So what has British Eventing done wrong?

[Patterdale]

Absolutely gutted about Cholmondeley.

I do think fuel cost is a large part of this. But the thing is that once these events are gone, we may never get them back.
People don’t appreciate the old parkland events enough. I for one don’t want to run over portables on all weather equestrian centres.

 

[teapot]

Absolutely gutted about Cholmondeley.

I do think fuel cost is a large part of this. But the thing is that once these events are gone, we may never get them back.
People don’t appreciate the old parkland events enough. I for one don’t want to run over portables on all weather equestrian centres.

Ian Stark mentioned this in his piece about Bramham in relation to its impact on horse and rider experience…

 

[RachelFerd]

Absolutely gutted about Cholmondeley.

I do think fuel cost is a large part of this. But the thing is that once these events are gone, we may never get them back.
People don’t appreciate the old parkland events enough. I for one don’t want to run over portables on all weather equestrian centres.

I have to say - I've run out of patience. I think people might be very stupid??? I like running at a wide variety events with a wide variety of challenges. I like a progressive system where 8 can take horses from the beginning to the international levels in one clear calendar. I'm being stuffed over now by unaffiliated competitors and I'm getting quite angry about it. I'm trying to do this on a budget too, but I have ambitions beyond a 100 which become inaccessible when the system doesn't work.

 

[RachelFerd]

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.

Well, as a local to cholmondeley it wouldn't have been that much - but I'll end up having to spend a lot more and drive a lot further to find somewhere to compete because of this cancellation. Unaff events cause the aff calendar to become *less* affordable and accessible.

 

[palo1]

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.

Yes, I get that absolutely but that possibly (I don't know!) only translates as an equivalent or slightly higher cost to those of 2 decades ago. I know it is utterly beyond my finances. I just recalled that eventing has certainly never been cheap though there were far more of the lovely one-off, grand old house style events put on. To me it seems a real shame that increasingly eventing is restricted to more permanent/EC type fixtures but I don't event and it really isn't my beef these days!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Meanwhile, Cholmondeley is busy setting up for their fixture this weekend (Sat and Sun) in the Castle series of triathlons. Some of the entry fees for that are pretty eye watering.

The first two pics (taken yesterday) show where the SJ would have been held. It is the most lovely setting for an event.

https://endurancecui.active.com/new...e-4c70-90dc-afcc414d1e0e&_p=36831098909889703

 

[TPO]

Howick has cancelled their second day and moved all classes to the Saturday. Apart from BE90 open there are spaces in every class.

Another not good sign...

 

[Matafleur]

I have to say - I've run out of patience. I think people might be very stupid??? I like running at a wide variety events with a wide variety of challenges. I like a progressive system where 8 can take horses from the beginning to the international levels in one clear calendar. I'm being stuffed over now by unaffiliated competitors and I'm getting quite angry about it. I'm trying to do this on a budget too, but I have ambitions beyond a 100 which become inaccessible when the system doesn't work.

Goodness, poor you!!

I never comment on HHO these days but honestly, this comment! I've just read your comment on another thread that you are "fortunately isolated from cost of living rises". Has it occurred to you that other people are not?? No-one owes it to you to enter events so that they'll run. Unaff near me is also cancelling so it's just possible that people have decided they can't afford it right now.

The utter entitlement of some people on this thread is astounding. People aren't thinking about whether they still be able to event at "insert lovely parkland castle event here", in many cases they are thinking about whether they can feed themselves, get to work, heat their house this winter. And not just very poor people either. All those people that scrape their spare cash together to do a few events each year don't have that spare cash anymore and things are going to get worse before they get better.

Maybe we'll have a season or 2 of declining events while the market self corrects but if (big if) it's a viable model then it will recover again in time. I actually think BE have bent over backwards to try and improve things this season but lots of people still can't afford it.

To say that people might be very stupid to not enter this events is pretty damn rude.

 

[milliepops]

If people are entering equestrian events of any kind I dispute the suggestion that they're making heating vs eating decisions.

There are still a lot of people with enough spare spends to go eventing, that much is clear so I think the concern about a decline in the foundations of the eventing calendar is still valid. Over the years we've seen how these old parkland type venues close and simply don't start up again, for the most part once they are gone, they are gone.

 

[Snowfilly]

Goodness, poor you!!

I never comment on HHO these days but honestly, this comment! I've just read your comment on another thread that you are "fortunately isolated from cost of living rises". Has it occurred to you that other people are not?? No-one owes it to you to enter events so that they'll run. Unaff near me is also cancelling so it's just possible that people have decided they can't afford it right now.

