Uproar as fun ride still going ahead in bad weather

[SWE]

What are people opinions.... fun ride put a post out to say their fun ride was still running today, (despite bad rain and wind)... everyone is going mad saying they should reschedule or refund and that they've only not cancelled so they don't have to refund, and that they are putting riders and horses in danger.

Is it me or is that just a risk of entering a competition, that the weather might be rubbish?The venue will have checked the course and deemed it safe so long as riders are sensible. So I kind of feel like they shouldn't be forced to cancel for those not wanting to get wet/risk travelling. The weather is as much of a PITA for the venue as it is to those entering....

Also the forecast has been bad for a while now so its likely a lot of people would have known it'd be wet when they entered. I feel everyone has to do their own risk assessment and if they deem travelling unsafe or anything like that, then you don't go and its just one of those things?

What are other peoples thoughts?

 

[Goldenstar]

They will have done a risk assessment and presumably where happy with the conditions .
I would not expect something outside to be cancelled because it was not a nice day .

 

[{97702}]

Organisers will have completed a risk assessment - it’s up to them if it goes ahead or not, not the people who have entered? If you personally choose not to participate due to inclement weather that is your choice - I’ve ducked out of plenty of dressage because it was raining ?

 

[little_critter]

We were discussing this this evening, may even be the same fun ride we were talking about. The forecast was for rain, lots of it but there was no warning for wind. People were saying it should have been cancelled.
I could understand cancelling for high winds due to the risks of towing etc, but people just didn’t fancy getting wet.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Fun rides aren’t exactly the same as riding round a 4* are they. You have the option of jumping or not, wet weather never hurt anyone and if you don’t want to go because it’s hissing down don’t go.

 

[Roxylola]

I think for a fun ride you can just choose not to jump and/or go at a sensible pace. Especially at the moment where they're setting folk off in small groups. I looked at the forecast and decided not to compete this weekend as a result, but a fun ride is basically a fast group hack where you are responsible for your speed yourself

 

[SWE]

Glad others agree, thought I was missing something and couldn't quite understand!

 

[SWE]

Duplicate post

 

[scruffyponies]

Depends on the parking arrangements. I wouldn't be impressed if they expected you to be able to tow across a field with 6" of standing water and a foot of mud in the gateways.

 

[little_critter]

Organisers will have completed a risk assessment - it’s up to them if it goes ahead or not, not the people who have entered? If you personally choose not to participate due to inclement weather that is your choice - I’ve ducked out of plenty of dressage because it was raining ?

I think people get arsey because if it’s cancelled they get refunded their entry, but if the just choose not to go they are out of pocket.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Depends on the parking arrangements. I wouldn't be impressed if they expected you to be able to tow across a field with 6" of standing water and a foot of mud in the gateways.

That’s a fair comment.

 

[{97702}]

I think people get arsey because if it’s cancelled they get refunded their entry, but if the just choose not to go they are out of pocket.

Exactly so! I can see both sides of course.... it is not cheap to put a fun ride on versus people dont want to forfeit their money ?

 

[Lacuna]

A local fun ride was recently cancelled last minute as the parking area flooded. It would have probably gone ahead if they had had hardstanding available.

 

[little_critter]

That’s a fair comment.

The one I’m thinking of had parking on hardcore so no mud issues.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Ah, if parking was on the hard then as long as conditions were safe then there’s no reason to cancel.

 

[SWE]

Parking was all hard standing, no grass or mud to contend with at all!

 

[doodle]

There was a ride near me this weekend. Yesterday went ahead with horrendous rain but they cancelled today even though weather better but I think the ground deteriorated.

Meanwhile yesterday there was a BE event. I think only the second this year in Scotland. It went ahead. Eventers are a tough lot! Or maybe better to not be able to see the jump you are planning to hurtle over ?

 

[AdorableAlice]

Horses in general, are four wheel drive and waterproof, not prone to shrinkage. Four wheel drive is permanently engaged unless doing baby glides or spooking at plastic bags and pheasants. Moments of 3 wheel, 2 wheel or 1 wheel drive are to be expected. No wheel drive is a tad worrying as it is normally followed by a face plant of some description.

