The next Express Eventing is to be run for young riders.

Hmmm they should have known they wouldn't get the top flight riders given it's the Barbury weekend. Bad planning on their part IMHO as the younger riders are not going to attract massive crowds either.
 
Ummmm so basically when the YRs all say no as Barbury is often used as an event that they should do it will eventually be open to grassroots riders!!
 
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Bad planning on their part IMHO as the younger riders are not going to attract massive crowds either.

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Yes, and am I right in thinking it was pricey last time? They won't get the crowds or as much per ticket without the big names...
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Quick question - does 'young rider' include the pony riders? As it's the Pony Euros this year (2010) about 3 weeks after.
 
I am guessing not. I think they will be aiming for the Laura Colletts, Sienna Myson Davies etc
 
according to this weeks H&H its for invited riders aged 18-25 and the first prize will be £50k+

Also the cross country will not be times and the fences will be notably smaller and it is to be held at Stoneleigh. All positives in my opinion hopefully will be a much safer and more considered competition!
 
Very interesting.
I guess they think they can lure YRs away from Barbury with the promise of an appearance fee and enough prize money to buy a top horse...
Looks like they have learnt some lessons from the previous fiasco with the changes to the format, though I am not sure about the music for the dressage tests being chosen by the organisers.

At least if it is being run in July the spectators shouldn't be as freezing as they were in Cardiff...
 
i think the idea of using young eventers while not ideal could be good for the sport and for the eventers they choose to invite . it will all be good exsposer and sure the money will come in handy to any one. think it will be the likes of Laura Collete ,Emily Llewellyn Georgie Spence , Ben Hobday, Sam Watson that get the nod but look forward to seeing who they do invite
 
But they arent going to get many people prepared to pay to watch young riders compete - and Barbury with all the top riders will be a lot nicer day out...
 
It is forming part of 'The Festival of The Horse' so won't be the only thing happening at Stonleigh - you won't just be buying tickets to watch Express Eventing.

I think it might be more fun to watch younger people doing it - hopefully they might be able to remember the course as senility hasn't set in yet.
 
If the organisers choose the music it can only be background music as they won't know the footfalls of the horses and how the horses react to the music. If the XC is not timed then how is it going to be an influence on the competition? While they obviously don't want younger, less experienced riders chasing the clock, the skill is presenting your horse well to a fence when there isn't time to prepare a lot for the fences. Reading between the lines it looks like they were expecting BE to change Barbury to accomodate them. If this is true, how can they think that a popular and established event will step aside for a new competition that failed in it's only running and is having to test a new formula - especially not long before WEG?
 
I think it should be looked at as a bumper weekend of equestrian sport, not necessarily be in competition with each other. if a YR lands £50K, it would be good expose for them in terms of future sponsorships. Theres a lot of pessimissm on this thread!!
 
i don't think its going to attract a big crowd-there were alot of empty seats at the original express eventing.
 
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i don't think its going to attract a big crowd-there were alot of empty seats at the original express eventing.

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But as has already been said this is going to be part of the festival of the horse which I would guess will attract larger audience numbers as there will be many other things going on. Also, it is in summer and therefore not in a freezing arena in the middle of winter....
 
The whole point of Express Eventing was to engage more of the general public in the sport of eventing by having a format that was exciting, quick-fire and accessible. By putting it on at the Festival of the Horse, in a staunch equestrian/agricultural venue you will please the existing equestrian audience but fail on the primary objective, that is to get Joe Public to recognise eventing at all.

Fail.
 
But the original wasn't exactly a success either. I think before they try to win over the general public they need to win back the equestrian audience as a lot of people were disgusted and saddened by what they saw last time.
 
I think this is a good idea, although of course a bad date-clash in the first place. I think EE is an excellent idea, of course last year there were problems - anything new on that scale would have teething issues. I think running it within a festival is much better that doing it on its own, I never thought realistically they'd fill a massive stadium.

Hopefully one day, they'll run an amateur version - would love to have a go!
 
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