Trailblazers Championships(- Rant, sorry!)

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Shakira38

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I have been really looking forward to getting the Trailblazers Championship schedule through and finally did yesterday and OMG HHHOOOOOWWWWW expensive!!?? I am an amatuer and show my horse in coloured classes and even both CHAPS and the BSPA aren't as expensive as there! As you can imagine I WON'T be entering as I REFUSE to pay the ''extra charges'' you have to pay for. I mean £12 first aid per competitor! £12 Parking!!?? What do they expect you walk there? £19.50 ''Maintenance Fee''?? (if stabling on site. If not it's £12.50. Basically paying for them to hire the showground. Stabling minimum of 2 nights you have to pay for which is £82.00 for 2 nights. And this is meant to be for AMATUERS!!!! I have NEVER had to pay expenses like this at any other championship so why here? I am utterly DISGUSTED and tempted to write to them and complain. Is it only me or does anyone else feel the same way?
 
I went last year and was shocked at how expensive it was! Lucikly though we loaned out the horse that I'd qualified on to some people on a yard about 20mins away so didn't have to pay for stabling. Still it was an expensive trip. I guess that the organisers do have a lot costs to cover and the event must be expensive to run and only viable if there is some sort of profit.I know its an amateur championship too but its probably not as expensive to enter as a 'professionals' championship. I see your point though, the costs to the rider are very high - it works out to be a very expensive competiton and I think the price will mean a lot people won't go.
 
We qualified for the SJ finals a couple of years ago and I was just the same - absolutely appalled by the costs. I was looking forward to going but felt that I couldnt warrant that amount of money so I used the money to affiliate BS(JA) instead.

Saying that though in one way I wish I had gone as I always wonder how well I would have done!!
 
I saw the schedule for it when I qualified years ago and laughed. I wouldnt have gone anyway TBH! A couple of years ago I went to compete at the BRC HT Champs which was near the Trailblazers Champs (same weekend) - so I popped along during a spare afternoon to see the TB champs. Hated it TBH! Am SO glad I didnt make the 10 hour trip to there, the BRC champs were so much better and well worth the journey and money.
 
anya01 said:
Expensive................but well worth it!!!!
Click to expand...

I second this.

I qualified last year for the novice and elementary dressage and had a fantastic time. I suppose if you just qualify for one class it seems more expensive in a way. Going again this year for 2 showing classes. I think they have acheek charging for you to park your transport and can't recall this been an extra last year. What people forget is that there is no membership fee required though. I have just qualified for the puk summer champs and that has cost me £65 to join myself and horse so we can contend the classes at the finals in which we qualified for. Overall will have cost more than trailblazers.
 
I feel fortunate in having gone to these Champs in 2001 and 02, when it was a lot cheaper.

I remember the classes being £20 each which was a bit high at the time, but I don't remember the stables being extortionate and there certainly weren't all those ad-hoc extra fees, as I wouldn't have gone.

Generally, I can't believe how costs at some national and local shows have rocketed in the last couple of years. It really is too expensive to compete these days.
 
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