So what has British Eventing done wrong?

[ester]

Moreton Morrell cancelled for May, seems in part as they had a midweek date.

 

[anguscat]

What…repeatedly running your horse (or a few of them) within a short time-frame?

Yes and no.
It’s elitism in its finest to go abroad for that.
But it could be accessible to non-elite if done in the UK.

It wouldn’t need to be weeks on end. 2-3 weeks maybe, with 3-4 events over that timeframe.

To make it viable in areas such as East Anglia (for example) they would need to be assured of sufficient entries and to do that a core of entries might be those who base there for the duration - yes those are the elite. But it wouldn’t prevent the non-elite for coming for the day/weekend just like they would for regular events.

You could run the masters, some YEH classes, PT, Badminton GR pre-run.

I’m not quite sure the infrastructure would quite work (yet), but the concept could be explored. Assuming the venues had interest, if adequately supported by BE and competitors. And that’s not a given!

 

[LEC]

Moreton Morrell cancelled for May, seems in part as they had a midweek date.

Howick did the same at start of the season. They are a GR event and can’t make the numbers stack up mid week especially as they run a 90…. They tried to get a weekend and couldn’t which is insane when there are so many gaps in May in the SW calendar. In the SW we now have just 1 x BE event and it’s one I won’t go to. So either go unaff of which there is a tonne of choice including Pontispool or travel a lot further.

 

[millitiger]

Yep, May is dire for me too with BE events- none within 2.5hrs.
I have pencilled Broadway unaffiliated instead

 

[Squeak]

What…repeatedly running your horse (or a few of them) within a short time-frame?

It can be quite common to run a few weekends in a row, especially at the beginning of the season, to help get the horse in to a rhythm/ swing of eventing. I used to do runs of three and often your best event is your third one where you've both got your eye in and eventing is a routine rather than huge excitement. In between events is managed to make sure the horse is ready and raring to go for the next one.

 

[Chippers1]

Eland BE is cancelled this weekend as well, I was planning on going to watch.

 

[Squeak]

Does anyone know how many even'ts/ days have had to cancel versus the days that have managed to run so far this year? Unfortunately feels a complete deja vous of the start of last year.

 

[RachelFerd]

Does anyone know how many even'ts/ days have had to cancel versus the days that have managed to run so far this year? Unfortunately feels a complete deja vous of the start of last year.

I reckon this may be worse than last year. It's been the wettest 18 months since records began in 1836...

 

[LEC]

 

[LEC]

Pink is cancelled due to weather - red is cancelled permanently out of BE calendar. I pick up unaff and BE so if have BE classes it says BE90 etc if 80-100 it’s unaff

 

[Squeak]

Thanks LEC, that's really interesting - 15 cancelled so far, 8 have run and 4 are scheduled to run.

It will be interesting to see if there are any changes to the calendar next year off the back of these last two starts to the season.

 

[LEC]

What I haven’t picked up is Cirencester was replaced by a Tweseldown and Oxstalls replaced Ascott U W

 

[ihatework]

Well something is shifting behind the scenes in BE, at least in regards to pragmatic event rescheduling where organisers can make it happen.


Ciren to Tweseldown
Ascott to Oxtalls
MM to Solihull
Kirrimeur

Possibly others that have bypassed me.

Let’s keep this drive to change things going and let’s hope it can filter into other areas of concern too

 

[Ambers Echo]

Solihull to a new date (which all the U18s are whingeing about! Are people never happy!!)

 

[ihatework]

Solihull to a new date (which all the U18s are whingeing about! Are people never happy!!)

Nope. I have come to the conclusion most people are 99% self centred

 

[Ambers Echo]

I get that it's disappoining to reschedule to midweek, but it is a lot better than just cancelling.

 

[LEC]

Well something is shifting behind the scenes in BE, at least in regards to pragmatic event rescheduling where organisers can make it happen.


Ciren to Tweseldown
Ascott to Oxtalls
MM to Solihull
Kirrimeur

Possibly others that have bypassed me.

Let’s keep this drive to change things going and let’s hope it can filter into other areas of concern too

New dates given to Bovington & Breckenbrough,

 

[conniegirl]

I get that it's disappoining to reschedule to midweek, but it is a lot better than just cancelling.

The problem is that mid week in term time means they cannot attend.

Schools won’t allow kids to be absent for this sort of event and its the run up to exams.

So that means that parents have to take a day off, then they also have to pay the fine from the school (£60 per parent, so potentially £120) and they miss out on exam prep sessions.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Yes I know all that but they are not saying 'it's sad we have to miss out' they are saying 'how can you schedule midweek'. At least some are. My friends with U18s aren't. They get that you can;t please everyone, and an event that at least some people can do is better than everyone missing out. Not just for those people but for eventing as a whole - which in the end matters to all of us who don;t want BE to die.

 

[ester]

I think most seem to just be stressing when they will get qualifying runs in given the other cancellations.

 

[ihatework]

Yes I know all that but they are not saying 'it's sad we have to miss out' they are saying 'how can you schedule midweek'. At least some are. My friends with U18s aren't. They get that you can;t please everyone, and an event that at least some people can do is better than everyone missing out. Not just for those people but for eventing as a whole - which in the end matters to all of us who don;t want BE to die.

Precisely!

 

[asmp]

I get that it's disappoining to reschedule to midweek, but it is a lot better than just cancelling.

Wonder if they’ll struggle to get volunteers to help? My daughter and I fence judge for BE but wouldn’t be able to do it midweek

 

[Nicnac]

Wonder if they’ll struggle to get volunteers to help? My daughter and I fence judge for BE but wouldn’t be able to do it midweek

Maybe some of the 200 whinging U18s can do 1/2 day volunteering which surely would count towards one of their exams or DOE and compete the other 1/2 of the day? (tongue in cheek)

It's fantastic to see BE showing some flexibility along with the amazing organisers.