Scottish Eventers - 2013?

Jnhuk

Jnhuk

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Please help!

I have just posted a thread on ERA re 2013 Scottish Events with this week's news about CSHT & Balcarres. Could folks discuss their point of view so ERA can see our concerns etc which may help our situation? I know their forum doesn't seem to be that active but if we don't discuss on their boards then how do they get to know our thoughts and concerns?

Thanks :)

http://www.eventridersassociation.org/forums/index.php?action=vtopic&forum=2
 
The Courier are doing a big piece on this issue and have being doing a FB survey, spoken to some riders and BE etc Worth looking out for article
 
smurf said:
https://www.facebook.com/CourierFarming?ref=ts&fref=ts
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Pay MORE in entry fees to try and stop events going under? Jeesus how much money do they think we have?! You clearly have to be seriously wealthy to event nowadays if there's now even a mention of FURTHER increased entry fees! Its not OUR fault that these events are going under. BE need to do something, be it make it cheaper for venues to hold BE events (I assume a venue has to pay an affiliation fee or something to hold one? and probably have to pay to get BE accredited course designers etc.). Making it even more expensive for us competitiors is absolutely not the way to go, it'll simply stop even more people from doing it full stop. I know I cant afford to do it anymore! I intend to compete on tickets if I do any next year, not worth joining anymore.

OP, I'd comment on your ERA post but I cant sign up - I click on it and it just takes me back to the forum list!
 
Ive dreamed for a while of taking the wee one to a BE80/90 but being honest the costs alone for entry and other things is just far too high these days :(

I have an event less that 40mins from me but even though the diesel would be neglibable I really cant afford nearly 70 quid on fees every time I go then plus the diesel should I travel, never mind if they put it up!!

They are just pricing it now out of the little persons reach which is sad as if you dont have a go you will never know if you or the horse can do it :(
 
..Interestingly .. I have just joined BD on a winter membership ... the first competition I entered was £18 a class.. Given I try and do 2 classes thats £36... which TBH I thought made BE look incredibly good value!
 
VRIN said:
..Interestingly .. I have just joined BD on a winter membership ... the first competition I entered was £18 a class.. Given I try and do 2 classes thats £36... which TBH I thought made BE look incredibly good value!
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You do get a chance to win money back at BD though!
I have done the Eventers Membership twice at BD and won back more than mine and the horses membership both times. Ditto with BS and 2 years RC membership.

At BE we have been placed more than 10 times but only seen actual cash once and it was well under half the total entry fee for 3rd place. I think BD and BS give prize money more than entry fee for 1 in 5 competitors.
 
DarkHorseB said:
You do get a chance to win money back at BD though!
I have done the Eventers Membership twice at BD and won back more than mine and the horses membership both times. Ditto with BS and 2 years RC membership.

At BE we have been placed more than 10 times but only seen actual cash once and it was well under half the total entry fee for 3rd place. I think BD and BS give prize money more than entry fee for 1 in 5 competitors.
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Sadly .. I think I am one of those who make up the numbers ...

I think the figures quoted ar 10% of the membership of BS win 90% of the prize money!

But well done!
 
MagicMelon said:
Pay MORE in entry fees to try and stop events going under? Jeesus how much money do they think we have?! You clearly have to be seriously wealthy to event nowadays if there's now even a mention of FURTHER increased entry fees! Its not OUR fault that these events are going under. BE need to do something, be it make it cheaper for venues to hold BE events (I assume a venue has to pay an affiliation fee or something to hold one? and probably have to pay to get BE accredited course designers etc.). Making it even more expensive for us competitiors is absolutely not the way to go, it'll simply stop even more people from doing it full stop. I know I cant afford to do it anymore! I intend to compete on tickets if I do any next year, not worth joining anymore.

OP, I'd comment on your ERA post but I cant sign up - I click on it and it just takes me back to the forum list!
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No sure why ERA is not letting you sign up? I had no bother on Friday.

I answered no on the facebook survey. How can a higher entry fee work with the vagaries of the weather? I also commented that BE maybe should have a tiered membership related to the number of events you plan on attending rather than a flat fee which would make if fairer across the board for those that don't live in the event rich areas.

