| Author | Message | ||
     Janet Pilling Member Username: Janetp Post Number: 25 Registered: 03-2007 |
Ginny there is nothing that states you must have a presentation carriage - I only got mine a couple of years ago for a 'big' birthday ;o) Yes they help but they do bring a lot of extra work and they have to be used regularly at home so both you and the pony know the vehicle. This means more cleaning so there are 'cons' as well as 'pros'. I know several people who have competed at Advanced level in Nationals for years with three phase vehicles and even at World Championships. In eleven years competing I have never had leather harness either - I'd rather school a bit more to get the best out of my pony in each movement than fret about the odd point on presentation. As long as kit fits and is clean (properly clean!) then I don't see a problem. Presentation judges at novice level are there to give guidance, not tell you what you must or must not wear. I do think novices get rather too hung up on the whole standing presentation thing and maybe if it was after the test or 45 minutes before then that would take the pressure off. If your presentation is 30 minutes before your test and you spend ten minutes with the judges your pony is not going to be able to give you its best in your test! Once you get up the ranks a little it is more the 'general impression' that gains marks - a hard hat wouldn't be barred but it might spoil the elegant look of your turnout. A three phase vehicle can look just fine with a smartly turned out driver and groom sitting up proud and looking professional. | ||
| Ginny White Member Username: Ginnyw Post Number: 6 Registered: 01-2009 |
I find it interesting that there are 3 threads going, all with a vague link The perfect 10 and the comments from drivers that where so pleased to leave novice classes because of the lack of consistant presentation judging. Having been involved with pony club tack and turnout the dreaded Gosling cup, there are so many guide lines even be it an opinion of judges. Surely someone could make prensentation a more enjoyable experience for the up and coming driver, most people like myself have learn't most of the rules by trial and mostly error!. When i started my daughter and i both wore hacking jackets, jods and boots, we had them they where smart and safe, with hard hats. Told we where not riding we changed our dress but safety has to be the way to go and i still fell Juniors should be in hard hats, and why not adults, a small amount of protection is better than none. And easier as a guideline for newcomers. I once suggested that the presentation should be after the dressage, this would give people like me that needs at least 40mins, to drive my pony in, also without a presentation vehicle but everything nice and clean, after the dressage we would all be on a more level playing field, ( our club is now giving us 45 mins.) I have only been driving competitions, after a long ridden career, for approx 7years. I would firstly like to say how i 100% love the etiquette, and smartness up the top and take my hat off to the work involed with all our top drivers be they single, pairs and teams, one is an obsession to keep fit. But when you look at the success of indoor driving ie the draw of new drivers, is it not time to introduce a 3 phase class, at certain venues.Blandings with Louise garget is getting an average of 30 entries, at competively fun days. I have been impressed at the few Midland competions that often running along side is an inside out in marathon colours, i think i'm right in saying axles in for cones and just one vehcile needed, low key dress and sec E would possible drum up a bit more interest and revenue. The other thread helpers where are they??? how many drivers have we got??? how many qualifiers for Windsor?? people that would love to have a go but feel they are not good enough to have a go at qualifying, or don't have that presentation carriage. Well i have club members that i went and watched and supported last year and this year am going to help steweard, 2 friends have qualified with only a 3 phase carriage, most of the drivers i know work extremly hard and long hours to be where they are in the sport. With helpers harder to get because of the high cost of fuel and the fact that if you can afford a day to volunteer you may spend a lot of money just driving to the event, a sign of the times.Helping is a great way to learn. I have rambled on trying to express my feelings but would like to end with a quote by Katie Jerram in this weeks Horse and Hound 'Although competing gets increasingly expensive,it isn't money that keeps the horse world rolling. it's those who are prepared to put their time, knowledge and energy into something they are passionate about. Where would we be without the volunteers who are crucial to the survival of all our equestrian sports.' | ||
| Jane Wilson Member Username: Janewil Post Number: 13 Registered: 06-2007 |
Interesting points Jeff. I have believed for a long time that the best way to grow the sport and keep it healthy was to try and siphon in new participants at the bottom end - the structure of the sport means it's simply not possible to fill it from the top. If you consider how many drivers are participating at the top end (teams)I suspect the number has been fairly static for some time. I also believe that removing novice classes from nationals was a big disincentive and I wonder how many novice drivers out there even realise that they were put back this year? I suspect that the majority of them see no reason to look at the website and I know they don't by and large get involved in this forum. In our club at the moment, pre-novice and novice numbers are fantastic; the trick is not only for us as a club to hang on to them as they hopefully progress through, but to encourage them to dip a toe in the national pool as well. Surely if they are under the impression that there's nothing there for them until they are at least in intermediate, they won't even bother to join. We've lost both Sandringham and Lowther as shop windows and HDT is still the best kept secret in the equestrian world! I still hear from my non-driving but riding friends "Driving? Oh I might think about that when I'm too old