PRE INTRO..... you can't be serious?!

Hmmm I really have my sceptics hat on about this pre-intro, although it's mainly from a money point of view. I always aspired to compete at Intro or PN, but I simply couldn't ever afford the cost of registering and then entry fees on top of that (past tense, as I am currently horseless!). Day tickets probably aren't massively cheaper in the long run; I reckon to compete on a ticket would have cost in the region of £100 a day for me once you've added it all up. I'm quite lucky because in my area we have a fair amount of well-organised unaff events and I know this is the exception rather than the rule. However, I would worry that these would go out of business with the introduction of pre-Intro, and although I take on board the points about better organisation etc of BE events, I just think that it would be a shame to lose these unaff events for the sake of BE making a bit more money out of those lucky enough to be able to afford to affiliate.
 
Perhaps a sort of training scheme incorporating these would be better? To encourage those who want to affiliate whilst keeping the sport safe/high quality?
 
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By the way do you know that BD are introducing affiliated walk and trot tests next year? Now surely that is taking it a bit too far!!



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I seriously hope that is a joke.
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I agree Riding Clubs and Pony Clubs should be encouraged by BE eventing to hold the lower height classes following BE standards, but these should not be BE classes. It does just smack of a money making move.
 
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Although I agree Intro is not big in fact we have often jumped fences included in the Novice/ Intermediate fences in BE classes in local Hunter Trials, it will guarantee the courses will be safe and well built.
I'm afraid I have seen far too many people fail to get round Pre-Novice after belittling Intro to say there is no place for Pre Intro, if it fills a niche I have no problem with it.
I would also say courses vary tremendously in different places, round here for instance Winkleigh is a very easy course, whereas Hatherleigh isn't..Yet both are classed as Intro/Pre Novice.
Before we take our horses to a BE event they will have jumped round higher than the specified height of the entered class at an Un-affilliated hunter Trial or ODE.
Or we will have hired a Xc course and educated them thoroughly.
As it costs so much to enter and drive there it makes sense that they are well prepared.
As for dumbing down I disagre, what it should do is educate people, as things like bad collecting ring riding won't be allowed. Take a look at that vid of Chocolate at an unaffilliated HT, horses literally galloping past, banging into him etc and one woman used the practice fence as the middle of her schooling circles!
If it makes for better riding ultimately I'm for it..

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Personally, I think Henryhorn is spot on..

I've been a BE member for 3 years and I think this could be a good idea. Ok, so Intro is pretty small but BE are just doing what people have asked for.. I also think there may well be a niche for this class, especially for ages 12 - 18. I certainly don't think it will encourage bad riding, local riders near myself are often forced to compete in badly run (really badly run) local HT's and there aren't any unaff ODE's except Tweseldown (which isn't that local). To be honest I've seen atrocious riding from BE Novice right the way to advanced, we all have to start somewhere.. I'm not saying people should be ill prepared but when you're starting out you might as well start out as part of an authority that's going to ensure good going, a safe course, a well run event, fair rules and regulations etc etc..

As for BE being money hungry, I don't blame them for that either, after all they keep us all competing with the horses we love in the sport we crave. Entry fees might be high but they have to be to keep all us competitors happy! I'm not saying BE are perfect but they're fighting a losing battle trying to keep everyone happy.

Just my humble opinion... x
 
I can see both sides here.

Where I am we have some nice cross country's. So we are lucky. (A couple of them have been built to/very close to BE standards).

Because of this I would not consider affiliating unless I was ready to go at least Pre-Novice and onwards. (Too much expense and too much mileage to get to BE events).

However, there are those (some of which have posted here) who have terrible locally built/ran trials and would more than welcome a well built and well run Horse Trials that deals with the lower levels.

I think Riding Clubs can benefit from this if they work with BE. (Which some already do re course building etc).

If BE can get more money perhaps they can pump more money in to getting more courses up and running? *waves frantically "Down here, down here"!!*

Perhaps (Big perhaps) if the interest is big enough, BE prices could freeze for a while and make it more affordable for everyone?

As HH said, it should help with the bad horsemanship as the rules are set in stone.

If it doesn't get in the way of the other levels it should be welcomed with conditions.

(I am more thinking aloud here and absolutely do not know anything)
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I do agree it is dumbing down. To affiliate years a go meant you had a very good horse and you were a very good/brave/insane rider.

The thing is, we all know where the insanity cuts in,,,,,,,,,,around and above Novice
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Guess I'm a bit weird coming from another sport really but:

Why is competing at lower level affiliated seen as more prestigious?

In my opinion it should be more of a guarantee of quality - e.g. eventing - you have the BE technical delegate, qualified dressage judges, compulsory medical and veterinary cover, ground and fence building quality standards, sensible stride distances in SJ, appropriate to the level of the riders.

Does BE on a ticket cost that much more than entering say 8 ODEs at different venues and then doing none of them having walked the course and decided the course was too flimsy/odd distances or similar?
 
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