The utter entitlement of some people on this thread is astounding. People aren't thinking about whether they still be able to event at "insert lovely parkland castle event here", in many cases they are thinking about whether they can feed themselves, get to work, heat their house this winter. And not just very poor people either. All those people that scrape their spare cash together to do a few events each year don't have that spare cash anymore and things are going to get worse before they get better.

Maybe we'll have a season or 2 of declining events while the market self corrects but if (big if) it's a viable model then it will recover again in time. I actually think BE have bent over backwards to try and improve things this season but lots of people still can't afford it.

To say that people might be very stupid to not enter this events is pretty damn rude.

I agree. I’ve never done BE because there’s no point in subsidising someone else’s season of events when there’s only one / maybe two in travelling distance of me, so I’m one of those heathens who stick to UA and ruin it for everyone else by making BE have to cancel their events or heaven forbid, actually change their way of running the sport, but the fact is, most people are struggling more and things like affiliation fees will be the first to go in a lot of cases.

To mock people who decide not to compete at affiliated any more but who still want to have fun, or who can’t afford the petrol to travel half a day to an event but still want a run locally is a very nasty, elitist attitude.

 

[milliepops]

Putting aside what is clearly an outburst coming from immense frustration at the whole situation...
the sport seems to be fracturing in a way that is just going to end up killing it. i can see why RF is tearing her hair out. on the one hand you've got course designers hinting that even pros are arriving at top level events a bit unprepared, on the other hand you've got the grass roots that wants to have guaranteed good ground, guaranteed running with no expensive cancellations, doing stuff on surfaces, non scary jumps or ones they can train around in between times and that can only take place at equestrian centres. The very nature of the thing is that letting the eventing calendar coalesce around ECs means that the horses bound for the top will have their educational possibilities limited IMO.

Due to the costs and infrastructure needed the only way that the top level sport (or pathway to the top) can be sustained is if the grass roots props it up. So while I completely understand that if you're an amateur with one horse who is gasping at the cost of filling up the lorry then you will naturally want to make choices that give you a good chance of having a fun day and not maxing out the credit card... there's a bigger picture that we have to be aware of. i think. easy for me to say i know, i gave up eventing years ago entirely due to costs.

 

[Ambers Echo]

I have to say - I've run out of patience. I think people might be very stupid??? I like running at a wide variety events with a wide variety of challenges. I like a progressive system where 8 can take horses from the beginning to the international levels in one clear calendar. I'm being stuffed over now by unaffiliated competitors and I'm getting quite angry about it. I'm trying to do this on a budget too, but I have ambitions beyond a 100 which become inaccessible when the system doesn't work.

I totally understand your frustration but as I said in post 53, I really don't think getting angry with unaff competitors is helpful. People will look at what is on offer and go with what suits them best. Unaff eventing is very problematic and I am part of that because I have chosen that route myself this season.

But it was frankly a no brainer this year: cheaper, better protected and better competition structure. PLUS ease of entry.

There is simply no point BE venues saying 'enter now, try PAYG' near ballot date as it takes 3 days minimum to register and enter! Somerfords 'Decision to Run' post was I think 1-2 days before they pulled the plug. I could not have entered even if I wanted to. Same for anyone else who was not already a member wth a validated horse. Which is just ridiculous.

So BE needs to make BE more attractive and less complicated and work cooperatively with venues who also want to run unaff. Not blame riders for opting to do other things.

 

[RachelFerd]

Goodness, poor you!!

I never comment on HHO these days but honestly, this comment! I've just read your comment on another thread that you are "fortunately isolated from cost of living rises". Has it occurred to you that other people are not?? No-one owes it to you to enter events so that they'll run. Unaff near me is also cancelling so it's just possible that people have decided they can't afford it right now.

The utter entitlement of some people on this thread is astounding. People aren't thinking about whether they still be able to event at "insert lovely parkland castle event here", in many cases they are thinking about whether they can feed themselves, get to work, heat their house this winter. And not just very poor people either. All those people that scrape their spare cash together to do a few events each year don't have that spare cash anymore and things are going to get worse before they get better.

Maybe we'll have a season or 2 of declining events while the market self corrects but if (big if) it's a viable model then it will recover again in time. I actually think BE have bent over backwards to try and improve things this season but lots of people still can't afford it.

To say that people might be very stupid to not enter this events is pretty damn rude.

