Scottish BE Events??

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DarkHorseB

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Just went onto BE fixtures to see if anything changed and both Brechin Castle and Oatridge are showing as cancelled in the Fixture list now. Can anyone confirm this is correct?

Also any news on replacement venue(s) for Central Scotland and Balcarres they are still showing as TBC at the moment.
 
I noticed that too, not that I will be out eventing this year, but I am nosey.

I'm sure the Central Scotland Horse Trials page said they had exciting news coming soon, but that was quite a few weeks ago now.

Pretty gutted that it is looking so grim as I was looking forward to having a bash in 2014. Don't think BE Scotland will still exist then...!
 
There have been rumours that Brechin and oatridge were not going to happen so looks like they are now true.

CSHT have two sets of dates in the BE calendar. They posted this early Dec on their facebook page:

"Hey everyone, proposals are in to a venue and, by the sounds of it they are keen but, we have to have another meeting with them. We will keep you all informed once we have a definate signature on the dotted line but.................ITS VERY EXCITING FOR CENTRAL SCOTLAND!!!! In the meantime please like the link below and see the offer that Eilidh Robertson is doing on her web site.......Central Scotland would like to say a massive THANK YOU to every donation made.....WE NEED IT!!!!"

One of my RCs are hoping to hold an arena event at a decent indoor venue on the same date as Brechin as we had hired the venue for an evening demo. We were worried all the eventers would disappear to Brechin so were going to aim it at lower levels but maybe we need to reconsider
 
Brechin could run if they had an organiser. The estate are happy for it to run and the course is all there but no one to run it

Oatridge have struggled due to the conflicts of interest with the farm that the XC runs on so they are definitely out
 
:( i was hoping to do brechin this year
would CSHT not run brechin? (saying that i know nothing of the politics so i could be suggesting something daft?!)
 
saw JO from CSHT the other week, he said they had found a venue but not sure if the owners wanted one run so it was still early days.

Maybe CSHT could run Brechin! that would be excellent :)

Looking at Oatridges fields where the xc start is still looks mashed by the tractors from last year so I guessed that would be off.
 
Such a pity... but running an event is such a huge undertaking and 2012 was just so miserable.

I'm going to cling to the hope that Strathallan could be resurrected one day and in the mean time i'm going to hang on to my membership money.

Can anyone remember exactly what it is that BE does for Scotland to make it worth forking out membership money each year? :(
 
I was a member of Strathmore and District about 20 years ago for a year when I worked in Dundee. SDRC then used to be a big club and some of the RC committee used to help run BD at Glamis castle. Maybe worth contacting someone like Marjorie Norrie for contacts in the area? If she is still active in the area at RC/BHS levels?
 
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Sadly the costs involved in running an event are now so high it will take a brave organiser to take on running an event. The financial risks are really quite high and are borne by the organiser and their committee personally. Any loss comes out of their pockets!!

The competitors entry fees will not cover the running costs of running the event, never mind the cost of course improvements or repairs, and getting sponsorship is very hard work.
 
The remaining dates all run on consecutive weekends too....which is not going to help people to support the few remaining competitions.
One horse riders can't possibly support all, even if they wanted to:

First event - Kirriemuir; Weekend after - Burgie; Weekend after that - Auchinleck
Best part of a month off - Floors; Weekend after - Scotsburn
Another month off - Burgie; weekend after - Eglinton

You get the picture....but pillar to post springs to mind...and it all means that organisers will be fishing in an even smaller pond :(
 
It's poor show on BE that Brechin are prepared to have an event and have an existing course ready to go and they haven't got a committee to run it. I know David Reid stepped into the breach last year to enable it to run but he has more than done his bit as a volunteer and new blood needs to step in if events are going to happen and not rely on the "old timers" all the time. Presumably our regional co-ordinator should be responsible for finding a committee to run this event as I assume that is her job remit.
 
bogpony said:
The remaining dates all run on consecutive weekends too....which is not going to help people to support the few remaining competitions.
One horse riders can't possibly support all, even if they wanted to:

First event - Kirriemuir; Weekend after - Burgie; Weekend after that - Auchinleck
Best part of a month off - Floors; Weekend after - Scotsburn
Another month off - Burgie; weekend after - Eglinton

You get the picture....but pillar to post springs to mind...and it all means that organisers will be fishing in an even smaller pond :(
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Doing 2 in a row at lower levels wouldn't concern me at all from horse's point of view but might be tricky having money available for entries in close succession. Would be unlikely to do both Burgie AND Auchinleck in the same month due to cost of fuel so would reduce it to 2 events back to back. Obviously I don't know what level you compete at (would be different at Nov and above I presume?) but I like the idea of back to back then a break for the young ones.

ETA: Is Hopetoun not running?
 
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Things are not looking good for BE in Scotland. I'll be holding on to my membership money for a bit longer until I see what they come up with.
 
I didn't mean running a horse two weekends on the trot is an issue in terms of horse fitness loobylu...just in terms of finances and mileage - diesel alone is crippling, let alone entries which will be bumped up courtesy of the abandonment premium etc etc
 
It's a little bit chicken and egg .....Scotland as a percentage of members is small so financially not a huge focus for BE. If we have few events then we hold off becoming members so the Northern membership gets smaller and then less of a focus for BE etc

Look at Wales ...if Scotland is not resolved soon then in terms of BE it will look like Wales !
 
As a person who lives in Central Scotland a full season of eventing is possible..weather permitting!!

For example just over the border you have Burgham, Richmond, Eden Valley...etc etc!

I do think people need to change their way of thinking about it all and be a bit more realistic, there are people down south that travel the same distances if not further to get a full season in!

