So what has British Eventing done wrong?

[spacefaer]

Llanymynech now cancelled for august too

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0x8BeuN6Ja7AcS6tGWVx5qtLSaNpq1twqm1ErxPvgvdUiWQgV3wzMEfD3eME1igYAl&id=100040411515953

I'm wondering if they'll run an UA instead.....
The August date that BE allocated them is tricky for the going there as it can be very hard if the weather's dry .... But a date in September would work

 

[RachelFerd]

I'm wondering if they'll run an UA instead.....
The August date that BE allocated them is tricky for the going there as it can be very hard if the weather's dry .... But a date in September would work

TBH i'd be surprised if they picked up significant entries for an unaff either - anything outside of the unaff leagues or the centre of the country seems to struggle

 

[Squeak]

Homme House also posted a week or so ago to say they aren't running this year

 

[LEC]

This has a massive knock on effect for getting DCs for regionals. I have given up and decided to go to RC champs

 

[RachelFerd]

New CEO announced: https://news.britisheventing.com/rosie-williams-obe-appointed-as-ceo-of-british-eventing/

"Rosie spent 10 years as CEO of the Rugby Football Union for Women in England, delivering such outstanding success in the development of the sport that she was awarded an OBE for her contribution to Rugby." And according to article has previous history competing in equestrian sport herself. Fingers crossed this goes well and that some of these longstanding issues can get addressed...

 

[Ambers Echo]

She sounds like she has huge credibility. And is someone from outside what can feel like a bit of a cliquey world. So I hope she is successful in her role and does indeed 'unite all stakeholders'.

 

[RachelFerd]

She sounds like she has huge credibility. And is someone from outside what can feel like a bit of a cliquey world. So I hope she is successful in her role and does indeed 'unite all stakeholders'.

Now I'm just having a poke around at Equestrian Australia's set up. The official eventing calendar starts at 45cms (!!) It looks like you join your state branch area, and a membership covers all the different competitive activities, with 'competitive' membership for 80cms upwards and 'participant' for up to 80cms. Looks like you are expected to be a member to compete in official OR what they call 'unofficial' competitions.

 

[teapot]

Surviving 15years plus at the RFU is a good sign of their ability and character - fingers crossed!

 

[LEC]

I was pleased reading their background as a lot of work still to do

 

[claracanter]

Buckminster BE cancelled due to lack of entries, perhaps because of the dry ground, although the weather is breaking now. Another one lost

 

[RachelFerd]

Buckminster BE cancelled due to lack of entries, perhaps because of the dry ground, although the weather is breaking now. Another one lost

Can't believe it tbh - had plenty of entries last year

 

[ihatework]

Even uptons been pushing for entries which is pretty much unheard of!

 

[RachelFerd]

Even uptons been pushing for entries which is pretty much unheard of!

So I've entered Upton (intermediate agh scary) and it's telling that there are more intermediate entries than there are novices, and more novices than there are 100s. The base of participants is so just dropping away They have been allowed the extra day though - didn't it always used to be over-full for 2 days and they weren't allowed a third?

Also noticed that the unaff eventer trial at Sandringham hasn't even attracted enough entries to run, which surprises me - thought that would be an attractive (and fairly cheap) day out for people.

 

[Accidental Eventer]

Now I'm just having a poke around at Equestrian Australia's set up. The official eventing calendar starts at 45cms (!!) It looks like you join your state branch area, and a membership covers all the different competitive activities, with 'competitive' membership for 80cms upwards and 'participant' for up to 80cms. Looks like you are expected to be a member to compete in official OR what they call 'unofficial' competitions.

Yep, we run comps from 45 to 5*. Not all events have all heights and you have to register your horse to compete 95+ in eventing. All eventing comps under Equestrian Australia (EA) comps are official in that we have to have quailified officials running the events, course designers, tds etc. membership to EA means we can enter ANY event, not just eventing, as long as you are aware of the level you enter, i.e. I have 'participant' level membership which means I can dressage to novice, sj to 1.04cm and event to 80cm. To compete above those levels I need to upgrade my insurance.

We have a national body and then each state have their own branches of EA. i dont know how they work in that I don't know if I could compete in another state with my EWA membership, iv'e never had to worry about it coz I'm not going to drive 3 days to compete in another state. i'm sure there is something that allows for that as we regularly have riders go to Adelaide and Melbourne to compete at the international events and will also so national runs while they are based there.

here our lower levels prop up the higher heights. its Australia wide like that but I speak from a WA perspective. So we might have 4 riders in the 4*, maybe 30 in the 1* classes and then 60+ in the 65 and 80 classes. We are so lucky here that we have courses that are world standard. What I compete over at any level is equivalent to, or better than any other part of the world. most events run classes 65-3*. Some will run a 2.5*, and a select few run 4*. We dont have the numbers at that level to run at every event. Pretty much all classes have to compete over 2 days, dressage and SJ on saturday and SJ and XC Sunday depending on your height.

