So what has British Eventing done wrong?

[Elf On A Shelf]

I’m happy to volunteer just to keep the show on the road. Though if venues don’t look after me I don’t go back! Eland and Somerford are great. chatsworth was awful. Never again.

I think a lot of places are still stuck in the dark ages of people volunteering and expecting nothing in return so they don't offer more than tea or coffee at a push.

I have always been generally well looked after when stewarding/judging in the show ring and always have my food and drink provided for me and a goody bag if I have been judging. I could ask for expenses for judging but I don't when I am going less than an hour somewhere. I have never been offered expenses stewarding. The 2 days I did for the driving trials put me off them for life. It was so badly organised on the volunteer front I was left twiddling my thumbs for the majority of the time. The 1st day I wasn't required, nor were quite a lot of people but they didn't want to tell anyone to go home so found most people completely pointless jobs. Day 2 on the xc course was one of the most boring days of my life. We got tea/coffee when we got there and that was it. I did not return for day 3, I couldn't! I would have died of utter boredom!

At the shows I have run I have always made sure my stewards are well looked after and will continue to do so. They will always come back then!

P.s. If anyone fancies stewarding Shetlands for me in September in Fife then drop me a line! I will be a man down this year due to my right hand woman inconveniently having her first sprog due in August! How selfish of her ??? she could have planned it better - for like January ???

 

[TPO]

I don't know how many BE events there are in Scotland but Burgie has just announced that this year is their last. There will be no Burgie 2023. It does seem that Scottish competitors are once again left behind by big organisations in favour of the South.

Forgandenny 2 is off too (but not permanently cancelled).

Doesn't seem right that everyone pays the same membership when there are a lot less events in Scotland.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Forgandenny 2 is off too (but not permanently cancelled).

Doesn't seem right that everyone pays the same membership when there are a lot less events in Scotland.

It's the same with everything. Scotland gets the short straw in favour of middle-southern England. Hoys qualifiers, Olympic Qualifiers, big dressage finals etc are all down south south. The North and Scotland is often disregarded as they don't always pull the numbers in to get the levies so the main operators go where the money is greatest.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

It's the same with everything. Scotland gets the short straw in favour of middle-southern England. Hoys qualifiers, Olympic Qualifiers, big dressage finals etc are all down south south. The North and Scotland is often disregarded as they don't always pull the numbers in to get the levies so the main operators go where the money is greatest.

*cough* hardly any HOYS qualifiers in the south, most are a minimum of 3 hrs north or west from London area, best place to live is north of the Midlands, the bulk are around there. Same with Olympia equals too. Nearest OQ is 2 hrs from me, next is over 4 hrs hike. Those in Kent and Sussex are heartily fed up too.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

*cough* hardly any HOYS qualifiers in the south, most are a minimum of 3 hrs north or west from London area, best place to live is north of the Midlands, the bulk are around there. Same with Olympia equals too. Nearest OQ is 2 hrs from me, next is over 4 hrs hike. Those in Kent and Sussex are heartily fed up too.

We have 1 set of Hunter, Coloured, SHP, M&M Minis, a non-complete set of Open M&M, 3 extra M&M, M&M workers, Plaited Workers, Heavy Horse, Cuddy. No Riding Horses, Hacks, Cobs or Show Ponies. That's for the entire of Scotland. Beyond that you are looking at 3-4 hours to Cumberland County. Then over 4 minimum for anything else. Though we did get a Search For A Star and a Racehorse qualifier up here for the first time in more than 20 years last weekend!

I hate it when they go for the money and not the fair split of qualifiers. Its not fair on the ponies to have to keep travelling for tickets. I know that's owners choice. But in the space of 1 week there is Lincoln Countrly, Cheshire County then the Highland so the ponies tend to do all 3 on the way up before heading back down.

Eta - according to people who know more about such things than me that will be Scotland down to 5 BE courses after this year. Floors Castle in the borders, Hopetoun House at the Firth Of Forth, Kirriemuir in Angus, Blair Castle at the top of Perthshire and I don't know where the other one is.

 

[EventingMum]

I don't know how many BE events there are in Scotland but Burgie has just announced that this year is their last. There will be no Burgie 2023. It does seem that Scottish competitors are once again left behind by big organisations in favour of the South.