Black Beastie said:
Ive dreamed for a while of taking the wee one to a BE80/90 but being honest the costs alone for entry and other things is just far too high these days :(

I have an event less that 40mins from me but even though the diesel would be neglibable I really cant afford nearly 70 quid on fees every time I go then plus the diesel should I travel, never mind if they put it up!!

They are just pricing it now out of the little persons reach which is sad as if you dont have a go you will never know if you or the horse can do it :(
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Once you go once - you get the bug unfortunately. I will travel to events that I can do in a day due to my work ie. max 2 to 2.5 hours away as long as good roads. Up and down is easier than going across tbh so some events which are closer on a map actually take longer because of the country roads.

VRIN said:
..Interestingly .. I have just joined BD on a winter membership ... the first competition I entered was £18 a class.. Given I try and do 2 classes thats £36... which TBH I thought made BE look incredibly good value!
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Ouch - had been wondering about a BD or BS winter m'ship

VRIN said:
Sadly .. I think I am one of those who make up the numbers ...

I think the figures quoted ar 10% of the membership of BS win 90% of the prize money!

But well done!
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Sounds about right! Think if I ever won any £ SJ - it would get framed the first time!!!!
 
I don't "do" facebook but will get my son to have a look at the survey. I wonder if there would be any chance of BE having an open meeting for Scottish eventers and other interested parties to air their ideas and views? It might be hard to find a venue to suit everyone but it might be worth asking someone - possibily Frances Hay-Smith?
 
I think BE need to seriously look at the 'max 4 day ticket ' rule for Scottish riders. I have 2 horses so faced with a £350 bill to register for BE.

If someone like me decides that they can not justify the cost of membership and two horse registrations then I will just do a few events on a ticket. But being restricted to a max of 4 tickets per rider will be hard. For me that would mean just two events with each horse. So I will end up only supporting 2 Scottish events. If I could buy more tickets I would be able to support more events. Without the visibility at the start of the season as to how many events will run I can't justify spending £350 to register. I think in Scotland a 'pay per use' ie ticket system would recognise that we have much fewer opportunities to compete than those in England and allow us to pay accordingly.

If this rule is not changed then more people turning to tickets will lower entries and jeopardise the success of events
 
smurf said:
I think BE need to seriously look at the 'max 4 day ticket ' rule for Scottish riders. I have 2 horses so faced with a £350 bill to register for BE.

If someone like me decides that they can not justify the cost of membership and two horse registrations then I will just do a few events on a ticket. But being restricted to a max of 4 tickets per rider will be hard. For me that would mean just two events with each horse. So I will end up only supporting 2 Scottish events. If I could buy more tickets I would be able to support more events. Without the visibility at the start of the season as to how many events will run I can't justify spending £350 to register. I think in Scotland a 'pay per use' ie ticket system would recognise that we have much fewer opportunities to compete than those in England and allow us to pay accordingly.

If this rule is not changed then more people turning to tickets will lower entries and jeopardise the success of events
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Very good point, Smurf. Wonder if BE would look at such a thing?
 
Why should it only be Scottish riders that get cheap day tickets? What about people in Wales, or Cornwall or Cumbria???
 
wench said:
Why should it only be Scottish riders that get cheap day tickets? What about people in Wales, or Cornwall or Cumbria???
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Wales is worse than Scotland I believe - however I am not sure about Cumbria or Cornwall tbh.... I really think BE need to start looking at the bigger picture with geographical location and work out how many BE events members have within a certain radius and travelling time and at what level.

However, looks like Scottish eventers are better at moaning and creating a fuss!

I had suggested in my answer to the facebook survey that a tiered membership which would make it a lot fairer across the board. I could not believe the number of BE events some folks have access to on their doorstep down in the south/southeast.

But then again, a more complicated membership will put the admin costs up so we can't win and there will always be some winners and losers.

I know Hexham has been lost as well but Central Scotland is a HUGE loss to Scottish folks. I have also heard rumblings about other events.

