WARNING: BE hat tagging rules, just so you don't get caught out!

charlimouse

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After my HS1 blew off my head halfway round Norton Disney last season:eek: I got a made to measure PROtector Skull hat to replace it, as the HS1 just does not fit my head. Due to the fact I value my head I went for the PROtector as is has the SNELL E2001 standard, and being made to measure fits perfectly :). All set for a season of BE.....................



......................or so I thought. Took it to get it tagged yesterday at the jump training to be told they could not tag it due to the label not being sewn in :mad:. The label is stuck in to the lining, and obviously it has all the correct standards but BE refuse to tag it :eek:. The secretary let me ride in it yesterday, but has told me the likilhood is I will not be allowed to ride in it at BE events :eek:. The secretary told me that if I had another skull hat to take that incase I can't use my PROtector. I do still have my HS1, but TBH I am not willing to go XC in it as it is too big, if a light breeze blew it off my head XC I hate to think what would happen if I fell off :eek:. As first event is at Somerford I think I will risk it, and if necessary I will have to go to the tack shop there and buy another hat (which seems pointless as it will not fit as well, and will probably not have the SNELL standard :o).

I'm going to contact PROtector to see what they have to say, but it will be a PITA if I have to send it back to them to sew the label in, as I will have to wear my HS1 that doesn't fit in the meantime :mad:.

So just a word of warning folks, make sure the labels in your hats are sewn in ;)!
 
Thanks for the heads up, will def need to check mine! Although I think sometimes they can get a little confused as I got told at one BE event when I first got my GPA Xtreme (which I wear for the SJ) that they wouldnt tag it as it was an American version as opposed to a European one?! Took it to another BE event and they just tagged it with no questions asked and I've worn it since... Weird!
 
Blimey, you must be gutted after spending that much money ! I need a new hat so it's something I will look out for now. Thanks for the warning.
 
When I was in the secretaries tent at Stafford last season they were fussing over a hat where the label wasn't stitched in either, the owner of the hat was looking a little stressed, but they did end up tagging it. Seems a bit odd, especially when the hat has the highest safety standard :confused:
 
I am pretty sure people have had this problem with HS1's. I'm sure if you contact protector they will sned you a label you can sew in yourself? That would be the quickest and easiest option and should be able to be done before somerford also :)
 
Have to say, when I did my first intro (Skipton in 2006) I naively knew nothing about hat tagging, and didn't get my hat tagged - even went xc in a fixed peak hat :eek:

Can't have been many eagle eyed people around that day :D
 
I've been working in the scorers tent at events when they have had this problem (I think it was the HS1s) and they were advising people to sew them in themselves - incidentally the lady that picked up on this I am pretty sure is the lady in charge of the JT classes - so it may even have been the same person there yesterday.
 
*whispers* I know a 4* rider that did Burghley XC with a fixed peak hat.

And I know it's bad, but if I am in a hurry and I know that my hat would be tagged, I just transfer the tags from one hat to the other. Did this with my pony club and BE tag.
 
I had this situation last year at our BE debut at beckwithshaw. For some unknown reason we thought we would take it along with us the day before when we went to walk the course in order to save time and was told we would have to go away and sew the label in. thankgod we found out then as I imagine it would have been full stress on if I had taken it to be tagged just before my dressage warm up!
 
ps charlie mouse - no need to go get a new hat - just oversew the label which is stuck inside - thats all we did with my hs1 which was deemed sufficient.
 
I sewed mine in with a bit of plaiting thread (big stitches!) so no doesnt look the neatest bit of stitching but its inside the hat so doesnt matter?? certainly cant tell when Im riding??
 
If your hat has already been tagged before, do you need to take it to the secretary at every event? if not how will anyone ever know? unless they specifically ask to check it.. sorry think I have confused myself.. :)
 
If the hat is already tagged then it doesn't have to be tagged again.

As a XC collecting ring steward I try to cast a quick glance over riders as they put their number down. It's amazing how many I send back to the collecting ring to get their number bib/correct hat/hat tagged/medical card.

Better me send them back before they warm up than the starter when they are ready to go I suppose.