So sad, even though it was a long drive we always made the effort to go to Burgie when we were competing. There are so many Scottish BE events no longer running: Scone, Eglington, Auchinleck, Hendersyde, Brechin, Aswanley, Oatridge, Gleneagles, Strathallan and more. With fuel prices as they are travelling further afield to get a grassroots run makes it a very expensive exercise and once you get to intermediate it's even worse.

 

[spacefaer]

@Elf On A Shelf there used to be a Scottish circuit that the English eventers would come up and stay for - Auchinleck, Eglinton, Floors culminating in either Burgie or Blair (can't remember exactly)

That was back when eventing was fun!

 

[EventingMum]

Eta - according to people who know more about such things than me that will be Scotland down to 5 BE courses after this year. Floors Castle in the borders, Hopetoun House at the Firth Of Forth, Kirriemuir in Angus, Blair Castle at the top of Perthshire and I don't know where the other one is.

Forgandenny but the second event there scheduled for next month is cancelled due to the organiser having an accident.

 

[Patterdale]

Blair is finishing!!?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Blair is finishing!!?

No Burgie

 

[Patterdale]

Oh someone said Blair in an earlier post.

Sad about Burgie, great memories from there. Always a brilliant atmosphere and the Saturday nights were so much fun. If you made the trip then you were going to enjoy it!

All the Scottish events were great though. Loved Thirlestone, and Floors remains my favourite course to ride round ever. Hopetoun was another great one. Really sad to have lost them.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Oh someone said Blair in an earlier post.

Sad about Burgie, great memories from there. Always a brilliant atmosphere and the Saturday nights were so much fun. If you made the trip then you were going to enjoy it!

All the Scottish events were great though. Loved Thirlestone, and Floors remains my favourite course to ride round ever. Hopetoun was another great one. Really sad to have lost them.

Floors is running again. Not sure if they plan on an international next year or the year after but someone else has taken over the reins and is putting wheels in motion. Floors stopped for a couple of years not only for covid but due to the owner dying and his family not really wanting to do the work for it that he did. Hopetoun still runs. They were running last weekend I think.

 

[Patterdale]

Floors is running again. Not sure if they plan on an international next year or the year after but someone else has taken over the reins and is putting wheels in motion. Floors stopped for a couple of years not only for covid but due to the owner dying and his family not really wanting to do the work for it that he did. Hopetoun still runs. They were running last weekend I think.

Oh I’m glad someone else has taken over Floors. I live much more southward now so am a bit out of touch. Hopetoun did definitely stop though so I’m very glad to hear it’s been revived! Always used to be a good attacking track before a step up.

 

[lannerch]

I’ve heard talk cholmondely is going to cancel hope if it’s true it’s not because of Kelsall’s unaffiliated ode the same weekend.

 

[RachelFerd]

I’ve heard talk cholmondely is going to cancel hope if it’s true it’s not because of Kelsall’s unaffiliated ode the same weekend.

Highly annoying if it is - was going to be another run for the 5yo on lovely undulating grassland. I won't run him at Kelsall after the ground conditions in the Spring.

 

[VRIN]

There ballot date is not till 7th July it seems a bit early to be thinking of cancelling

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’ve heard talk cholmondely is going to cancel hope if it’s true it’s not because of Kelsall’s unaffiliated ode the same weekend.

Kelsall unaff is now full for the Sat and the wait list is filling up fast. They did say that they'd run both days if they got enough entries.

Cholmondeley is the lovely sort of parkland setting with a mini stately home overlooking it that you'd think that people would flock to. And Cheshire is such a horsey area.

ETA We walk the dog regularly in the Cholmondeley grounds, and there's been no evidence yet of any new XC course building. The organisers may want to call it early so that they don't pay out any more than they have to for event prep?

 

[RachelFerd]

Kelsall unaff is now full for the Sat and the wait list is filling up fast. They did say that they'd run both days if they got enough entries.

Cholmondeley is the lovely sort of parkland setting with a mini stately home overlooking it that you'd think that people would flock to. And Cheshire is such a horsey area.

ETA We walk the dog regularly in the Cholmondeley grounds, and there's been no evidence yet of any new XC course building. The organisers may want to call it early so that they don't pay out any more than they have to for event prep?

