Slow Riders XC

[hairycob]

Son did his first 3'3 Hunter Trial this weekend. We were happy as some of the jumps were very substantial & he jumped everything, even if not first go. But we were really disappointed for a friend. She had a stop at fence 6, which caught a lot of people out, & so decided that it wasn't worth pushing for time on the hard ground & just to have fun but was still doing a good pace. She caught up with a rider going very steadily indeed about half way round the course. Called out to her politely to let her know she was coming up behind & going faster & got quite a bad mannered response. Had to circle before the next jump. Called to her again after the jump. same happened so she just trotted slowly for a while to get a bit of space as she didn't want to have to keep circling just before jumps. At the last but one the slow rider had a refusal & was lining up for her 2nd attempt but the fence judge told her to get out of the way. Despite all this our friend came 9th (It was quite testing course!). She was seriously peed off as she might have come well up the placings without the hold up.
What on earth do people like this think they acheive? Everybody suffers from it at some time. The slow rider was very experienced so presumably she knows how annoying it is. I know she was on a youngster (& it was doing 2 classes so may well have been over tired) & maybe she was worried that it might be hard to control if passed but in that case it would have been sensible to ask to go last.

 

[Sarah_Jane]

There should be no ecuse for that even if the horse is difficult you just get well out the way and resume once the faster competitor has gone clear.

 

[Thistle]

B had a similar incident at at Inter Schools event last year, on a twisty, wooded BE course.

I went to the organisers afterwards and asked them to have a word with slow rider about 'overtaking rules'.

The organisers response was that X really couldn't possible be doing anything wrong as she rode at BE, Pre Novice and was therefore 'an expert'

My reply was that B rode at BE Novice and also knew the rules so please could they deal with it!

 

[Festive_Felicitations]

The first time I went XC I caught up with the rider in front of me who did not wish to let me pass, inspite of me asking a couple of times. Honestly we almost did pairs XC till a jump judge asked me to drop back if I couldn't pass her, and short of over taking at a gallop between fences it wasnt going to happen... I asked her afterwards why she handt let me pass and got for my efforts a cold stare and scilence (arent some poeple charming?). I wasn't to bothered as I had demolished an oxer in the SJing and was kindly allowed to go XC as I was uninjured.

Any way the point to this story is that I now make a point of working out who is infront of me in the XC, and assessing weather thay look slow or even asking if they plan on going slowly, and then asking if I could go before them if they are. The organisers don't seem to mind if we go slightly out of order.
I don't nessecarily ride fast but have a big, long striding horse who covers the ground efficently and my main problem is getting penalties going too fast not too slow at lower levels!

 

[KatandBasher]

I had one at a local HT. We caught up with her half way round the course as she was only doing the course at a trot. She wouldn't let me pass so as soon as we got to open ground I went for it. I called to her first saying I was going to pass so she could be prepared to which she said back 'doesn't look like I have much choice does it!'. I'm sorry but I wasn't doing the rest of the course in trot and certainly wasn't having Bash follow another horse round.
I saw her back in the lorry park afterwards no doubt whinging to her friends about it.

 

[glamourpuss]

Its the same as anything you will get the odd person who thinks that they have paid their entry fee and this gives them the right to behave as they want.

It pure rudeness and it is apparent everywhere. The 'I alright Jack' attitude seems prevalent these days.

 

[PaddyMonty]

I was always under the impression you do not NEED a riders permission to pass. Just to call out to let them know you ARE passing and to do so in a safe location ie not on approach to a fence.
The odd time I have passed a slower rider I have not sought their permission but do always announce my intentions.

 

[kerilli]

Juno's right, you don't need their permission, you just call out to alert them that you are passing. it's sensible to do so between fences, obviously...!
very bad mannered of whoever it was, shame.

 

[saskia295]

This happens affiliated too! My friend was BE-ing and got stuck behind a pro who wouldn't get out the way, even though it was clear her horse was not capable (it was stopping at everything). Pro in this instance was awful and should have been removed from the course

 

[Kathryn_Scout]

That sort of attitude is unnecessary!

It quite clearly states in most rules that people should allow faster people to overtake... Well, something like that! And it's common courtesy to pull aside. What's happened to good-'ol fashioned manners? Surely the jump judges also have some responsibility in these cases to request the slower, or even, in some cases, eliminated (but allowed to continue) rider to pull over briefly. I had a child cut me up on a first-timer, baby pony and it put him right off! I gave the child a dressing down - which he looked horrified at! But, he did apologise... Then I had to contend with his parents afterwards! Ooops!

He needed to be told though!

 

[wench]

I have only overtaken once, called out to rider in front off me, and went past. However even if they had said no I would have carried on, there would have been no way my horse would have pulled up to a trot!

 

[hairycob]

About half the course was a strip of grass around a ploughed field & the slow rider was going up the middle. The friend is quite young & I don't think she had the confidence to go bowling past, especially as she knew the horse was very green. Slow rider should have known better as she is not only experienced , bit also an instructor!

 

[diggerbez]

some people are just selfish...its hard when people are older/more eperienced than you but you have to think that you have both paid money to compete and therefore should both be following the rules etc...i overtook someone who was trotting once, after announcing my intentions and she complained about me when i got back...it was before the broken bridge at eland lodge and my horse was a tad nappy- no way was i dropping back and waiting when i needed to think 'forwards'

needless to say i didn't get told off

i noticed a few people at somerford BE last week that were VERY close on the XC- to the point where someone was effectively getting a lead....