Suggestions from the start box and confessions from the collecting ring.

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Thistle

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On Sat I was XC warm up steward at a BE event. B also had a quick training as a BE starter and took control of the start.

Thought I'd share a few thoughts.

If it's blowing a gale and the temp is in single figures and it's raining, please don't moan at me if you have to wait to go XC, it's because I only had 3 horses go in the previous hour because of problems elsewhere. I know it's cold and wet, I was out in it for 8 hours!

I can't help it if there is a hold on course, I will keep you all informed.

I'm sorry, but I do have to squeeze multiple riders in, the only way they can do it is to ride all their SJ then all their XC, especially if it's raining as they won't have time to keep changing their clothes. Slotting said riders in is the only way we can finish safely and on time. If someone has 5 horses to take XC I have to space them out and fit them in as soon as I can so they can get back with the next one.

All the pro riders I dealt with were very polite and asked very nicely to go, they all told me how many they had and what time interval they needed.

If all your helpers stand huddled round my car then no one else can seee the baord, that makes it hard for any riders to see how many they have to go and means I have to constantly having to shout for riders.

Generally everyone was lovely, with the notable exception of 1 man who was vile. I'm just the collecting ring steward, I'm doing my best to get you out on the course, please don't shout at me when the course has been changed from the Nov to the BE 100 and is 20 mins late starting again. It's because the fence judges (mostly female) have been queing to use the loo, mostly whilst eating their lunch, remember all the helpers have given up a day to let you have your sport.

Also please remember to say thank you - I really appreciate it.

The majority of riders were great, I always keep people informed and tell them what time interval they are running at, most were hovering near the start when it was their time - that makes my job so much easier and quicker. If every rider is 1 min late when I call them we shall be 2 hours late after 3 sections - it really knocks on!

B had control of the start clock, she wished every rider good luck, out of approx 200 riders less than 10 thanked her. She always makes a point of shouting thank you to the start team as she goes out of the box - try it some time!

Also if you know that starter but are somewhat surprised to see that said person is all growed up and doing a responsible job don't take the piss when she squeaks on 10, she will splutter and laugh and have to recount you from 30! You just get even longer to laugh at her.

It's amazing how a horses attitude can change as it walks down to the start, some riders must really tense up!
 
Hello!

Were you there on Sunday? Or was that Hairy Cob? I was the one right at the end who turned up without their number and then nearly had a tantrum (horse, not me) about going in the start box!

Thank you and B for Saturday. I am generally one who thanks the starter for their good luck wishes - although I admit that yesterday I did not, as I was feeling really nervous for some reason and, when nervous, I find that any interaction with anyone (even listening to the commentator announcing me) totally removes any ability I may ever have had to even know one end of my horse from the other, let alone ride it round an XC!
 
You did look wet when I saw you, I did feel for you but believe me the control box nearly took off, and I dont think Ive ever been so cold.

I was so impressed with one pro rider inparticular he had a ducking (properly) in the water but all he cared about was wether the horse was ok, and then gave him big pats.

We saw some pretty hairy riding, especially in the Be90 and a fair few in the 100 and 90 were a little whip happy.

Unfortunatley it really made me want to have a go Damm!!!
 
No wasn't there on Sun, we just did the cold n wet day! Took bog pony out to a PC event yesterday.

One other thing that really made me smile was the couple who came up to me and asked if I knew whether a lady called Debbie has been XC yet, you know the one, she rides a brown coloured horse!

The start at that event isn;t the easiest is it, running as it does along the back of the lorry park.
 
I didn't manage to wave through the water, Lui, sorry! I was too busy thinking "must slow this horse down. Should really slow down now. There's some water ahead. Why won't this horse listen to me?". You get the picture!
 
lui23456 said:
Hi hot to trot did u have to get someone to lead you into the start box!!!
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No, pony walked round good as gold, until I got counted to 10. At that point, I tried to go into start box and we span round. Spinning sometimes precedes a long strop, so I wasn't too sure whether I'd get in in nine seconds and said to starter "erm, I may not make it in!" We did go in, but after the starter had counted to 1.

I am never sure, does the clock start on "go"? So if I went on "go" plus three seconds or so, was I adding three seconds to my time? I asked if clock had started and she said no, so I assume not.
 
lui23456 said:
Thats fine, it just I could see the start and saw someone struggling tomwards the end of the day it was probably u!!!
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It may not have been obvious that I was struggling - it was just a bit of a spin away. I look pretty nondescript so you prob won't remember me! Other than I was going quite quickly over the first half!
 
The clock starts on go or when you cross the line, whichever is first. So if you have a 10 second strop after go the time will be your actual time on course plus the 10 seconds.

