millitiger
Well-Known Member
I see Helen West has now stood down from BE.
So what has British Eventing done wrong?
- Thread starter Orangehorse
- Start date
TheMule
Well-Known Member
Pretty inevitable I guess, it must be horrid to receive so much negativity when you're working hard to fix something. I don’t really agree with some of the decisions made, but I do appreciate someone trying
lannerch
Well-Known Member
Looking at entries so far this year they certainly seem to be up on last year with some events having to close and have waitlists and we have even had balloting . So maybe but I suspect this will be unpopular with some but British Eventing have done something right this year .
toppedoff
Well-Known Member
What was this about? I don't keep up with much of the equestrian news sorry!
Roxylola
Well-Known Member
So, I've just done an entry for an 80. I'll maybe do one a month, but my first has cost just shy of £180. Now that includes mine and his memberships, a ticket etc. But that's a hecking great expense for a hobby.
mini_b
Well-Known Member
My local events are full one one of the days with limited spaces on the other.
SkylarkAscending
Well-Known Member
Speaking to the two event organisers I know, and from observations on social media, it seems Helen West’s main achievement was to totally annoy event organisers which seems ironic.
To lose the likes of Barbury Castle from the fixture lists surely suggests some incorrect decisions have been made by someone in charge?
To lose the likes of Barbury Castle from the fixture lists surely suggests some incorrect decisions have been made by someone in charge?
Elf On A Shelf
...
Glamis is gone too which leaves 7 affiliated BE events in Scotland now.
Michen
Well-Known Member
Unless you are in America, where that's very cheap! Honestly we don't realise how good we have it in the UK.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
My avatar horse was shipped to the US because even with hock arthritis it was cheaper than trying to buy him in Colorado.
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Roxylola
Well-Known Member
I get it, but I'm not comparing with america, I'm comparing with unaffiliated which would be half that...
It's all well and good BE being a bargain compared with another country, they don't need to compete with America for patrons, they need to compete with unaffiliated
Michen
Well-Known Member
Oh yeh I get that!
teapot
Well-Known Member
Regardless of what BE have or haven't done wrong, I really do hope sustainability of the sport vs climate is being considered. When events that usually run in bog like conditions start cancelling you begin to wonder what the future holds...
Elf On A Shelf
...
Sometimes it's cheaper to cancel than to go ahead.
teapot
Well-Known Member
Oh I know that! My point is viability going forward, will we see the end of March/early April and October events entirely?
ester
Not slacking multitasking
I did see some fb discussion re. which were and weren't covered by abandonment insurance. Presumably it's been expensive for some competitors though I didn't get into who did and who didn't
millitiger
Well-Known Member
This year has been wet.
Last year the ground in March was beautiful and ground in April was verging on firm!
I think it would be hasty to suggest March events need to be binned, however I do think abandonment insurance (which so many people were vocal to want to drop) is clearly needed for all parties- thankfully it looks like most/ all impacted events so far had cover.
doodle
Well-Known Member
I’m glad my horse isn’t eventing anymore. Being in Scotland we are now down to 7 events. The first is next weekend which I would imagine will be cancelled as it has rained so much. One 2 weeks after that. Then one event in may, one in June. Nothing in July. Then 3 events in 2 weeks in august. And that’s it. Entries are always really busy but it’s getting to the point that you would have to travel hours to do anything else.
mini_b
Well-Known Member
Squeak
Well-Known Member
So I'm probably adding 1 + 1 together and getting 100000000000 BUT did anyone else who got the survey from the Cotswold Cup wonder if there was potentially going to be collaboration between BE and the Cotswold Cup?
It was these two questions that made me think that:
6. If you are not a current member of British Eventing, hypothetically speaking, would you consider joining/re-joining them if they were to run a series similar to the current unaffiliated series that are available?
7. If it was available, how much would you be willing to pay for a Grassroots specific BE horse & rider membership?
It was these two questions that made me think that:
6. If you are not a current member of British Eventing, hypothetically speaking, would you consider joining/re-joining them if they were to run a series similar to the current unaffiliated series that are available?
7. If it was available, how much would you be willing to pay for a Grassroots specific BE horse & rider membership?
RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
That's interesting. As far as I can see, the only common sense outcome for the sport is to unite and bring stuff under the umbrella, so I hope that is what's going on.
Matafleur
Well-Known Member
Hahahah! Yes! I wondered exactly the same thing! I have done a few of the CC events and they are great and very local to me so very convenient. For the little bit I do now, all that matters is cost and distance and whether I'm likely to have a pleasant day out.
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
Either that, or they plan to run their own series. Which I'd be happy with too. I love being able to target a number of events and gaining points over time. Eventing is so unpredictable that having all your eggs in just a small number of baskets is less appealing than having a series over more events.
Squeak
Well-Known Member
It would certainly be interesting if they do. If you can't beat them, join them and all that. I wonder if they'd bring in the Horse Events or Corinthian cup ones too.
That's interesting AE, I've always felt the opposite because I feel it favours those who can afford to go out to the most events. I'd rather have a series of events where xx number qualify from each event
That's interesting AE, I've always felt the opposite because I feel it favours those who can afford to go out to the most events. I'd rather have a series of events where xx number qualify from each event
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
Yes I can see that perspective too. I liked the Brigante Cup because you got points for double clears, so the dressage was less important if you had consistent jumping rounds.
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
Alternatively, I could just learn how to ride the dressage phase!!
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
It did feel a bit like that from the survey. BE annoys me so much though. It’s genuinely pissing me off and I am trying to like it. The calendar in the SW is shit and they have screwed the region because of Bicton which doesn’t even apply to 99% of people who event as 2* and above. I am seriously cross. I want to enter Howick but they are so far off entries and it should be a weekend event. But it’s mid week so I have to get the day off work but it seems pointless to enter. So I will be going unaff which has the most wonderful events on at weekends which work for me. The only other BE in the SW is a venue I won’t take a horse to go eventing at and it’s 35 mins from me. This weather isn’t helping and so all my next 6 weeks events will be unaff. I am glad I haven’t paid for membership and just done PAYG.
RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
The calendar didn't used to be shit in the SW until the unaffiliated calendar developed ... It's a niche sport - just bring the random regional series into the big picture - it's the common sense thing to do. There's no reason why it can't all exist with provincial little regional leagues under the same umbrella and same regulations. That's not me saying that BE is perfect (far from it) - in fact, it needs to get way more flexible to accommodate date changes, reschedulings and so on - as the unaff market does.
TheMule
Well-Known Member
I don’t really agree- the CC isn’t the problem for the actual SW, most venues are further than I'd normally want to travel but I've done a couple of the slightly closer ones as BE has no alternatives. There are no BE events for my horse now until the middle of June. The only one possible is a venue that should never have been given a BE date because the xc isn’t up to standard. Why would BE put grassroots venues on weekdays? The next 2 events I would have happily done are both exclusively grassroots events, and are both mid-week.
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
Pontispool was May but they lost it because they pissed Pontispool off about Bloody Bicton - of which there is serious fall out about because they didn’t follow procedure in removing Houghton and putting it correctly out to tender. We have also lost Bicton 90cm+ because of the decision to run internationals only. The affiliated calendar has always been slightly crap and now it’s just plain dire. They want to know why people are running off to do unaff, it’s because it works better for them and the venues are better. Hazleton and Calmsden will be my options. Mark Phillips is building Hazleton so I have no worries about going. Calmsden ran mid week BE which wasn’t going to work for me and another day off work so will go to their unaff instead. I am at RC areas this weekend at Pontispool.
I see pros are still flocking to unaff so BE has a real issue but also appreciate the weather has been an issue.