Fair enough - very annoyed outburst on my part. I think people are being a bit stupid when they make a choice to enter an unaffiliated event instead of using an opportunity to run at a 'GO BE' affiliated event. I'm getting annoyed because I see BE working really hard to resolve the problems - being creative and doing everything they can - and it still not being enough.

I don't think anyone is stupid for not entering at all if the cost of living crisis is hitting.

I'm insulated from cost of living in that my income stays stable against inflation - but i'm not insulated against suddenly finding I have to drive an extra 200 miles just to get to an event. And I'm reaching the point, looking at the calendar, where I might as well just not bother eventing the young horse until next year because I can't get any consistent runs in. In global scale of problems, it isn't big. But the reason I go to work is to fund eventing, so it all seems rather pointless!

 

[RachelFerd]

Putting aside what is clearly an outburst coming from immense frustration at the whole situation...
the sport seems to be fracturing in a way that is just going to end up killing it. i can see why RF is tearing her hair out. on the one hand you've got course designers hinting that even pros are arriving at top level events a bit unprepared, on the other hand you've got the grass roots that wants to have guaranteed good ground, guaranteed running with no expensive cancellations, doing stuff on surfaces, non scary jumps or ones they can train around in between times and that can only take place at equestrian centres. The very nature of the thing is that letting the eventing calendar coalesce around ECs means that the horses bound for the top will have their educational possibilities limited IMO.

Due to the costs and infrastructure needed the only way that the top level sport (or pathway to the top) can be sustained is if the grass roots props it up. So while I completely understand that if you're an amateur with one horse who is gasping at the cost of filling up the lorry then you will naturally want to make choices that give you a good chance of having a fun day and not maxing out the credit card... there's a bigger picture that we have to be aware of. i think. easy for me to say i know, i gave up eventing years ago entirely due to costs.

Thank you for once again articulating what's bothering me in a much more successful way!

I feel like I've been watching the sport fracturing for the last 2 years - pretty much from the moment the Cotswold Cup was announced actually.

It's sad to admit - but I feel like if I can admit it anywhere, its here, because this is the competing section of a horse forum after all - that my biggest passion that I've had all my life is eventing. Ever since I went to Badminton when I was 7, I have absolutely loved eventing. And despite being a bit rubbish, and for a long time not having much in the way of resources to throw at it, I've always been plugging away at progressing in eventing - trying to gradually improve myself and my horses performances and just creep my way up the levels. I've always been reassured that this isn't a sport that times out on you - you can be in your 60s and still riding at the very top - so I've been happily holding onto a little thread of a dream that one day I could ride around a 4* like Bramham or Blenheim. Just once!! And whilst I am only making slow progress, in the last couple of years a few things have started to come together and I've had the absolute thrill of riding around some of the bigger 2*s and starting to see a pathway to how I could move up to the next level, with a bit more work, too. Every single bit of spare money and time that I have is thrown at the process of training and preparing for eventing. I love the whole process of training horses of the specific challenges of all three phases - it's infinitely fascinating.

But what I hadn't factored on in having enough time to reach my goals, was that the sport would kill itself along the way. Now more than ever, a chasm is opening up between the 80/90/100 and Novice+ parts of the sport - and it shouldn't be. The introduction of FEI 1* (105) should have been utilised as a bridge to help join things up. But without the grassroots levels providing a pyramid for the upper end of the sport, the top end will get much more expensive and inaccessible. We'll lose that thread of progression that lets you educate young horses to prepare them for the higher levels. We'll lose all of the incredibly varied terrain that we are SO lucky to get to ride around at our current parkland events.

But even worse, if the top end does get more expensive and inaccessible, we'll slowly lose the big iconic events that we love. And without the inspiration coming from seeing those top performances, kids won't be inspired to take up eventing. Where does that leave this all?

Maybe I will become a mad eccentric old lady in the distant future and build my own giant eventing paradise somewhere where the land is cheap and try and keep the memory of it going when everyone else has forgotten it existed?

Am I overreacting - probably. I hope so. I hope that things can bounce back once cost of living situation has righted itself. I really want people to get behind BE and build a better, more inclusive sport for everyone.

 

[milliepops]

I completely get your POV RF, though i no longer event i have very happy memories of competing at wonderful venues that are long gone now, and the exhilaration of walking courses shared with I/A riders and getting to watch them at the same show, it made it aspirational and relatable (in a way that watching badminton wasn't)

I get the same feeling watching normal day shows BD because i have seen and experienced how you can "creep up the levels". if that got fractured in BD i would feel similarly gutted about losing that faint trail of breadcrumbs that shows an ambitious person how they can progress too. You need those normal day shows where CDJ competes against Joe Bloggs on his cob because otherwise there's no structure for getting horses or riders to CDIs.