I think this year may have been the final nail in many event's coffin... I really hope that I am wrong and that BE are being proactive about it.
 
The nearest event to me is at least an hours drives. The next "local" ones are all about two hours away... What discount will I be entitled to???
 
Cumbria actually has more events than Lancashire!!
Why don't people put comment directly on be forum AND email AND ring the powers at be directly? If everyone in areas of poor access did this- and did it directly 1 they will know exactly how everyone feels 2 I am guessing if people feel STRONG enough about it to take direct action they will have to listen.
 
2 separate issues here
1) Eventing in remote locations like Wales - What you need is more events

2) Trying to prevent a once abundant Scottish calendar becoming empty

Areas like Wales have few events but also few members. Not saying you are not important just a different problem to Scotland.

I would probably next year take 2 horses to 5 events - so 10 runs. But won't pay £350 at start of season due to risks mentioned above. If on tickets that 10 drops to 4 so there will be 3 Scottish events that won't get my support. Not because I don't want to go but because I can't due to lack of tickets. So realistically I will go to the closest 2 events and those worst hit will be the remote ones like say Aswanly/Burgie that are already under pressure.

So that's why for Scotland - the 4 max ticket rule will be very damaging in 2013

BE could pick remote events and say that they can be entered on a 'remote ticket' and say you can have as many 'remote tickets' as you like but only 4 'central tickets' and this would recognise the need to support events in some dying geographical areas.

BE - business consultancy bill is in the post :-)
 
I am starting to really worry about next year (and beyond now too).

We are possible going to lose or have lost:

Brechin,Scone (1), Scone (2), Balcarres, Oatridge, Strathallan, Gleneagles, Turnberry, Hexham, Aske, Burgham??


If you look at the BE calendar in map view you can see just how thin on the ground the northern events are getting. I know parts of England and Wales are not well served either.

These ideas are good:
BE could pick remote events and say that they can be entered on a 'remote ticket' and say you can have as many 'remote tickets' as you like but only 4 'central tickets' and this would recognise the need to support events in some dying geographical areas.

I wonder if there would be any chance of BE having an open meeting for Scottish eventers and other interested parties to air their ideas and views?


Eventing is not a cheap sport but adding the extra fuel costs onto the entries is potentially going to kill it in the north.
 
Smurf - if you the rider, are a full member of BE then you can have as many horsey day tickets as you want. This is the way we did it with Mark and Brillo this year and he did 5 events on a ticket. You get the insurance etc by being a full member and all the benefits. The only restriction to day tickets is if the rider is on a ticket.
 
Darremi said:
is it true Hexham is cancelled?
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Yes - just pasted the announcement from their website below

Very sadly the Hexham Horse Trials will not be able to run in 2013. A revival in a later year is not ruled out altogether but has to be recognised as no more than a remote possibility.

The land owners Bobby and Sarah Charlton have made their land at The Linnels available to us since 1990 and have both taken a full and active part in the organisation too, over the whole of that time. They could not have been more generous hosts. For financial reasons they are making changes to their farming policy. Every effort has been made on their part to accommodate the horse trial in their new operation but with the greatest regret they have had to concede that it will simply not be possible.

The organisers are looking for an alternative venue and a further announcement will follow in due course.

24 July 2012

http://www.hexhamonedayevent.org/
 
I wonder if it work for BE the same as they have done for BS a separate Scottish section? I also dread to think what the abandonment fee will go up to next year.
 
all being well i plan to get out as much as poss next year and so will go for rider member and horse on ticket - i just cant justify both with so few running. was going to do tickets only but hope to do more than 4
 
ArcticFox said:
Its still the same membership fees for BS in scotland though.
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I think so, but if it was a separate part to BE there is no reason why they couldnt make changes. I know you get more offers with BS, and there is far more incentive to go show jumping and there is definitely more of it up here now. I wouldnt be at all surprised if Burgie doesnt go ahead next yr. that means only 2 Scotsburn and Aswanley left for us in the far north. We are 2 hrs at least before we even get to Perth!!:)
 
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