I'm so annoyed by this whole thing. *If* this is the outcome - the people who are bleating on about unaffiliated 'creating more choice' are completely wrong - unaffiliated is creating less choice, by allowing equestrian centres to monopolise the market and killing off the one-off events, which are the best thing about eventing - the variety of places, land and challenges that you get to ride around. I do not want to ride around the same courses day in day out. I do not want to be forced to enter events 6 weeks in advance because they've decided to have 'first come first served' entries - and I do not want a world where events are scheduled in total chaos, with no broader planning perspective to make the diary make sense. May everyone who has entered the Kelsall event get a papercut and stub their toes. Repeatedly.

 

[palo1]

I was just idly reading this thread when I remembered that almost 20 years ago it basically cost £100 for a day's eventing. I can't give a breakdown of costs for that but amongst my friends and I eventing at that time, that is the sum we always worked to. Of course things change but in my view training has really intensified over the years and stuff like tack has become far more sophisticated and complex (ie expensive) so it might look to some that eventing is not quite as expensive as folks think. It is a huge shame that there is this tension and difficulty between aff and unaff stuff too.

 

[ycbm]

I was just idly reading this thread when I remembered that almost 20 years ago it basically cost £100 for a day's eventing. I can't give a breakdown of costs for that but amongst my friends and I eventing at that time, that is the sum we always worked to. Of course things change but in my view training has really intensified over the years and stuff like tack has become far more sophisticated and complex (ie expensive) so it might look to some that eventing is not quite as expensive as folks think. It is a huge shame that there is this tension and difficulty between aff and unaff stuff too.

I was eventing at the same time and my figure was £80, but that included diesel costs for up to 2 hours travel and a burger.
.

 

[palo1]

I was eventing at the same time and my figure was £80, but that included diesel costs for up to 2 hours travel and a burger.
.

Yeah, I think ours included filling diesel tanks etc and maybe the extra £20 was for a one-off pre event dressage lesson lol!! We didn't have a load of events on the doorstep either (and definitely not now). I guess that 'all in' cost was proportionally lower but I still remember thinking it was quite a chunk of money (especially when things didn't go well). However there were also some pretty good local events as an alternative; hunter trials, 2 phase events, decent local shows etc. Those all seemed quite accessible financially too, even if eventing was a high cost.

 

[TPO]

Just seen a post about Aske. They are running be90- intermediate and "unregistered" 80 & 90. They are urging everyone considering entering to do so before 21 June as they will make the call then whether to run.

I assume that means they haven't been inundated with entries so far.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I'm so annoyed by this whole thing. *If* this is the outcome - the people who are bleating on about unaffiliated 'creating more choice' are completely wrong - unaffiliated is creating less choice, by allowing equestrian centres to monopolise the market and killing off the one-off events, which are the best thing about eventing - the variety of places, land and challenges that you get to ride around. I do not want to ride around the same courses day in day out. I do not want to be forced to enter events 6 weeks in advance because they've decided to have 'first come first served' entries - and I do not want a world where events are scheduled in total chaos, with no broader planning perspective to make the diary make sense. May everyone who has entered the Kelsall event get a papercut and stub their toes. Repeatedly.

I've boycotted the Kelsall event for exactly this reason. I know I complain about BE but it is becasue I want BE to thrive so the solvable problems frustrate me. I want them to stop shooting themselves in the foot. I’m cross Kelsall went head to head with Cholmondely. Just why?

 

[millitiger]

Cholmondeley just announced they have cancelled planned BE and unaffiliated events for this season.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Oh bum, where was that announced?

Have the other events organised by Musketeer gone ahead this season?

 

[shortstuff99]

The owner of Cholmondeley is also the land owner of Houghton Hall in Norfolk. Houghton had really good entries but is international only.

 

[RachelFerd]

Cholmondeley just announced they have cancelled planned BE and unaffiliated events for this season.

FFS!

 

[ester]

houghton did

 

[ester]

I must have had a reading delay sorry!

 

[Squeak]

Yeah, I think ours included filling diesel tanks etc and maybe the extra £20 was for a one-off pre event dressage lesson lol!! We didn't have a load of events on the doorstep either (and definitely not now). I guess that 'all in' cost was proportionally lower but I still remember thinking it was quite a chunk of money (especially when things didn't go well). However there were also some pretty good local events as an alternative; hunter trials, 2 phase events, decent local shows etc. Those all seemed quite accessible financially too, even if eventing was a high cost.

The problem is that now you’re looking at £200 min just for entry fee and diesel and more like £250 by the time you’ve bought volunteer/ unpaid groom a burger and diesel has gone up in price a bit more.

It’s a huge amount of money for one day.