Please explain BE to me!

[GinaGeo]

I've always wanted to affiliate with BE and do some *proper* eventing. Never had the horse power in the past.

Now I have my 5 year old who I think is about ready, he'll do a good Dressage test, he's jumping nicely around SJ courses at the moment and was getting quite bold last year around the XC. We did a couple of ODE's last year, won one but had a bit of a disaster at the second due to slipping - dressage on grass without shoes was interesting! He'd need shoes and studs if we were to affiliate.

I do need 3rd party insurance for me and the horses through a society, BD, BE or BHS regardless. I'm currently a member of BD, but whilst I enjoy dressage I'm not inspired by it and miss the rush of XC! My membership's due for renewal at the beginning of Feb, so I've a little longer to decide yet. I haven't been out to BD since the Area festivals and am not feeling like I want to go out and do any anytime soon. I'm presently filling the diary with, Arena Eventing and SJ, with some BEDE Dressage tests (the prize money's better, you qualify for something and the entry fee's lower than BD)

Realistically, we're only really ready to go out at 80cm for something new, perhaps pushing on to 90cm if we're ready later in the season.

My heart is saying going for it, I'd love to aim him for the Grassroots champs. My head is saying that it's too expensive and we'd do better gaining the experience jumping round unaff courses first, to make sure we're really ready. I feel like Feb is far too close to decide!

Is it worth the entry fees, when we could do unaff at that level? Realistically how much does it cost for one event? I'm a student, I haven't got unlimited resources to throw at it, and am still reliant on my wonderful mother chauffeuring us, so we can't be going too far afield either!

Thanks and Mince pies to everyone that got this far!

 

[popsdosh]

At least £150 per event inc entries etc.

 

[Eventer96]

We were spending between £150-£220 on each event (fuel and entries). Entries are so expensive and the fuel can be a crippling factor depending on where you are based and how close you are to the events you plan to compete at. To be honest, at the lower levels you can run around the same courses for half the price... Most affiliated venues will hold unaffiliated events. I've swapped to dressage and I must say, the entry fees are more feasible and the prize money is much better!

 

[GinaGeo]

Ouch! Best get saving then, was considering do a couple of days on a ticket even If I don't join this time... I think I'd have to buy a day membership to do this as well now?

Is the difference between unaff and BE worth it?

 

[Jane_Lou]

You can run in 4 events in the year on day tickets. You may be better to run in some unaf events over BE courses first and then have a couple of runs later in the year. Aston le walls run excellent unaf event which have the atmosphere and courses that you will get at a BE event so are a good place to start.

 

[wench]

I'm afraid the others are correct. Have you been and looked around any BE sj/xc courses? There is a big difference between say pony club events advertised as a certain height, then doing a BE event at the same height!

My local PC ode 3ft course is nothing like a BE90, it's far easier

 

[be positive]

You do not need to be a BE member, unless the rules change for 2014, to do the 80t classes the ticket is only about £10 so until you are ready to do 90 there is little point in joining BE, I would plan an early spring of unaff and some BE80t classes, you can join when you are ready to move on to 90s feeling well prepared and save the money.
There are plenty of unaff events run at BE venues take advantage of them to gain experience over well built courses at a much lower entry fee and possibly win some prize money to help cover some costs.

 

[kassieg]

Im in the same situation mine is 5 next year & I would do a couple of 80s then 90s for the season
I have decided its not worth the money for this season , theres a lot of places round here that run unaff round be courses so will do that then probs affiliate next year

 

[charlimouse]

If you are in an area with plenty of good quality unaffiliated ODEs I would stick to unaffiliated for the moment given the cost. Especially if you are in an area where BE courses run unaffiliated. You could always stick to unaffiliated for the spring, see how you are getting on then if you decide you want to affiliate. You can get half season membership for July to the end of the season, or get a day ticket if you only want to do a couple of events.

Having said that if you live in an area where there are only rickety little hunter trials run over sticks, it would probably be better to affiliate, mainly for the safety aspect.