 

[paddi22]

People are way more delicate nowadays about weather conditions, so many people just will not ride in rain and if that's your thing, that's grand, but don't expect a refund if other people want to do it. I don't mind very wet fun rides as it's a handy way to get young eventers used to going in bad conditions in a. safe way, as yo8u can pace yourself and pick the jumps you want to do.

 

[Pedantic]

Wimps, when I was a Sports Endurance member we rode whatever, one particular ride it rained travelling all the way there, all the ride, and all the way travelling back, did get soaked to my undies, who cares.

 

[SpotsandBays]

I was booked to go to one today that was cancelled early this morning due to flooded parking. I was worried about the weather but would have likely still gone as we had an early slot so would have got the best ground, and would have happily walked round if the ground wasn’t safe enough for anything fast. A shame, it was a cracking ride but they made the best decision.

 

[L&M]

Around us fun rides have always been 'pay on day', so in cases of bad weather, riders can chose whether to attend or not. Due to Covid the majority of rides have to be booked in/paid for in advance which is where the issue may lie, as in if you chose not to go you lose your money.

My partner and I do a lot of fun rides, but if it has been very wet prior we usually opt out, due to potential parking issues and don't like jumping on greasy ground - we don't compete and fun rides are meant to be 'fun' so getting soaked through, then to be stuck in a muddy gateway is not really in the spirit of things imo.

We have been out of pocket twice already this year from pre-booking, one weather related and the other my partner had to self isolate - tbh paying in advance does put us off now.

 

[stormox]

Hunting goes ahead whatever the weather (apart from snow)

 

[PapaverFollis]

I'm more used to fell races where the organisers sometimes cancel because it's basically a death trap on the tops and everyone complains and half of them go and run the route anyway just so they can say "see, it was completely fine".

If the parking is fine and the ride route is safely navigable then if people don't want to travel that is up to them, not the organisers. Maybe if it was a weather warning for dangerous winds there would be an argument for cancelling though due to towing.

 

[L&M]

Hunting goes ahead whatever the weather (apart from snow)

Agreed, but you can still choose whether to go or not when the forecast is pants - we also hunt and rarely miss a day because of the weather (we were out in the worst of it on saturday morning), but fun rides area different kettle of fish........

 

[AmyMay]

I did the Badminton fun ride in the most atrocious weather one year. Wouldn’t have occurred to me to not actually go, of for it to have been cancelled ??‍

 

[Muddywellies]

Goodness me. What's wrong with society these days. Its England, it rains. Quite a lot sometimes. It costs a h£ll of a lot to hold events, they simply can't cancel because of rain, without good reason (eg flooded carpark/exceptionally high winds etc). There's a plethora of wet weather gear available, and even without, neither horses or people tend to dissolve in water. What does the hunting fraternity do when it's raining? Kick on usually. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a fair weather rider but for some bonkers reason my friend and I donned our wet weather gear and went for a hack for 3/4hr in torrential rain this morning. Believe it or not we had a fabulous ride ?

 

[Widgeon]

...so many people just will not ride in rain and if that's your thing, that's grand, but don't expect a refund if other people want to do it.

No exactly, it's an outdoor activity. When you sign up for something in advance (particularly in October!) I think you have to accept that the weather might be awful.

 

[ycbm]

I went to a BE event once which was only cancelled when they realised that they could not have people standing at the show jumps to hold them up in the wind. We all went home. I don't remember anyone blaming BE or the event organisers, but I was pleased I was only spectating.
.

 

[ycbm]

Horses in general, are four wheel drive and waterproof, not prone to shrinkage. Four wheel drive is permanently engaged unless doing baby glides or spooking at plastic bags and pheasants. Moments of 3 wheel, 2 wheel or 1 wheel drive are to be expected. No wheel drive is a tad worrying as it is normally followed by a face plant of some description.

?