*hic*
village idiot :D
Just had the following Press Release through. I have an interest as my horse and rider were one of the combinations to have been round the BE100 the week before. It is infuriating that although best efforts were made by all parties to confirm that everything was according to their rules, with the courses being vastly different and of course different dressage and SJ, BRC HQ appear to have ruled against it after the event.
PRESS RELEASE 14 JUNE 2012
Members of Cambridge & District Riding Club (CDRC) have threatened to 'storm' the Chief Executives office at British Riding Clubs (BRC) if they are not given a fair hearing with regards to why their Intermediate and Open eventing teams have been disqualified from the Riding Club’s National Horse Trials Championships.
Volunteers from Riding Clubs in Area 7 & 8 organised the Area Horse Trials qualifier at Lt Downham on 27 May 2012 in which Junior and Senior Novice Intermediate and Open teams took part. BRC Area Representatives from 7&8 agreed at an organisers meeting in May that RC members could compete at both Lt Downham BE and the RC area qualifier 1 week later as the 2 courses would be significantly different and Tina Ure (Lt Downham owner & organiser) spent copious amounts of time re-flagging and moving fences with her team of helpers to comply with RC's request. The dressage tests and showjumping phases were completely different to the BE event the week before.
However, after the Area qualifier a complaint was made to BRC by an Area 8 club member that a rider on another Area 8 team had competed at the BE event the week before and BRC subsequently overruled their Area Reps decision that members could ride at both events and disqualified all riding club members who had ridden at Lt Downham BE in any shape or form the week before, even if they had for example ridden the BE 100 then competed at a higher level at the RC event ie Open (1.10) over a competely different course.
This has meant that Intermediate and Open teams from Area 7&8 will not be allowed to attend the finals at Aston le Walls in August although Cambridge & District Riding Club were the only club to field an Intermediate and Open team at the qualifier so the result did not stop any other club from getting through. In fact it means that BRC will lose out on a significant amount of income from entries for the championships for the 2 teams (approx £1000)
Members of CDRC are disgusted at the way they have been treated by BRC and the fact that BRC have overruled their Area Reps one of whom (Content removed) sits on the National Executive competitions committee, without any consultation or right of appeal.
A spokeman for CDRC said that the club members affected would no longer be volunteering to help or organise RC events and will probably not rejoin next year. As some of them are also BE members they are intending to approach BE to see if they can form a 'club style' structure within BE for amateur riders with regional qualifiers and a National Championships with a programme of training to help members improve.
There have been ongoing problems with British Riding Clubs pedantic rules over Flu vaccinations and riding over XC courses where qualifying competitons are to be held. Due to the lack of runs people have had this year it was impractical to say to members you either do BE or BRC as Riding Club events always lose out and the Area qualifier could not be held if there are not sufficient entries to make it viable. The organisers looked for a viable solution ie changing the courses around and using other fences but this was still not good enouqh for BRC.
PRESS RELEASE 14 JUNE 2012
Members of Cambridge & District Riding Club (CDRC) have threatened to 'storm' the Chief Executives office at British Riding Clubs (BRC) if they are not given a fair hearing with regards to why their Intermediate and Open eventing teams have been disqualified from the Riding Club’s National Horse Trials Championships.
Volunteers from Riding Clubs in Area 7 & 8 organised the Area Horse Trials qualifier at Lt Downham on 27 May 2012 in which Junior and Senior Novice Intermediate and Open teams took part. BRC Area Representatives from 7&8 agreed at an organisers meeting in May that RC members could compete at both Lt Downham BE and the RC area qualifier 1 week later as the 2 courses would be significantly different and Tina Ure (Lt Downham owner & organiser) spent copious amounts of time re-flagging and moving fences with her team of helpers to comply with RC's request. The dressage tests and showjumping phases were completely different to the BE event the week before.
However, after the Area qualifier a complaint was made to BRC by an Area 8 club member that a rider on another Area 8 team had competed at the BE event the week before and BRC subsequently overruled their Area Reps decision that members could ride at both events and disqualified all riding club members who had ridden at Lt Downham BE in any shape or form the week before, even if they had for example ridden the BE 100 then competed at a higher level at the RC event ie Open (1.10) over a competely different course.
This has meant that Intermediate and Open teams from Area 7&8 will not be allowed to attend the finals at Aston le Walls in August although Cambridge & District Riding Club were the only club to field an Intermediate and Open team at the qualifier so the result did not stop any other club from getting through. In fact it means that BRC will lose out on a significant amount of income from entries for the championships for the 2 teams (approx £1000)
Members of CDRC are disgusted at the way they have been treated by BRC and the fact that BRC have overruled their Area Reps one of whom (Content removed) sits on the National Executive competitions committee, without any consultation or right of appeal.
A spokeman for CDRC said that the club members affected would no longer be volunteering to help or organise RC events and will probably not rejoin next year. As some of them are also BE members they are intending to approach BE to see if they can form a 'club style' structure within BE for amateur riders with regional qualifiers and a National Championships with a programme of training to help members improve.
There have been ongoing problems with British Riding Clubs pedantic rules over Flu vaccinations and riding over XC courses where qualifying competitons are to be held. Due to the lack of runs people have had this year it was impractical to say to members you either do BE or BRC as Riding Club events always lose out and the Area qualifier could not be held if there are not sufficient entries to make it viable. The organisers looked for a viable solution ie changing the courses around and using other fences but this was still not good enouqh for BRC.
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