Plus the events we do have need to be supported - look at Burgie last year, people were on this forum asking if it was going to run due to lack of entries?!

Sorry guys you can't have it both ways - you can hold onto your cash and not become members, but then you shouldn't really have a moan when we lose events......
 
I was just thinking the same trickiebell.

I appreciate that diesel is more expensive now but that's not BEs fault it's a worldwide problem.

I fully understand how difficult it is for event organisers and I will for one will be renewing my membership and supporting the Scottish events as a owner/rider.

Like everyone it's a expensive sport but I feel lucky that I've met some good friends through the sport and I sacrifice fancy holidays/nights out to take part in the sport I love.

It would be a shame not too see the regular faces at the events.
 
tricksibell85 said:
As a person who lives in Central Scotland a full season of eventing is possible..weather permitting!!

For example just over the border you have Burgham, Richmond, Eden Valley...etc etc!

I do think people need to change their way of thinking about it all and be a bit more realistic, there are people down south that travel the same distances if not further to get a full season in!

Plus the events we do have need to be supported - look at Burgie last year, people were on this forum asking if it was going to run due to lack of entries?!

Sorry guys you can't have it both ways - you can hold onto your cash and not become members, but then you shouldn't really have a moan when we lose events......
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We've lost events that were always well supported, Strathallan, Houston, Turnberry & Culzean for example.

Realistically when you are paying what we are for entries, membership & start fees, diesel money takes the hit.

Some of us have discussed travelling together to get to further events but the bottom line is things have taken a nosedive in Scotland & it's not due to lack of entries.
 
Nic - totally agree re. the fact we have lost some really good events. But I do think that majority of these have gone for good. Hence my comment about changing the way we think about eventing in Scotland.

We have some really good events that are still going to run this yr, and Burgie was definately under-subscribed last yr. They are running 3 events this year, so we will see the level of entries.

Re. comments about diesel etc, unless you are quite a lucky person in the UK you are going to have to travel to some of the events you enter.

I don't think the issue of losing events and rising costs specifically impacts Scotland. If people are willing to travel a bit further then you can have a pretty full eventing season.
 
I guess the bottom line is that with rising eventing & diesel costs some of us cannot afford to travel further to events, incurring even higher fuel costs.

So it's unlikely I'll be at Burgie unless I truck share (although I have the added complication of the tier upper, when it comes to overnight parties!).
 
Totally - I know personally I will struggle this year due to rising entries, events further away etc!

Suppose that's what my credit card is for! <Sigh>
 
The thing with Burgie is its just so far! I can have free stabling at my fathers but even then the diesel is too much. I could share and we have room to stable them as well im still looking at £150+ for an event which is just too much imo.
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That's the point though isn't it? People moan about not having enough events - but events like burgie, and scotsburn are 2 far 2! Are we only meant 2 have BE events in central scotland?

Burgie are running extra events this year 2 replace some we have lost.

I understand its rubbish, its a real struggle 2 event my boy with costs etc. I just think its really wrong that we moan about the lack of scottish events, when we have events like Burgie and Scotsburn which r under subscribed.
 
Going to ask a really dumb question here, and slightly off-topic, but what can be done to keep costs down? I appreciate Rides are much much cheaper to run than Events, which is probably one reason why our fees are so much lower, but wondering if other savings could be made...how much does stabling cost you guys per night? At overnight parties, we often corall rather than stable, and that is usually free, or at most a fiver for the space. Why isn't that done in other disciplines?
 
spookypony said:
Going to ask a really dumb question here, and slightly off-topic, but what can be done to keep costs down? I appreciate Rides are much much cheaper to run than Events, which is probably one reason why our fees are so much lower, but wondering if other savings could be made...how much does stabling cost you guys per night? At overnight parties, we often corall rather than stable, and that is usually free, or at most a fiver for the space. Why isn't that done in other disciplines?
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It just isn't... you may get some horrified replies! It's done in polo aswell but I do think it depends on the horses a) being used to being out/ okay with company/ respectful of electric fencing (outlay involved here for decent height of posts, v good power supply and tape) which could certainly be dangerous and b) the weather- I don't want to turn out my sparkling, plaited horse on wet ground. Facilities for washing a grey early am etc. c) fiding a willing landowner.
 
tricksibell85 said:
That's the point though isn't it? People moan about not having enough events - but events like burgie, and scotsburn are 2 far 2! Are we only meant 2 have BE events in central scotland?

Burgie are running extra events this year 2 replace some we have lost.

I understand its rubbish, its a real struggle 2 event my boy with costs etc. I just think its really wrong that we moan about the lack of scottish events, when we have events like Burgie and Scotsburn which r under subscribed.
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I think people are just feeling really disheartened by losing the events that they loved the most.
I've always supported Scotsburn (its actually alot faster/easier to get to than you think straight up the a9), Burgie (when I can) and Aswanley - but I live north of the m8 - so the events that have been lost - Gleneagles, Strathallan, Scone, Balcarres, Brechin and Oatridge are those that I absolutely went to every year - they were the ones classes as being 'on my doorstep'.

When I lived in Glasgow, which i think is where you class as central scotland, it was far easier to pop across the border. My doorstep back then included Cumwhinton, Hutton, Eden and even Hexham. An hour further north makes a very considerable difference sadly.

The main upset is that we've lots soooo many events in such a very short space of time.

I'd like to feel that BE were really DOING something in Scotland for our membership money - instead, its the volunteers that are busting their guts.

The latest BE sounding board email indicated they wanted to spend our membership money upgrading the BE website AGAIN!! Cause another new website is what we really want ;)
 
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