 

[TPO]

Didn't BE run for longer as novice + then prenovice + than it has when offering 90 then 80?

I've lost all concept of time so that might not be the case. But if it is then there is something wrong with their business model.

"Back in the day" there were more events too.

So something (or many things) is to blame beyond low level eventers going to unaff over BE because that group didn't exist originally.

The image portrayed on this thread that unaff is dangerous and a couple of oil cans with an old fence post complete with nails across it. The unaff around here are of a high calibre and safety is of the highest importance.

Look at the struggle AE had just trying to register and enter an event on the website that was ££££££ of members money.

It's kind of like asking why the turkeys aren't voting for Christmas. Maybe BE need to do more on making their "christmas" more appealing.

Complaining because other people aren't doing as they *should* is directing things in the wrong direction.

The equestrian genre that I like only has two shows a year max in the country. There are plenty more people who ride and train this way but just don't want to compete. So the association has tried to take steps to change the perception of competition and make things more welcoming, accessible and low key to be encouraging. I am NOT saying thats what BE should do but its clear that they do need to make some sort of changes.

I appreciate that BE are trying to do things differently and it's bad timing that it clashes with a cost of living crisis which doesn't make it easy at all for anyone but there have been issues with BE pre covid.

There used to be threads all the time in CR about what a bad business model it was and there were a tonne of suggestions, that some HHOers took to AGMs, that got dismissed by BE. It was the kerrilli, baydale, tabledancer times that I remember the threads (not saying those members were involved just that they were forum regulars in CR at that point) if that narrows down the search.

It's not a new problem(s) but blaming unaff seems to be the new answer.

 

[milliepops]

part of the complexity is trying to be all things to all people i think though? way back when it was just a case that you paid your horse and rider membership and was ultra simple (on paper forms, yawn)

but now people want multiple different options so the flip side is that choosing your route is more complicated (aka you have to read the bumpf and decide what applies to you)

 

[RachelFerd]

Didn't BE run for longer as novice + then prenovice + than it has when offering 90 then 80?

I think 90 came in in about 2002 or 2003, which is when I started, 20 years ago. I'm not sure what date it stopped being run by BHS and became BE. But I think BE as a seperate org has been running with 90s for longer than it hasn't, if that makes sense.

Edited to add - the split of BHS and BE (was called BHTA at the time) was in 1996. So it has been running for 26 years, with 90 having been part of the offering for 20 years and 80 was introduced in 2009 - so has been running for 13 years of 26.

I think unaffiliated boom was a symptom of the problems that had existed for a long time. Didn't get fixed fast enough. Are now being tackled, but the damage is largely done. That's my view anyway!

 

[TPO]

I think unaffiliated boom was a symptom of the problems that had existed for a long time

Agree. So BE wanted grassroots money to prop up the top of the pyramid but didn't appear to cater to them so now they've started wandering off elsewhere.

Can't say I blame them.

I think the removal of the insurance might be a factor too. If someone is teetering about entering its a other consideration that you might lose your money if its abandoned. Climate change is a big factor too

 

[RachelFerd]

Agree. So BE wanted grassroots money to prop up the top of the pyramid but didn't appear to cater to them so now they've started wandering off elsewhere.

Can't say I blame them.

I think the removal of the insurance might be a factor too. If someone is teetering about entering its a other consideration that you might lose your money if its abandoned. Climate change is a big factor too

I think that's the wrong way round - people were happily competing in the affiliated events, but the fixtures process was causing organisers huge frustration. Prospective organisers couldn't get dates into the BE fixtures list, which was very much of a closed shop. So they created something appealing, outside of that structure. They have organised some really good events which give people a great customer experience and cut out several of the pain points with the affiliated process - and now its established.

So I don't think people walked out, until they were given something more appealing, as a result of the fixtures process being broken.

 

[palo1]

It is really sad and as I say, I have nothing to do with eventing these days (though enjoy watching it at times). Back in the day though, forgive me for dredging up ancient history and the glory days of eventing, on the whole competitive riders didn't want, need or see the point in 'competing' at anything below novice level. That meant there were enough competitors to make BE 'work' properly for more people imo.