Obviously when it's busy I miss people but I always catch some out.
 
Protector tagged mine when I bought it. Why is a stick on label an issue?
I find this extraordinary as it is not allowed.The whole reason for tagging is as a safety check. For example BE events the secretary tags a hat that is within the standards .I cannot believe BE will be happy if manufacturers are sending out hats already tagged.
With regard stick on labels,it came about because a lot of HS1s lost their labels .
 
I suspect BE don't want to end up in the situation of a BE tagged hat having no saftey label. So sewing them in is a good safeguard against this.
 
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labels falling out would be the opposite reason to what I would presume. afterall if the label hasn't fallen out by the time you get it tagged then it should be fine, if it falls out after tagging well then it is tagged.

I assumed that the issue was that if it is just a stick on label then it could have been transferred from another hat not the one it is in... however if you are able to sew them in yourself this seems not to be the case!
 
The chap that owns & runs PROtector is also on the BE safety board and is one of the hat taggers/checkers at events so pretty safe to say BE would be wrong to not allow you to compete in the hat that, as you say, has one of the highest standards of safety! But yes, if you happen to be near them they will tag it for you- got mine done when I bought it at hickstead.

TBH I think it is being a bit petty to not allow hats just because the label isnt stitched in...I sometimes question where common sense has gone to to these days!! :p
 
*whispers* I know a 4* rider that did Burghley XC with a fixed peak hat.

And I know it's bad, but if I am in a hurry and I know that my hat would be tagged, I just transfer the tags from one hat to the other. Did this with my pony club and BE tag.

Glad you suggested that one :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
The chap that owns & runs PROtector is also on the BE safety board and is one of the hat taggers/checkers at events so pretty safe to say BE would be wrong to not allow you to compete in the hat that, as you say, has one of the highest standards of safety! But yes, if you happen to be near them they will tag it for you- got mine done when I bought it at hickstead.

TBH I think it is being a bit petty to not allow hats just because the label isnt stitched in...I sometimes question where common sense has gone to to these days!! :p

This sort of lack of common sense is the enemy of safety it makes people lose respect for the regulations I could understand refusing to tag a hat with no label but one that the manufacturer has glued dumb stupid rules I expect better of BE.
 
Slight change of subject - I've just bought an HS1 and the PAS/EN labels I think are are printed on fabric but the SNEL one is a label. If I were to take the hat to be tagged, would they tag it because the PAS/EN are printed and ignore the SNL OR do you think would rejected becaue of the label?
 
I had a similar problem with a Rodney powell body protector that for some strange reason did not have the correct tags sewn on....I contacted the company directly and they were very helpful and paid for it to be posted there and back and to have the correct labels sewn on!

You could try contacting the company and see if they would do this for your hat?!
Good Luck
 
For the avoidance of confusion, the secretary did exactly the right thing by erring on the side of caution. It has now been clarified with the manufacturers of the Pro-Tector hat that the SNELL 2001 label is tamper-proof in these hats and BE hat taggers have been advised that there should be no tagging problem on these grounds. If you take your Pro-Tector hat to the secretary or BE scorer at Someford then we’ll be pleased to tag it.
The reason for not tagging a hat where the label isn’t sewn in is competitor safety; the label could have been transferred from a hat that meets the standard to one that doesn’t.
 
For the avoidance of confusion, the secretary did exactly the right thing by erring on the side of caution. It has now been clarified with the manufacturers of the Pro-Tector hat that the SNELL 2001 label is tamper-proof in these hats and BE hat taggers have been advised that there should be no tagging problem on these grounds. If you take your Pro-Tector hat to the secretary or BE scorer at Someford then we’ll be pleased to tag it.
The reason for not tagging a hat where the label isn’t sewn in is competitor safety; the label could have been transferred from a hat that meets the standard to one that doesn’t.

So why tag hats that competitors have stitched themselves ? Which it's clear from the thread is happening.
 
So why tag hats that competitors have stitched themselves ? Which it's clear from the thread is happening.

exactly! That was why I assumed they didn't want stick on tags in the hat but if competitors are just being advised to sew it in themselves that makes a mockery of that idea!
 
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