We also have to supply a helper to compete or pay a non help fee. So everyone jump judges, pencils, times, marshalls. Everyone mucks in to have the events run.

Our insurance also gives us 24/7 third party insurance.

here in aus we also have Adult rider comps and PC comps. if you compete in those it gets a little bit more sketchy on the courses you will run over, the judges you will be judged by and the general ground conditions. EA is usually good because you know the ground will be good, the courses will be well designed and you wont get anything too sketchy. Im careful about what comps I will enter that are PC or AR ones.

 

[TheMule]

It’s interesting watching the entries come in…..

This is Tweseldown on the ballot date



And this is now, 2 1/2 weeks to go and still getting a good trickle of entries in



Now, I recognize Tweseldown can do this as all the infrastructure is in place already, but it does seem to indicate that people want to enter closer to the event date. Of course the rain has changed things for some people, but this venue is known for being excellent ground whatever (sand)

 

[ihatework]

So I've entered Upton (intermediate agh scary) and it's telling that there are more intermediate entries than there are novices, and more novices than there are 100s. The base of participants is so just dropping away They have been allowed the extra day though - didn't it always used to be over-full for 2 days and they weren't allowed a third?

Also noticed that the unaff eventer trial at Sandringham hasn't even attracted enough entries to run, which surprises me - thought that would be an attractive (and fairly cheap) day out for people.

Yes that’s right, they would ballot out lower levels heavily/completely.

My 7yo entered for Int there too

 

[ester]

So I've entered Upton (intermediate agh scary) and it's telling that there are more intermediate entries than there are novices, and more novices than there are 100s. The base of participants is so just dropping away They have been allowed the extra day though - didn't it always used to be over-full for 2 days and they weren't allowed a third?

Also noticed that the unaff eventer trial at Sandringham hasn't even attracted enough entries to run, which surprises me - thought that would be an attractive (and fairly cheap) day out for people.

I wondered how well advertised it was as I only saw it via the driving side of things.

 

[RachelFerd]

Yep, we run comps from 45 to 5*. Not all events have all heights and you have to register your horse to compete 95+ in eventing. All eventing comps under Equestrian Australia (EA) comps are official in that we have to have quailified officials running the events, course designers, tds etc. membership to EA means we can enter ANY event, not just eventing, as long as you are aware of the level you enter, i.e. I have 'participant' level membership which means I can dressage to novice, sj to 1.04cm and event to 80cm. To compete above those levels I need to upgrade my insurance.

We have a national body and then each state have their own branches of EA. i dont know how they work in that I don't know if I could compete in another state with my EWA membership, iv'e never had to worry about it coz I'm not going to drive 3 days to compete in another state. i'm sure there is something that allows for that as we regularly have riders go to Adelaide and Melbourne to compete at the international events and will also so national runs while they are based there.

here our lower levels prop up the higher heights. its Australia wide like that but I speak from a WA perspective. So we might have 4 riders in the 4*, maybe 30 in the 1* classes and then 60+ in the 65 and 80 classes. We are so lucky here that we have courses that are world standard. What I compete over at any level is equivalent to, or better than any other part of the world. most events run classes 65-3*. Some will run a 2.5*, and a select few run 4*. We dont have the numbers at that level to run at every event. Pretty much all classes have to compete over 2 days, dressage and SJ on saturday and SJ and XC Sunday depending on your height.

We also have to supply a helper to compete or pay a non help fee. So everyone jump judges, pencils, times, marshalls. Everyone mucks in to have the events run.

Our insurance also gives us 24/7 third party insurance.

here in aus we also have Adult rider comps and PC comps. if you compete in those it gets a little bit more sketchy on the courses you will run over, the judges you will be judged by and the general ground conditions. EA is usually good because you know the ground will be good, the courses will be well designed and you wont get anything too sketchy. Im careful about what comps I will enter that are PC or AR ones.

I'm interested in how Australian eventing can manage to run with such low numbers when in the UK, events with less than 150 entries per day can't justify the cost of running. A "full" event here can mean up to 300 horses per day, over 2-4 days - I think Aston last year ran about 1400 horses over 5 days or something completely ridiculous. But our events would cancel if they had the kind of numbers you have.

