Watching HOYS on TV lots of empty seats

HOYS has been at the NEC for ten years so not sure what difference that would make. Haven't heard reports of ticket sales or attendance being noticeably quieter than usual but also haven't seen the coverage so it's probably just normal first day levels. Should pick up tomorrow and then very much so obviously at the weekend.
 
I was there and the arena filled up quite well at points in the evening but a lot left before the last showjumping class presumably to avoid a rush

The arena was never full though and I was a bit miffed that I spent £65 on a ticket but people were pinching the empty seats around me!
 
Also, lots of people who are there during the week are the showing fans - most of the showing is in the Caldene Arena and is only on during the day. Trust me, when you've got up at 4am to be there for the first class at 7am in the international arena, then sat at the Caldene until it closes at 5.30pm, then done a bit of shopping and finally watched a bit of jumping you are shattered by 7pm. I didn't sit in the seat I paid for on Wednesday at all!

Plus watching show jumping is like watching paint dry for me, give me 25 identical brown horses standing around any day! ;) :D
 
Yes I thought it was odd to see so many empties given it was foxhunter night too which wld be the night i wld choose if i was lucky enough to go.
 
Since hoys has been at the nec i have been every year, always mid week. Last year we went on the tuesday which was the new day. They cancelled it as not enough tickets sold. This year seems even more quiet as there are still weekend tickets available and they usually sell out well in advance. This year we went on wednesday and it was empty, we could have sat pretty much anywhere we liked! Never seen it that quiet.
 
I guess the simple answer is there are more people with month left at the end of the money!!! so a nice day out has to come second to paying the bills and making ends meet..
Birmingham is the best possible place in the uk for events ,right in the middle of the UK with good road rail and air transport links..so I think that reason could safely be discounted..
 
The Caldene arena was packed for much of the day the big arena was not, given the popularity of the M&M classes I dont know why they don't dispense with the tradition if the hunters always being mainring and swap the two over!

The Caldene arena closed at 6:30 ish so the empty seats in TV werent due to people being there

I was at the first class at 7am and stayed in the Caldene arena most of the day, I moved to the big arena for the supreme champs and then watched the show jumping finally getting home 21 hours after I left it!

It was a fab day out but I spent a fortune!
 
WelshD said:
I dont know why they don't dispense with the tradition if the hunters always being mainring and swap the two over!
Click to expand...

:eek::eek::eek::eek: Imagine 25 hunters belting round the Caldene!! The smalls got moved into the international this year after the collision last year.

I do agree that it would be nice to have more of the showing classes in the international arena though, maybe the jumpers could move ;)
 
Its a shame they don't do cheaper tickets just for the Caldene arena and shopping. Last time I was there I only went into the main arena to see the displays (can't remember who they were though) and spent most of my time watching showing. Personally I grudge paying £30/£40 for a seat I won't spend much time in.

Gutted I'm not there this year though. Its OHs birthday and we have plans but my cobs brother did well in the CHAPS class and I would have liked to have seen that.
 
You buy a seat for the whole day, but you don't sit in it for the whole day so there are bound to be empties. You will spend time in the shopping area and at the second arena and getting food and drink so during that time your seat will be empty.
 
We went on the Weds and was suprised how quiet it was - I even did some shopping in the interval and no crowds.

Sadly I think it is just reflective of the current economic climate, and also noticed some of the stalls were also smaller, such as Townfields, as imagine to rent the space is extortionate.

We had a lovely day and had fab seats as 'cheekily' sat in better ones when we realised they weren't taken!
 
Just depends! As someone said, we were there for the showing mainly (watching a friend) and wanted to be there for the start of the Connemaras (7am) had to be up at 3am to do the horses (7 of them!) then we left after the M&M championship, didn't get home till midnight as it was! :p long, long day.

Cracking day though, I much prefer it quieter where you can actually move round!! :)
K x
 
I didn't go in the main arena at all. I watched the coloured classes and one of the arab classes and did a little window shopping. Oh and bought some seriously overpriced food and drink. :rolleyes: Although the ice cream was truly excellent. :)

On the bright side the mare that won the non native coloured horses class pranced about, peed everywhere and then nearly flattened the sponsor, so I'm thinking that Bree might make a show horse yet. ;)

Could've been worse, one of the Arab geldings managed to buck off its rider and saddle. Serious collective intake of breath.

It would be worth the money if you spent all day there. Sadly I'm not up to much and nearly killed myself in four hours. :o But I did enjoy it.

Paula
 
I enjoyed the showing and the shopping as is usual. To be fair, I wanted to go after the foxhunting. The commentary was terrible.... The display was just weird. The kids falling out of wheelbarrows was about the only bit I was amused by. I fell in love with William Funells' Billy Balou but seriously HOYS, could'a done better.
 
Friday for my group, was a fab day. Some sensible comments already re a whole day is tiring, from 7am to 11pm, I feel its good value for everything you had.
A lot of the audience did go before the end of the last jumping which is understandable given it finished around 11 pm and if you had trains or buses to catch, you needed to go.
I felt the day was well attended, certainly for the Working Hunter, there were lots of people watching, and for the coloureds, the seats seemed full.
All of my group intend to do the same day next year, just as soon as the tickets are on line.
 
I went on the Tuesday last year and went on the Sunday this year. To be honest, I thought Sunday would be packed but I didn't find it any busier than the year before had been on the Tuesday.
Luckily, I had been given some tickets but I think the answer is it is very expensive. There were lots of empty seats in the main arena on the Sunday for both the day and evening performances. The Caldene arena was well supported but wasn't packed.

Given the economic situation at the moment I think that they have simply outpriced themselves.
 
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