At Riding Schools, jumping tended to start at 2ft (60cm) and on the whole that wouldn't have been seen as anything other than basic riding. I remember the lowest height at hunter trials and so on being around 75-80cm with loads of keen ponies and children entering. And sometimes me lol!!

I know that people want something for everyone and that young horses and young/novice riders need to learn but the 'competition for everyone' model just makes every slice of the cake terribly thin. It is relatively easy for ECs to run lower level unaff comps and give a feeling of success to more people which is lovely but if that is killing off the pathway and desire for more ambitious riding then that seems daft to me. At some point Unaff events will find they need an overseeing organisation and if BE has died then they will be stuffed too!!

I know bog all about it but in wider terms our culture of 'fear' (possibly through lack of really good, solid instruction) and the 'championship for everyone' in equestrianism seem to me to be genuinely doing a disservice to the kind of solid, courageous, knowledgeable and considered riding skills that eventing should be fostering. I know we don't need eventing or any other equine discipline and I am absolutely not saying that unaff stuff isn't about 'good' riding but by fragmenting a sport/discipline you necessarily lose quality. Sort of glad I have no money and therefore cannot dream of eventing as it is all very frustrating!!

 

[TPO]

It is really sad and as I say, I have nothing to do with eventing these days (though enjoy watching it at times). Back in the day though, forgive me for dredging up ancient history and the glory days of eventing, on the whole competitive riders didn't want, need or see the point in 'competing' at anything below novice level. That meant there were enough competitors to make BE 'work' properly for more people imo.

At Riding Schools, jumping tended to start at 2ft (60cm) and on the whole that wouldn't have been seen as anything other than basic riding. I remember the lowest height at hunter trials and so on being around 75-80cm with loads of keen ponies and children entering. And sometimes me lol!!

I know that people want something for everyone and that young horses and young/novice riders need to learn but the 'competition for everyone' model just makes every slice of the cake terribly thin. It is relatively easy for ECs to run lower level unaff comps and give a feeling of success to more people which is lovely but if that is killing off the pathway and desire for more ambitious riding then that seems daft to me. At some point Unaff events will find they need an overseeing organisation and if BE has died then they will be stuffed too!!

I know bog all about it but in wider terms our culture of 'fear' (possibly through lack of really good, solid instruction) and the 'championship for everyone' in equestrianism seem to me to be genuinely doing a disservice to the kind of solid, courageous, knowledgeable and considered riding skills that eventing should be fostering. I know we don't need eventing or any other equine discipline and I am absolutely not saying that unaff stuff isn't about 'good' riding but by fragmenting a sport/discipline you necessarily lose quality. Sort of glad I have no money and therefore cannot dream of eventing as it is all very frustrating!!

Yes this

I deleted my attempt at saying it because it was coming out all wrong.

There is definitely an entitlement these days where people think they should get to do what they want.

 

[ycbm]

But without the grassroots levels providing a pyramid for the upper end of the sport, the top end will get much more expensive and inaccessible.

why should someone who competes at 80/90 and never wants to compete any higher subsidise an Advanced rider?

We'll lose that thread of progression that lets you educate young horses to prepare them for the higher levels.

it never existed before 100 and then 90 and then 80 were added and we still had world class national teams. There's a reason Novice is called Novice.

We'll lose all of the incredibly varied terrain that we are SO lucky to get to ride around at our current parkland events.

We've lost many of the ones I used to ride at since the introduction of 80/90, I think that was accelerated by the lower heights, not caused by unaffiliated.
.

 

[milliepops]

why should someone who competes at 80/90 and never wants to compete any higher subsidise an Advanced rider?

.

you could ask a question like this of so many things we all pay for despite not really wanting to (anything relating to children, as a non parent being a slightly lazy but understandable illustration)
If you think of eventing as a whole, as a kind of equestrian society (i would like to think of it like this as the people who do it must surely share some kind of interests, ambitions, passions that make them identifiable as a group rather than just a lot of randoms) then making the higher levels, even novice, remotely accessible to an everyday rider and not just millionaires depends on there being a bit of burden sharing. hopefully not too much as the bottom of the pyramid *ought* to be broad.

that's before you get to the idea that someone might pigeonhole themselves as just wanting to do 80/90 through a lack of belief or knowledge, because they are not integrated in a structure that makes it possible to progress *if you want to*. it puts a barrier ahead of you. bit the same as sticking at unaff Prelim and Novice dressage shows makes elementary look out of reach but most people can ride a leg yield

 

[palo1]

why should someone who competes at 80/90 and never wants to compete any higher subsidise an Advanced rider?

