Optimum market? Badminton Grassroots OR 15.2hh novice eventer?

[muffinthemule]

Apologies if this isn't allowed but I will very sadly be selling my talented boy at some point this year.
I'm trying to gauge if there is a better market for a potential Badminton Grassroots eventer OR better to be currently competing BE Novice?
Issue being he is 15.2hh so I'm wondering if there is much call for that size of Novice eventer??
Bit of background-8yo currently competing 90/100 with numerous placings and dressage always sub 30, hence could be a fab BGR prospect. Huge scope so should go novice easily (and poss even int) but potentially wouldn't find making the xc time easy at the higher levels.
Grateful for any opinions as not sure how best to market for the best home. Many thanks

 

[wkiwi]

Ahh, I think this might be counted as an actual ad and deleted.
Re the eventing, if you take him Novice then he would be much more marketable as anything i.e. someone wanting to do BGR might then want to go on and do Novice so would prefer something that has been there done that. I wouldn't worry about the time - a 15.2hh should easily make the Novice time if it is the type that doesn't need constant setting up for the fences and people would rather have something that was double clear with a few time faults than something that hadn't jumped in competition at that height.
So, I would say go for the Novice and then advertise him when he has a few clears under his belt (girth? - LOL).

 

[muffinthemule]

Many thanks for your response! Hope this doesn't get pulled-he is definitely not for sale, I'm just assessing how best to prepare for a sale later in the year.
Good points re being proven at that height...I guess I was just concerned he got points and ruled himself out of BGR right away.
Fingers crossed for some more opinions as just not sure what to do for the best.

 

[wkiwi]

I'm sure others will have more points for you to consider soon. I am just being an insomniac tonight!
I do think though that if your horse is scopey then there will be more of a market for him than just grass roots, but there are certainly people out there that would pay a lot for a horse at this level so I can understand your dilemma.

 

[showpony]

Hi can you pm me please.

 

[DollyPentreath]

Definitely worth more as a novice horse. Especially if the record is good.

 

[kassieg]

Go novice! I have a 6 year old which i will be selling at the end of the season very similar to yours but she won't be ready to go novice this season or i would definitely do it !

A lot of people want good 15.2s for teenagers etc if you can get him going novice & he is pretty easy i would market him more toward the under 18s market especially if he might go intermediate as well

 

[Horsemad12]

If you are planning on selling at the end of this year then I may be tempted to do some UA Novice level events (PC for example) and then you have the best of both worlds.

If you are confident that he will do REALLY well at Nov then I would take him that route for the under 18 market.

Also consider what kind of ride he is.....could someone aiming for grassroots BE90 ride him??

 

[GinaGeo]

Speaking as someone with a 15.2hh. We are going down the grassroots line. I would do pony club Opens if you can to show he's capable of Novice without cutting a lot of your market out. I should think a lot of people would like the opportunity to go to Badminton on their way to Novice. That's certainly what I'm doing with mine.

 

[be positive]

I think to sell as a GR horse he would need to be qualified to get a really decent price, there are plenty of horses who can get placed at 90/100 but will not be good enough to get the score/ placing at regionals to go to the finals, if he is in that category it will keep him as a schoolmaster type rather than a contender, the standard is extremely high at the finals and you really require horses that score low 20's to be in with a real chance of getting there.
I would aim him, if he is a suitable ride, at the under 18 market, even with some points he is eligible so a few good runs at novice will prove his capabilities and if there are some points picked up along the way it will not matter, if he seems to be struggling drop him straight back before his good record is lost, running in a few open PC is a good idea as the most likely market will be the PC rider looking to be on PC teams as well as doing BE and that seems to be where the money is as they don't have many years to do this before they are 18 or off to uni and having to limit what they do.
There normally seems to be a shortage of smaller event horses you only have to look at the wanted ads on Horsequest to see that people cannot find them easily.

 

[VRIN]

If you are aiming at the Grassroots - have you ever qualified with this horse? If not then what suggests that someone else may be able to? Just a thought?

 

[fredflop]

If has a very likely chance of winning GR final, aim at that level. If no chance try out novice

 

[Golden_Match_II]

As someone who has bought horses like this in the past, I personally believe you need to market him at a PC/JRN type and go Novice - he will not be worth as much money as a mediocre "might do well" grassroots horse as he would be as a Juniors horse. It's also a bit of a waste of a horse in my opinion if you're holding him back to see if he will be a winner at 100 rather than aiming for double clears at Novice.

 

[muffinthemule]

Am blown away by all the responses here guys-many thanks!!
Interesting that it seems like Novice/JRN is the popular opinion... I had initially thought the BGR route would be most popular..

Vrin-we thought he'd be ideal for BGR as he is a DC machine and generally scores mid 20s DR (does pure DR at elem). But equally his jump is huge and he loves big jumps and is bold so would give someone a lot of fun at novice.

A further thought I had- is the market for a "specialist", eg BS showjumper or BD dressage as strong/stronger than eventer? He could specialise in either of these equally as well but I guess then maybe I am pigeon holing him to just one area.

Thanks again HHO peeps! ��

 

[PorkChop]

You have had loads of good advice, nothing to add, but he sounds fabulous

 

[star]

There is a good market for a good solid all rounder 15.2hh. I have one and would have another in a shot. Mine has just done Grassroots 90 last year and 100 this year. Also BSJA 1.05m and BD Medium going advanced Medium this year. He could probably go Novice BE but might find the time tough. I'm still working towards it. If I got another like him I'd be keen on giving Badminton another shot and working up to Novice esp if Novice is likely to be as far as he went. Soon as he has points that's him restricted to 100 Opens and Novice and out of other things like Blenheim eventers challenge. Mine has done Badders twice now and he is a consistent 30 horse. He's had a few low 20's but by no means there all the time.

 

[muffinthemule]

You have had loads of good advice, nothing to add, but he sounds fabulous

Thanks LJR-you have neds my day!!

 

[muffinthemule]

Star your boy looks fantastic-would be thrilled if my boy could emulate that sort of success.

 

[be positive]

A further thought I had- is the market for a "specialist", eg BS showjumper or BD dressage as strong/stronger than eventer? He could specialise in either of these equally as well but I guess then maybe I am pigeon holing him to just one area.

Thanks again HHO peeps! ��

Definitely a better market for an eventer that has form, if his flatwork is good enough for BD elem upwards and he is careful sj then I would certainly do no more than enhance those disciplines so he is a true allrounder, let the potential purchasers decide if they want to just concentrate on one or other, the majority of people want the option if at all possible and your target market will probably be the ambitious teen.

 

[FailedEventer]

I have been trying to decide something similar myself - mine is 16.1 though, won his first 90 beginning of the season and has moved up to BE100 and has been 3rd, 2nd and 2nd in his only runs! He easily has the scope/attitude to go much further. I came to the decision that hes probably worth about the same as a very good grassroots horse as he is an ok Novice horse (possibly getting a couple of points - although my riding would be the reason for not getting better results!!). Personally I think if a horse goes novice you have to be confident that you can get good results and that it could sell as a horse that has potential for more (intermediate/** etc) - if you keep it as a BGR horse then they can do whatever they want with it! But like others have said it has to be a very good horse to get a good price (to that equivalent of an ok novice horse). Hope that makes a bit of sense!
In the end I've decided to keep mine - hes got a couple of sarcoids and I can see his market value would probably take a knock because of that! So I'm just going to see what I can do with him instead!