Possibly controversial but I have to ask

[PaddyMonty]

With all the talk of british showjumping in crisis I have to wonder......does it really matter?
If you look at the majority of jumping in the uk its difficult to find any evidence of a crisis?
So britain hasn't won any medals in the last umpteen years, does that affect my ability to go and jump a disco, newc or whatever at the weekend? No it doesn't.

I've heard the arguments of lack of sponsors, owners, tv coverage etc being attracted to the sport when not successful but again I ask, does that affect my showjumping?
Well the majority of us that compete BS dont have sponsors and are never likely to get them. We dont have owners either in the true sense.
What about TV coverage? Not sure that holds water either. Eventing has been consistently successful yet the coverage has steadily declined.

So as far as I can see the only people affected by the crisis are the elite that may (or may not) make it on to the british team.
Would grass roots BS be better if less money was spent supporting the elite and instead effort focussed on making Bs more affordable for the majority.

Sure it's nice when the brits win a medal or two but is a lack of international success really a crisis for the majority that compete in BS. Does it have the slightest bearing on us at all?
Personally I dont think so.

Thoughts?

 

[Flame_]

Well, if the people at the top aren't doing that great, and the people at the bottom are moving away from BSJA showjumping in favor of not competing (cheaper and less stressful), jumping unaffiliated (cheaper), eventing (more for your money, more exciting?), not jumping (less wear and tear on horse, safer, less nerve-wracking, etc?), will there be enough people left in the middle to keep it going?

But I agree, if there is a crisis of BSJA, they should be focusing more on encouraging the people at the bottom than worrying about the people at the top.

 

[cavalla]

Long and very rambling - sorry and not quite sure what my own conclusions are!
Do you know it's funny but was chatting to OH about this the other day. I am a keen BSJA'r and have been for years and a big fan of showjumping in general, but I am getting tired of all the moaning about lack of money, lack of horsepower etc etc at the top level show-jumping. You know sport is a funny thing and sportsmen and sportswomen are in an odd position all the time because at the end of the day what they do doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things (prepares to be shot down in flames!) it's not like being a nurse or surgeon or teacher where what you do matters. It really doesn't matter to non horsey people if for example Tim Stockdale has no top horse or Whitaker's out for 4 months for a mistaken doping offence or we've lost a medal because we don't have the 'horsepower'. Obviously it matters like hell to them because it's their livlihood but at the end of the day its a sport and as such is an entirely 'selfish' way to make a living. The top end riders are always relying on the fact that others will pay for them to do something that they love and pay for the prizemoney that makes it all viable.
(Don't get me wrong I'd give my eye teeth to be good enough for other people to pay me to showjump full time and ride their horses for a living!)
Think the point that I am rambling somewhat inchoherently to is that sportsmen and women sometimes think that they are owed a living and actually they are not. A sport is popular or its not and as with any other sport, showjumping will not attract big money again unless it stops moaning and does more to promote itself as, sadly today, it is completey irrelevant to most non horsey people's lives.
It's not like football which anybody can play anywhere and get a feel and a love for. Most of the general public these days have absolutely nothing to do with horses and although they get the excitement and skill of eventing cross country and the apparently the 'glamour' of dressage - showjumping I'm afraid to many non horsey people is like watching paint dry.

Until all this and more is addressed I fear that big bucks will not come back into the sport and the moaning will continue whereas I agree with you that those of us in the middle and lower end of the BSJA will continue to ride and enjoy the sport, (most of us working full time to fund out hobby) wether or not the top end are winning medals.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

[ QUOTE ]
So britain hasn't won any medals in the last umpteen years, does that affect my ability to go and jump a disco, newc or whatever at the weekend? No it doesn't.


[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Sure it's nice when the brits win a medal or two but is a lack of international success really a crisis for the majority that compete in BS. Does it have the slightest bearing on us at all?
Personally I dont think so.

[/ QUOTE ]
"I'M ALRIGHT JACK!" springs to mind. Why do you bother with BS? You can go & jump unaffiliated courses..... many of which are extremely poor, with strange distances & irregular building by people who haven't got a clue. What happens if you actually end up with a horse that has the ability to jump large tracks?......... you won't be happy popping around 90cm then will you?

Sponsorship at the level you are jumping is highly unlikely unless'Daddy' owns a company & puts his name on your saddle cloth. To compete at a high level sponsorship is a must. How much do you imagine a horse like Robin Hood W , Oki Doki etc cost? Certainly more than most riders have access to. Also if you are to compete on the world stage how much do you think it costs to take horses to Europe & USA. Without sponsorship there would be no elite riders because only the wealthy could afford competition costs & they are not necessarily the best riders.

British Show Jumping uses some resourses to stage premier shows but the vast majority are paid for by other companies & sponsors. Woof Wear sponsor a class as do Joshua Jones, Blue Chip, Katherine James, & not to forget 'Scope' is another huge show that is paid for by a totally separate company. Money used in the top shows comes from other sources & it is unlikely that if the prestigeous shows went that they would want to invest in minor shows. They want the publicity & television coverage to showcase their companies. You popping around a discovery on a windy sunday morning is unlikely to float their boat. I thik you have a very blinkered view of this.

 

[cptrayes]

I'm with you and I think it's the same with eventing. People at the bottom end are paying huuuuge fees (£70 a class) to enter which partly pays for a tiny number of elite riders and their entourage to go to extremely expensive outings abroad. I'd rather have lower fees for ordinary people at the bottom end and let the top end finance itself if it wants to play those games.