 

[LEC]

So going off course maps it has quite an old fashioned feel to jump design - https://links.crosscountryapp.com/view-event/moora-horse-trials.

 

[LEC]

I entered Howick yesterday and had to pay £12 for the pleasure of a late entry. Kind of annoys me as took my entry into £130 for a 100….. but we only had enough rain for me to make the decision from yesterday. I would rather pay the late entry fee than risk losing £120 because I don’t like the going and there is zero refund.

 

[poacher82]

We also have to supply a helper to compete or pay a non help fee. So everyone jump judges, pencils, times, marshalls. Everyone mucks in to have the events run.

^^^ this is genius. A bit like BRC championships where you have to supply a helper, but the option to pay a non-help fee means that it doesn't exclude anyone who really can't rope someone else in.

 

[Ambers Echo]

I can see the appeal but I would not want my horse hanging round all day for a voulunteer to finish many hours after or before my own competition. I think it would be better to be asked to volunteer on a different day than to provide a helper on the actual day. Volunteers at BE events could be given a discount code for their next event or something.

 

[spacefaer]

I can see the appeal but I would not want my horse hanging round all day for a voulunteer to finish many hours after or before my own competition. I think it would be better to be asked to volunteer on a different day than to provide a helper on the actual day. Volunteers at BE events could be given a discount code for their next event or something.

You don't necessarily have to transport the volunteer......

 

[Tiddlypom]

Without volunteers there would be no eventing. Volunteers (who may or may not be willing conscripts or even slightly horsey) are given important responsibilities eg FJing with feck all training, and competitors then strop if if they feel they have been misjudged at a fence by a poorly trained person who may be there under duress.

 

[Patterdale]

We’ve lost Floors now

I don’t live in that part of the country anymore so I wouldn’t have been able to do it again anyway, but it was pretty much my favourite event and it’s so sad to think of it not running again.

It’s awful but I think the days of Eventing in these beautiful unique venues is almost over. And it didn’t need to be.
When we lose these venues we won’t get them back.

I’m so cross with BE. I know RF will be along to tell me it’s not their fault, but it is. It’s their responsibility and they’ve failed.

 

[Gamebird]

Very sad about Floors. Was always a great weekend away. Doing BE Int dressage there back in the day...

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Another one gone, I can see there being no eventing in a few years If this is the rate that venues and events are being lost.

Yes I’m sure that it’s not BEs fault in the slightest, they are only the governing body after all.

 

[Patterdale]

One of my most treasured pictures is a pre novice one from floors with the house in the background. I wish there were multiple photographers in those days! You got one XC pic and no SJ which was standard.

Witton was another similar course, also gone. I’m so glad I got to ride round them all but so sad for the youth who aren’t going to get the chance now.

 

[Snowfilly]

We’ve lost Floors now

I don’t live in that part of the country anymore so I wouldn’t have been able to do it again anyway, but it was pretty much my favourite event and it’s so sad to think of it not running again.

It’s awful but I think the days of Eventing in these beautiful unique venues is almost over. And it didn’t need to be.
When we lose these venues we won’t get them back.

I’m so cross with BE. I know RF will be along to tell me it’s not their fault, but it is. It’s their responsibility and they’ve failed.

That’s what I find baffling about this. I’ve been involved in sports governance and sports development for work and through leisure and governing bodies are the ones to blame if the sport starts failing. Because they’re responsible.

I don’t see why BE have so many people willing to give them a pass for making a mess of running their sport when British Hockey or Netball or whoever would be being slaughtered by their members.


(With apologies to British Hockey and Netball, used as examples only! They both seem pretty decent!)

 

[RachelFerd]

We’ve lost Floors now

I don’t live in that part of the country anymore so I wouldn’t have been able to do it again anyway, but it was pretty much my favourite event and it’s so sad to think of it not running again.

It’s awful but I think the days of Eventing in these beautiful unique venues is almost over. And it didn’t need to be.
When we lose these venues we won’t get them back.

I’m so cross with BE. I know RF will be along to tell me it’s not their fault, but it is. It’s their responsibility and they’ve failed.

And it's my duty to pop in and say that my really boring and annoying position isn't that I think BE are blameless (there is clearly a catalogue of errors, both historical and recent) but that the answer isn't to simply 'do-away' with a governing body (as that seems to be the general voice of social media's position). Because if you kill off the governing body, things sure as hell aren't going to get any better.