I guess because sport is a community (generally speaking) and that most competitors don't think quite so directly about what they are or are not supporting. I think BITD riders were kind of 'proud' that they were involved in the same sport as their heroes. I was aware that my entries made venues and higher level comps possible but I understood that in terms of there being a way forward if my ambition took me there. I am not sure how many people consistently want to compete at one level and never progress tbh.

it never existed before 100 and then 90 and then 80 were added and we still had world class national teams. There's a reason Novice is called Novice.

The progression started at a higher level imo; as I said, basic riding skills involved jumping at 2ft with most potentially competitive riders happily jumping at 2'6-2'9 (just over 80cm). Local shows provided training grounds as did pony club etc activities. 3ft is just over 90cm and was generally considered 'competent'. Many folk who had progressed their riding through hunting would want to be, at the very least, comfortable at that height in order to get across country and many more people did progress elements of their riding through hunting activities. Even now, for a jumping pack most people I know want to be comfortable and confident to tackle 3ft (just over 90cm) notwithstanding the fact that there is almost always a non-jumping alternative. Even where I am which is virtually entirely non-jumping there are a couple of places with no option (one is a downhill slope to railway sleepers into a stream and then a tight RH turn - eek!!). I am really glad, from a skill and courage perspective that I can do that.

Yet now, 90cm is considered quite aspirational. I understand why but it has had an impact on making the progression gulf from unaff comps to the more ambitious affiliated stuff much wider. I don't have huge ambitions to jump over 90cm tbh but I do remember very clearly that this was never really considered advanced riding the way it is now. I still see small ponies sailing over 90cm out hunting so the horse capabilities haven't changed - I think the unaffiliated model with it's reward for everyone has lowered our collective sense of achievement and aspiration possibly. That is where the thread of progession may be being lost.



We've lost many of the ones I used to ride at since the introduction of 80/90, I think that was accelerated by the lower heights, not caused by unaffiliated.
.

 

[RachelFerd]

why should someone who competes at 80/90 and never wants to compete any higher subsidise an Advanced rider?



it never existed before 100 and then 90 and then 80 were added and we still had world class national teams. There's a reason Novice is called Novice.



We've lost many of the ones I used to ride at since the introduction of 80/90, I think that was accelerated by the lower heights, not caused by unaffiliated.
.

1. because if they actually like the sport, they're supporting continued existence of the sport (and success at olympic , world and european championship levels too) - why does a child choose to start a sport without there being the dream of being able to do it at the top levels??

2. novice now is nothing like the novice of old. Even the novices I jumped round in '05/'06 were far, far less technical than they are now. And go back to even earlier, and the courses were just a series of nice straightforward big things. The higher end of the sport is wildly more technical that it used to be in the 'good old days' (a lot of rose-coloured glasses/nostalgia in that, I'm not convinced they were that good) so you need more prep. Even Andrew Nicholson - the original king of 'start them at novice' decided that his horses did indeed need 100 runs. So novice is definitely no longer for novices.

3. we've been hemorrhaging events since the sport began - there are very few that last a long time as most are run as a labour of love not as sensible business decisions. We need influx of new events coming in - and problem with the fixtures process was that willing new events weren't able to get into the calendar.

 

[Old school]

It is a great thread that any officer in an affiliated organisation should read and study it. The thread clearly paints a picture of the issues from all perspectives.
No one can be steered away from where, firstly and most importantly, they can enjoy themselves and their horse. Secondly, those who want to maintain their sport need to get involved and knock heads together. Otherwise in a similar fashion to hunting, it will become fractured and lose support very rapidly. Obviously not for the same reasons, but simply because people are not pulling together.
Irish entries in eventing are also dropping back from the Covid days of high entries when it was the only gig in town (no PC, IPS, RC).

 

[ester]

1. because if they actually like the sport, they're supporting continued existence of the sport (and success at olympic , world and european championship levels too) - why does a child choose to start a sport without there being the dream of being able to do it at the top levels??
.

really?! There’s loads of reasons a child chooses a sport without any dreams of doing it at any sort of level, mostly because they enjoy it.

 

[RachelFerd]

really?! There’s loads of reasons a child chooses a sport without any dreams of doing it at any sort of level, mostly because they enjoy it.

Do you think so many kids would want to play football if the Premier League didn't exist?

 

[ester]

Probably yeah, if I followed what you’ve suggested I’d have never done any physical activity at all, yet I did lots ?‍, as did all my friends