Upton BE

[Velcrobum]

A rider competing at Upton BE at Intermediate Level has chosen to go on social media after a mistake was made with her Dressage Score. Katie Richards chose Instagram to complain about the Dressage Scorers rather than apparently complaining to the competition organisers. The dressage scorers are mortified and very upset according to a close friend, the non competitive score could and would have been amended as soon as the mistake was flagged to the organisers/secretary/BE scorer
Competitors at BE should remember the vast numbers of people enabling their midweek competitions are volunteers likewise weekend competitions. There is a very obvious lack of BE competitors volunteering to help at any level to support their sport.

 

[Chiffy]

How extraordinary Velcrobum. There is a perfectly good system in place for querying scores, even just initially telling the BE Steward or the rider rep. Very odd for someone who is obviously not new to the sport if competing at Intermediate.
I agree, this will not help volunteers to offer their services.

 

[ihatework]

How inappropriate and sad.
Silly girl

 

[Tiddlypom]

I hope that other competitors absolutely roast that rider . I haven't heard of her, but if she's competing at BE Intermediate she won't be a greenhorn. She will have known the correct route to take with the organisers to query a dressage score.

Mistakes can happen, especially in a pressurised environment on competition day. The score would have quickly been corrected, if indeed it was wrong, if she had brought it up directly with the organisers.

Competitors and associates sounding off in public about what they perceive as mistakes made by largely volunteer helpers is hardly going to attract fresh volunteer blood into the sport.

BE is toast. Why should we volunteers give up our time only to be criticised - it happens enough with FJs who get a minimalistic run through of the rules before going out on course.

 

[Roxylola]

Even if you don't know the protocol, you'd speak to someone in a position to do something - officials tent. She's done that to make a song and dance it's easy enough to get something like that fixed

 

[shortstuff99]

Have to be careful naming people on here Velcrobum.

As a scorer myself mistakes happen and yes sometimes people only complain after the fact and not at the time. While it is not the done thing to complain as she has I would just ignore it (unless they were naming me publically)

 

[ycbm]

What a stupid woman!

What human never made a mistake in their lives? These people are volunteers, what a great way to make sure nobody wants to do the job in future.
.

 

[Red-1]

I wonder if she didn't notice until after the event? I had this once, told the organisers and was told that after it was finished, nothing would be done.

To me, I am a happy amateur and shrugged and took it on the chin, but if it were important to someone, I can understand how frustrating that must be.

I haven't seen the post, but I wonder if she was asking for a rule change or something to enable the mistake to be corrected after the event?

 

[ester]

I'm a bit confused tbh, as people complain about that sort of thing on SM all the time and mortified seems like quite an extreme reaction from the scorers. Maybe we need more context of what was said?

 

[ycbm]

I wonder if she didn't notice until after the event? I had this once, told the organisers and was told that after it was finished, nothing would be done.

To me, I am a happy amateur and shrugged and took it on the chin, but if it were important to someone, I can understand how frustrating that must be.

I haven't seen the post, but I wonder if she was asking for a rule change or something to enable the mistake to be corrected after the event?

On the other hand if the score really matters for some reason like qualifying or to the owner, then she should have checked the sheet before she left the event.

 

[ycbm]

On the other hand if the score really matters for some reason like qualifying or to the owner, then she should have checked the sheet before she left the event.

The only one I've ever checked that I remember was when it came in at 29 and I couldn't believe my horse had done a 70+ test

 

[Tiddlypom]

If competitors whinge about their BE scores on open social media then they should be disciplined and sanctioned. That is not the place for it. It needs to be stopped.

No wonder organisers are pulling out - who'd do it?

 

[shortstuff99]

Competitors winge online about all sorts of things. Massive recent spate of dressage judge bashing online. I've had all sorts of things said to my face about organising shows (that no one will then commit to helping run if they've got better ideas).

Running shows is an extremely thankless task and this riders post is just normal sadly.

 

[RachelFerd]

I haven't seen any kind of post on this - perhaps it has already been taken down?

 

[IrishMilo]

If competitors whinge about their BE scores on open social media then they should be disciplined and sanctioned. That is not the place for it. It needs to be stopped.

No wonder organisers are pulling out - who'd do it?

That sounds somewhat... dystopian. BE is a business. Competitors are the clients. Therefore they have a right to complain and speak freely, as per any other client/business relationship. You'd lose more people by doing what you've suggested than by the odd narked competitor moaning online. There's a thread on here about BE and their various wrong doings... should all those people be disciplined?

 

[Tiddlypom]

That sounds somewhat... dystopian. BE is a business. Competitors are the clients. Therefore they have a right to complain and speak freely, as per any other client/business relationship. You'd lose more people by doing what you've suggested than by the odd narked competitor moaning online. There's a thread on here about BE and their various wrong doings... should all those people be disciplined?

BE may be a business, and a not a very well run one at that, but what will be lost to the sport if competitors are permitted to sound off publicly about things which should get sorted in private are organisers and volunteers. Then no more BE.

Honestly, who needs the hassle.

I've never competed at BE level, but I have volunteered at BE in multiple roles over many seasons. Just why.

 

[Orangehorse]

I checked my dressage score when I got home. There was a 10 mark mistake. I would have been first and won a nice silver cup.

But I should have checked it at the show before I left. Lesson learned. I didn't say anything to anyone.

 

[Velcrobum]

Update.

She was apparently told when the discrepancy was reported/realised that the dressage score would be amended on Eventing scores but still chose to post on social media (Instagram). I do not know if the comments are still there but I have been told she was advised by BE Upton TD or Steward to remove them.
Her posting contravenes rule 11.8.2 in BE rule book. ( I am a member and a volunteer).

She was well out of placings (20th+ place) and there is no qualifier involved.

It was inappropriate to say the least and as others have said de-moralises stalwart volunteers. I volunteer for a fair few BE events as an ex-competitor and did so when I was competing as I fully understood BE competitions totally rely on volunteers. As an active volunteer it is sadly very very obvious that the very vast proportion of volunteers are 50 plus and there are very very few current competitors ever volunteering.

I and many current volunteers wonder what will happen when we all get too old to help!

 

[ester]

They'll help once they are 50 too

 

[Velcrobum]

They'll help once they are 50 too

Ha Ha sadly too little too late. ..............

Many events are struggling to get enough volunteers especially mid-week. Before I was made redundant I used 7/10 days of annual leave to volunteer at midweek BE competitions in Southern England as I was very grateful to be able to compete when my wonderful competition horse was competitive.