Pre-Intro BE Classes - Article/letters in H&H

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josephinebutter2

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Was having a chat with a friend the other day about the recent article and response letters in this weeks H&H regarding the proposed introduction of Pre-Intro classes in BE i.e. are people just being snobs not wanting these.

Although I do agree with the responses that BE should not hold these classes i.e. it may not be wise for novice riders to be in the same warm up ring as fit, sharp eventers for safety reasons; I can see that BE has good intentions and is not just trying to make more money.

Personally, I feel that we should be concentrating on raising the standard of Riding Club events instead as I feel there can be a big gap between Riding Club Events and BE Eventing.

The pony club seem to do a really good job of preparing riders for Affiliated competition, but Riding Clubs can be seen as places for novice riders who are not good enough to go Affiliated (not my view I hasten to add).

I'll get round to my point now!

So would BE be wiser to try and help Riding Clubs organise better training and events, so there is a smooth transition for riders to go from RC to Affiliated events, as opposed to trying to run their own lower level events?

What do you think?
 
Definitely think BE should in some way help Riding clubs and Pony Club arrange better standard BE events rather then having a Pre Intro event at a BE event, there will soon be no standard to have to affiliate! There will be 1" ODE events BE!! Events are already incredibly over subscribed - I have already been balloted 3 times this year, it can only get worse adding more classes.

Unless there are more events introduced over the UK or events run over more days
 
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I can see that BE has good intentions and is not just trying to make more money.

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Do you really think this is the case? I'm not so sure. If it was the whole thing would be a lot cheaper to participate in.

Anyone have an idea of the profit that BE makes each year?
 
A few years back a lot of BE events used to run PC/RC sections alongside the BE sections at events ... what happened to these classes?
 
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A few years back a lot of BE events used to run PC/RC sections alongside the BE sections at events ... what happened to these classes?

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HAHA I knew i wasnt the only one to remember these. Good point!

Same as the military sections, theyre def fewer
 
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A few years back a lot of BE events used to run PC/RC sections alongside the BE sections at events ... what happened to these classes?

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Now that's a good idea, or do what BD do and allow non- members to enter a lower class, or special section but not qualify for anything....
 
I think the standard of RC riding has dropped dramatically in the last few years. I was quite an avid RC member and enjoyed competing in the team comps, but the competitions were so poorly organised and the standard of riding low that I'm now 99% doing affiliated. I know it's more expensive, but at least I know that I'm going to get value for money and a professional course. Last year I paid £35 to do an unaff ODE with my youngster.
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Having said that, at BE Central Scotland last week, I was shocked at the appalling riding in the Intro classes. Just the sort of level I was seeing at Area RC qualifiers last year.

I think it would be a great idea for BE to put more time and effort into helping with the transition from RC to affiliated. I'm all for encouraging people to give things a go. Up the standards of training and events at RC level and things would be a lot better (and keep the first level of BE at Intro).
 
I think it is an excellent idea to have an 80 cms BE course specification.

I believe it would be a very bad idea for BE to affiliate those classes though.

To have BE centres with PN / Intro / Pre-Intro tracks will give a venue that PC & RC really should use for their competitions, and that should be used for "quality" unaffiliated. The problem with running the level within BE is one of timetabling. We run two BE events, each over 2 days, and each to a capacity target of between 260 - 270 horses. This covers Novice, Pre-Novice and Intro at each event. To add in Pre-Intro would mean dropping Novice, which would not be good for the sport.

To lose Novice events and replace them with 80 cms would be viable for organisers, but not for horse producers. The structure becomes less essential as you go lower, so to have a non BE affiliated structure that gets riders up to the standard of riding Intro well before they affiliate (or gamble on the day ticket ballot lottery) would seem sensible
 
I think the standard of riding at RC level is pretty good - certainly at our Area Comps the competition is pretty hot, especially the dressage.

I suppose it can boil down to where you live. In the South East you can pretty much compete every day of the week in something if you can afford it, plus there's trainers galore. Whereas out in the sticks you probably have to travel further and decent comps are fewer and further between.

Possibly also some areas of the country are wealthier than others, in that they can afford to buy more expensive horses or pay to have their horses schooled / more lessons etc.

It would be interesting to find out what areas of the country have the biggest % of BE members, as that might suggest that there are more RC members in the areas where there are less BE members, and maybe the standard is lesser - or more?? Who knows????
 
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A few years back a lot of BE events used to run PC/RC sections alongside the BE sections at events ... what happened to these classes?

[/ QUOTE ]

HAHA I knew i wasnt the only one to remember these. Good point!

Same as the military sections, theyre def fewer

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I did a RC section at Wessex it was £25 to enter with no start fee and was over the PN course. It was fab value for money, and you also didn't need to buy a ticket. Brilliant Idea. I can also do Military sections at events which round here seem to be Larkhill or Gatcombe - but it did mean I could get into Gatcombe on a ticket.

The thing is though that the Pony Club Novice is Intro height anyway, so if PC are doing Intro as their smallest class does BE really need to do a pre-intro?

A positive for it as Keysoe has said is that better 80cm courses would be built which could then be exploited by RCs

ETS why is their no equivalent of Trailblazers for eventing? An unaffliated series that you could qualify for a final - please don't say RC!
 
There is, it's called UK Amateur Eventing.

it's been launched this year: http://www.amateureventing.co.uk/

Trouble is, the heights are a bit iffy - the bigger class has fences from 2ft 6" - 3ft 5".

I wouldn't want to go to an event where the first fence was 2ft 6" and the 3rd fence 3ft 5". Ok, so not many centres will run comps with such a vast difference in jump heights, but it does rather leave things open for it.
 
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I suppose it can boil down to where you live. In the South East you can pretty much compete every day of the week in something if you can afford it, plus there's trainers galore. Whereas out in the sticks you probably have to travel further and decent comps are fewer and further between.

Possibly also some areas of the country are wealthier than others, in that they can afford to buy more expensive horses or pay to have their horses schooled / more lessons etc.

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Yes, I forgot, all of us Scots are impoverished, living in the middle of nowhere with heather growing out of our ears.
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I think its a good idea as the difference between RC ODE and Eventing is vast and after recent events I think the safetly is a lot better at BE than RC or local events. I know you pay more but at least the ground should be looked after and their is proper saftey etc.
 
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