to get my foot in the stirrup and climb on". Lots of people who have never considered the fun and excitement of driving think the only option available to them is a sedate drive to the pub on a Sunday! Thousands of people take part in every other sphere of equestrianism - can't we do something to tap into that? Minta is also quite right in that good driving ponies/horses are like hen's teeth but I'm not sure allowing people to go round with more than one entry is viable. In eventing, you're only out on the course for between 10 and 12 minutes - makes riding more than one much more practicable than spending two hours out on a marathon only to come back and do it all again. The same time constraints would apply to the organisers of BHDTA events. I'm not sure I would want marathons to be any shorter (and I can hear Douglas Strachan suddering at the thought even from here!) But Minta is right about one thing, we do need to expand our horizons and to this end I do believe that marketing IS important - after all, if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got! Where to aim it, that's the trick. | ||
| Minta WInn Member Username: Mintaw Post Number: 20 Registered: 07-2008 |
Taking this point further,and to add more to the cauldron of discussion we actually need to create an industry within our sport, good horses and ponies are like gold dust, but its very difficult to bring on novice animlas when you are restricted to one turnout per competition, unless you want to go HC, why should you, they don't in ridden eventing, in fact we could take a look at what ridden eventing has done, we could look at more short format style marathons for the novice drivers AND horses/ponies, we should not restrict the number of entries you could compete with as this will encourage more owners in the future,as well as making the time away more viable, I am aware that not everyone wants a fully charged weekend competing but some of us do and could bring more new people to the sport if we could compete more than 1 turnout, and let open/advanced drivers take novice and intermediate animlas around in their(horses) correct class you only have to subdivide the class between novice driver and novice horses, we need to expand our horizons or we could be in danger of becoming extinct. | ||
| Martyn Willis Member Username: Martynw Post Number: 16 Registered: 02-2007 |
Jeff. Some interesting ideas. How about standing for council? I'll nominate you? Martyn Willis | ||
| Julia Liles Member Username: Julial Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2007 |
"The BHDTA will struggle to remain viable whilst restricting the qualification for the Championships". (A suggested topic for discussion at Conference from Jeff Liles). By all classes adhering to the same format, the Championships are restricted to run to the capabilities and needs of the Organisers and Stewards, rather than the sport. With only 100 or so places available at the Championships, we will never get a Membership of more than 150 odd drivers to risk taking on the extra expense of competing Nationally without reward. The BHDTA only attracts about 10% of drivers that compete at trials up and down the country. Faced with a similar problem, British Eventing, whilst retaining the standards at the top of their sport, widened their base considerably, with 80, 90 and 100 cm classes, various forms of 'Intro' and Pre Novice Classes etc. As Novices surely must be the building blocks of the sports future, we must address why the BHDTA's retention of Novice members is so abysmal. Rather than removing Novice Classes from our Championships, as has been previously proposed, let us expand them. If 100 Novice turnouts were invited to Windsor it would necessitate their Championships being run as a two day event, but this is the format they would have likely qualified under. And it would stimulate public interest to have the marathon obstacles in operation on the Sunday at the Championships. The cones competitions, at best, are only ever 'nail-biting' for the participants. It would also enhance the event to be a multi-championships, with the Para's and Junior Championships held in conjunction. Obviously some would have to decide which Championships to compete in, but this would be compensated by raising the stature of those competitions. The kudos of their own Championships at Windsor, even in a different format, could also attract the abundance of Shetland turnouts that compete at Club and Indoor events, as might a format to suit the Heavy Harness Clubs. Shetlands and Shires are traditionally crowd pullers at events, helping gate receipts. Widening the qualification and doubling the amount of competitors at the Championships would increase BHDTA Membership and the revenue for the event; bring in more competitor's family and friends, not only to boost the atmosphere but may themselves become Stewards and Helpers; and present a greater spectacle for the public and sponsors. However even doubling revenue, sadly, is still not enough. At present, the total package and scale of event we offer at Windsor has not proved successful in capturing the imagination of the public or sponsors. The Championships must try to elevate itself in the minds of these groups by becoming a 'Festival of Carriage Driving'. Whilst applauding all the ideas to increase revenue and public admissions to the Championships, surely a 'Brockham style' Carriage Fair with displays relating to our sport and hands-on experiences like the hugely popular 'Suck it and See' would be more appropriate. Obviously doubling the amount of Competitors at the Championships means doubling the amount of Stewards and Helpers needed; no easy feat for Organisers. However, in the last couple of years we have been 'blessed' with some outstanding generosity from Sponsors within our sport. Rather than grabbing it to subside ourselves; surely their money would be better spent on donations to secure the help of Driving and Riding Clubs, Scout Groups, Police and Army Cadets and the such like to assist and relieve Judges and Stewards, who themselves should be encouraged by receiving some financial gratitude. Sponsors want to see their money associated with success, to raise the profile and improve a sport, not just rescue it. |