No wonder the shows localy are so poorly attended. I remember PC shows being PACKED ,and the place to be. Classes running up to quite a good RC standard of course.

PC stuff round is is packed though. We just ran our PC's senior ODE (my mum organises it because she's mad as a hatter!) and we closed entries 2 days early, received nearly 200 entries in total (closed at 150 as the daylight hours aren't enough for 4 heights) and it cost £35 or so. Every PC ODE my sister does she gets her entry in with a good week minimum before entries close as after that you can get dicey with events closing as they're too full. These events cost up to £50/ horse.

I think £25 sounds fine. £45 is silly unless it's a proper ODE (as in for 80cm+)! Only the really big ones round us (Burghley, Keysoe, Poplar maybe...) charge that and frankly the venues are so good they're worth it- it would be double if Al did the same event affiliated...

 

[Mike007]

(my mum organises it because she's mad as a hatter!)...

I think I rerally like your mum.

 

[Dubsie]

I think that's very reasonable, and if held round here you'd expect some ODE to be full and on waiting lists around 6 weeks before the event. Most of the courses round here are at least £20 to hire for just XC. Most ordinary unaffiliated shows charge £10 per class, so where a XC has to be hired I'd expect to pay more for a ODE.
As someone suggested, why not try a sponsored fun ride, or later in the year the children's meet of a drag hunt - PC rates for ours are just £15 for a bit of experience over XC fences.

 

[Dubsie]

I think that's very reasonable, and if held round here you'd expect some ODE to be full and on waiting lists around 6 weeks before the event. Most of the courses round here are at least £20 to hire for just XC. Most ordinary unaffiliated shows charge £10 per class, so where a XC has to be hired I'd expect to pay more for a ODE.
As someone suggested, why not try a sponsored fun ride, or later in the year the children's meet of a drag hunt - PC rates for ours are just £15 for a bit of experience over XC fences.

 

[tootsietoo]

absolutely, I haven't written out the cheque! If we want some pony fun that day we will go out and hire a XC course or take them for a hack somewhere nice.

interesting though, thank you for the replies.

 

[blitznbobs]

Sounds cheap to me - course hire, insurance, doctor (PC insists on a doctor for cross country these days) paramedic team as well - the costs mount up v quickly - around here there is a start fee on top of that - eventing =expensive sport.

 

[millikins]

You don't say where you are, in the SE they are entirely the norm, events, including Pony Club seem much cheaper oop North.

 

[tootsietoo]

oop north!

 

[HazyXmas]

I can't believe how expensive the PC & Unaffiliated ODE's are either. My daughter does BE & that's horrendous but we've got a super young pony that needs to get out & do some baby stuff. Just had a look at the tiny (60cm) one that Keysoe are running in a couple of weeks, couldn't believe my eyes when it said £50!!!!

It's no wonder that it costs a fortune to buy a pony with any sort of competition experience, you could easily spend a £1000 putting some miles on the clock.

 

[L&M]

We are lucky in shropshire as have so many fun rides available over the summer - for £15 you can have a lovely 2 hr ride with oddles of different jumps, and if I ask my son if he wants to go to a show or a fun ride, he fortunately always chooses a fun ride!

Saves me money and we can both go out and have a lovely time for the fraction of the cost of an ode.

Eventing is not a cheap sport and those running it have a lot of overheads so am not suprised at the fees tbh.

 

[Vodkagirly]

I'm paying £35 for a pony club ode at the weekend, pony club members are £30. However the one after I am thinking of doing is £43 plus a £5 start fee at a different course.
Suprised people think leadrein should be cheaper, surely it takes as much course hire, medical support and helpers as a bigger class?

 

[Thistle]

absolutely, I haven't written out the cheque! If we want some pony fun that day we will go out and hire a XC course or take them for a hack somewhere nice.

interesting though, thank you for the replies.

Hiring a xc cours locally costs £25 per horse.. The PC costs seem totally reasonable to me.