You have (I think) 1 minute to start sfter 'go' and a nap or disobedience over 2 mins on the course is also elimination.
 
Thistle said:
The clock starts on go or when you cross the line, whichever is first. So if you have a 10 second strop after go the time will be your actual time on course plus the 10 seconds.

You have (I think) 1 minute to start sfter 'go' and a nap or disobedience over 2 mins on the course is also elimination.
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Thank you Thistle. Do you know how soon I can cross the start line? E.g. can I go on the 30 second countdown? This stropping is relatively new, so I have never worried about the rules and have always gone on "go". looks like I may need to get tactical, though!
 
You will get away with going in the last 5 secs, but you time will be started as you cross the line. Anything quicker than that would be unsafe as you would be too close to the horse in front (esp if they are running on 1min 30 interval)

You are permitted to ride through the start box before your final few secs, perhaps that would help.

You could try circling her through the box whilst being led.

Also you do not have to enter the box at the back, you can go in at the front and turn round. You cannot canter through the start box though.

If you explain to the starter that you have a problem they can use their discretion and allow you to stand alongside the box if the layout and string permits this. You can have a helper up to the point they say go.
 
Thanks Thistle! I like to walk in and go straight away, because if I hang around in the start box, I may risk a strop when I try to leave it. The flaw is clearly that if I just leave enough time to walk in before I am told "go", then I don't have enough leeway to have a strop about going in before the clock starts! It's not really a problem at the moment and she's only done it on the last two events.
 
Ask the starter if you can start from the side then, that way if she has a strop about entering then you just have to face in the right direction and not worry about entering the box. Most starters will oblige. Technically you are not then passing through the flags though as they are usually on the front corners of the box, but from a timing point of view it works the same.
 
sad to say these things are so true at so many events

im another who always says thankyou to anyone who is helpful - everyone normally is if you just smile :)

last year i shouted thankyou to the startbox when setting off - arrived back to be thanked by one of the starters and asked how i had done (even though she knew) turned out i was the 1st person that day to say thankyou and i was on XC at 3.30pm!!!

im a true believer in karama but most of all a true believer in my PC growing up ;) it always shocks me how few people thanks organisers and sponsers after the event/ prize giving something i have been told to do since i was 6!!!!

seriously its not hard to :) or say thankyou
 
Well done to you and B for putting in some hard slog. Glad most were nice to you. When I've done volunteering, I've always had a few be snippy/rude but try to put it down to nerves/stress/business (not that it's really an excuse of course!) and remember the happy, smiley folk instead!

I always try to chat to the start team when I go over- just a quick "hi, having a nice day?" or "long day, nearly home time though!" if I'm on late in the day and always yell "thank you" when they say go. I didn't get much chat from the guys at my event yesterday in return though, not even a good luck after shouting "go". :( So in my case, it was the opposite way around from normal- rider blethering and stewards being quiet!
 
That amazes me Thistle! I always, always call back 'thank you!' to the starter when they wish me good luck, as they almost invariably do.

On Friday, at a completely different event to yours, the XC steward was so lovely and helpful to me that, as well as thanking her before I went, I made a point of going back over to her afterwards and thanking her again. I had been soooo nervous and she had been soooo lovely to me, and that can make all the difference just before I go XC. So that's why I went back. Do I win teacher's pet prize now?
 
I must saw I was very surprised when B told me how few people had thanked her.

Most of those who did were pros (all the pros said thankyou even though they barely had time to think as they were on so many horses). The people in the start box doing the timing also love a wave if you can multi task too!
 
I really can't abide by rude people, saying please and thank you never cost anyone anything!! Especially those that go to such lengths to enable us to do what we love. I always say thank you, and big smiles.

That's why i don't like it when you come up against really grumpy unhelpful stewards who seem to do their best to make the day as miserable as they can...if you don't enjoy being there then don't offer surely?
 
Well done Thistle for doing your bit. Me and my missus do a double act on the Sj collecting ring at some of the BE events round here. It is hard work and tempers do fray (not ours I hope!) when all the people who should have been there an hour ago turn up and .... well you know how the story goes.
 
Hey 4legs, I think we must have been at the same events, that always seems to happen to me too.

I think everyone was hiding from the rain in their lorries, when they realised it wasn't passing they all thought they would go at once.

Sorry to have missed you Rach!
 
Believe me Rach the start team on sunday were well entertained all I could hear on the phone was them cooing over Oli T's rider, doing the Be90's when he had a little slip up all I could hear was 'we will go and help' me thinks they liked him!!!!
 
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