 

[meardsall_millie]

I think you're probably East Mids (with the Bede dressage mention) - there's a nice unaffil ODE at Osberton run by EMDG at the end of Feb which is well worth doing

 

[GinaGeo]

Drat! Looks like I'm going to have to be sensible!

I've been around Eland Lodge with him - the consensus both on here and in reality was that it's quite meaty in comparison and quite full up compared to the equivlanet BE that's run there... I haven't been to a BE venue when there's a BE event running. Shall put that on the to-do list...

Perhaps I'd do better aiming at something like Milton Keynes 3DE this year and use PC ODE's and Unaff's to get us ready... Possibly do one or two on a ticket at the end of the season...?

Thanks all - you're taking the sense I know is needed!

 

[GinaGeo]

I think you're probably East Mids (with the Bede dressage mention) - there's a nice unaffil ODE at Osberton run by EMDG at the end of Feb which is well worth doing

That sounds interesting - Thanks!

Had probably ought to get a little more involved with my riding club too, and do the BRC Horse Trials too.

Thank You everyone, shall attempt to save up to fund the BE for another year!

 

[Lolo]

See, if we wanted a nice 90cm we'd go BE. PC are a law unto themselves. Which is grand for when you need to make sure they're ready to move up but not so much when you're just starting. When Reg was doing 90cm with Al they had to do the BE Novice water combination at Oasby... Little bit unnerving. Or the gem of a ditch on a 2 stride angle up a relatively steep incline to a isolated skinny barrel. Perfect for a young horse, that. And the SJ is (if they're both using good coursebuilders) smaller.

Ultimately I think that as an adult aiming at grassroots level, BE offers good opportunities that if you can you should make the most of. Once you hit Novice, you're a bit stranded amongst the pros so I'd be making the most of what I could. I'd ensure my horse would jump a 90cm SJ course, get 60%+ at prelim and be confident XC before I went eventing. But I'd be more inclined to go BE.

 

[SnowGoose]

BEDE do an unaffiliated at shelford round their BE course day after their event at the end of may (27th) Would let you jump a proper BE XC course (presume SJ is comparable but not 100% sure, XC is identical) then decide whether you want to do BE.

If you want a few runs in the spring round BE type courses Eland have unaff 18th may and Solihull unaff 8th June (and i think one in April/May) Aston le walls usually run an unaff most months in the spring too.

If its all going well and you want to affiliate can do half season membership which runs from 1st July (you buy full year for you so July '14- june '15, then a half year for horse until oct 14).

 

[Honey08]

Before I went affiliated I went to watch one or two and walked the courses to make sure I knew what sort of things I would be getting when I entered.

Stafford is one of the first in March, which won't be too far away if you're in the Midlands...

 

[wench]

PC ode's that I have been too in the East Midlands have all been ok. I have only ever seen one dodgy jump at a PC, and that was on a hunter trial, not ode.

As for BE, I once went to an intro, xc course was described as "good for first timers", I walked around it, and knew I would have to w/d before it, I would have probably caused some serious damage to myself or my horse if I'd have attempted it. As it was a "wardrobe malfunction" meant we were elim sj

 

[GinaGeo]

That's it Lolo, I'm always better when I have something to aim for, and I'd love to go for the grassroots champs...

Snowgoose, thank you. Some fab ones there, they're on the calender and I think it's a good plan. Do the unaff round the BE courses and go from there..

Honey, we've got a couple if reasonably local BE facilities so will definitely go along for a wander and a nosey first...!

Wench, from what I've seen I'd agree that the PC stuff over here seems to be OK. Teams isn't really an option as I'm no longer a member of pony club and am way too out of the loop to even be considered. My local PC are very strong! So I'd be limited to the ODE's; I entered a couple last year and both were cancelled a few days before with no explanation which was annoying as it was left to late for us to re-route elsewhere!

Thanks everyone, think I've got a plan of attack sorted, which is good going for me - I normally miss all of the pre-entries!