watches eventing

[H-J]

Are you allowed to wear a watch XC as in just a normal everyday one?

Just that I have just brought a Nike watch for around the horses and for eventing as I always want to know the time but my nice one got scratched down the yard

thing is as most Nike watches have it has a stopwatch on it (obviously I wouldnt use it!) but just wondered if there was any rules on them sort of watches? And whether anyone actually does where one and secretly press it after no 1 or something!

 

[kerilli]

many years ago i saw a rider get very told off for wearing a small digital watch for xc, the starter noticed it and started on him, but he said the readout was so small there was no way he could read it for xc. i went off xc while they were still arguing...
just in case though, i use an analogue watch for eventing. not worth being eliminated because of it.
i never bother with a watch below Int anyway tbh, feel is more important than speed.

 

[Rosiefan]

From what I've heard recently you're spot on K and maybe not even at Int. I wonder how many accidents happen because people are checking against minute markers and go too fast for the conditions on some parts of the course. I know of at least one.
As far as I can understand, it's a very inexact science - possibly best to go as fast as you safely can especially if you're doing an FEI comp.

 

[Gamebird]

HJ they changed the rules and you can wear a watch from Novice upwards now. Fine for Dexter but you might be on shaky ground on Dougal.

Out of interest I diligently started my watch at Blair then totally forgot I was wearing it and didn't check any of my minute markers (may have been too busy trying to steer

). Point is over a 9min track with hills like that I was going to go as fast as was safe, let him freewheel up the hills and coast the downhill bits. I doubt I would have made the time but if I'd gone as fast as I safely could then that would have been the best I could do regardless of what the clock said.

 

[Rosiefan]

I think Rosie's been there GB but has done so many at lower levels where she wasn't allowed to wear a watch, she's learnt to do it in her head so to speak.

I'm sure you need to time yourself at Badders etc to conserve your horse for the later stages but tbh, at the lower levels I think you're better off learning to get a feel for it like Kerilli said. I gather you don't get penalties for going too fast at FEI events anyway so a safe fast is the best option.

 

[SpottedCat]

[ QUOTE ]
HJ they changed the rules and you can wear a watch from Novice upwards now. Fine for Dexter but you might be on shaky ground on Dougal.

Out of interest I diligently started my watch at Blair then totally forgot I was wearing it and didn't check any of my minute markers (may have been too busy trying to steer

). Point is over a 9min track with hills like that I was going to go as fast as was safe, let him freewheel up the hills and coast the downhill bits. I doubt I would have made the time but if I'd gone as fast as I safely could then that would have been the best I could do regardless of what the clock said.

[/ QUOTE ]

GB, just for future reference, at something like Blair it's worth wearing a watch and using it - I only say this because when I did the Coaching Development Roadshow that BE run earlier this year, they said that for events of 8-9 minutes, if you go over your minute markers for the first 4 mins then you are much more likely (to the point of them saying it would happen no matter how fit you got your horse) to get a brick wall effect at 7 mins and your horse to just hit a wall and not be able to go on. Apparently team orders are always to stick to your minute markers for the first 4 mins then if you can get up on them, great. I appreciate what you said about being safe, but I think this is a really important point too as a suddenly tired horse at 7 mins would also be dangerous? At the BE roadshow they said none of the pros will get up on their minute markers for the first 4 mins because of this.

Of course maybe I will now be proven wrong and people who've actually competed at that level will shoot me down, but it is what I was told (I took notes!!).

 

[H-J]

thanks everyone.

Its not that I want to wear a stopwatch I just want to know if i can wear my normal watch, just to be safe I dont think I will XC dont want to get told off for something im not doing!!

 

[Thistle]

Think the rules say something about watches that can be stopwatches.

 

[kerilli]

SC, do you mean not go faster than your minute markers? must admit, the best i've ever managed was within 5-10 seconds of the first few, then try to catch up a little if pos somewhere. i've never managed to be faster than my minute markers.

 

[Gamebird]

Out of interest I had help from the coaching and development team at Blair and they said that, as the hills came in the first half of the course, to aim to be down on your markers for the first 5 or 6 mins then pick up again once you're out on the last flat sections otherwise the fuel tank would be empty. I still don't really see me ever being much under the time!

 

[Horsemad12]

I was once asked to remove an analogue watch at Burnham Market!

I would not wear it just in case or at least check with the starter and be perpared to remove it.