| Author |
Message |
    
Jane Isaac
| | Posted on Thursday, 15 November, 2007 - 1:45 pm: | |
Now that I don't know! I assume that there is a rule somewhere and guidance about that for Event Organisers. |
Dawn Emmerson
| | Posted on Thursday, 15 November, 2007 - 8:29 am: | |
Hi Jane, Does that mean a start fee will only be required if it is a National Event running a club class or does it also include club events running a NQ?
Thanks Dawn |
Jane Isaac
| | Posted on Thursday, 15 November, 2007 - 7:54 am: | |
I agree that it would be sad to discourage novice competitors with financial issues but think it is also very important to ensure that they have had the opportunity to compete around National events before taking up their places in a Novice Class once they have qualified.
Some National events don't run Club Classes (as a previous BE Event Organiser one would have thought this was the 'extra' income) so it is possible that people can qualify at a NQ at their Club event and arrive at their first National with little experience of how it all works - there is nothing more irritating than hearing 'The start is in the usual place!'
I am aware that it is costly in money, people and time to add extra classes to events but Club competitors should be encouraged and welcomed - as indeed they usually are - whether they are true beginners or drivers dropping down the classes for a reason - they will come back and compete again. |
Dawn Emmerson
| | Posted on Wednesday, 14 November, 2007 - 12:30 pm: | |
Does this mean that say if I wanted to compete at Catton at a club event and there is a NQ class that I would have to pay a start fee even though I wasn't entered in the NQ?
Cor! SOunds more like we are not welcome to compete at national events in a NQ but they still want our money and now they want our money even when we don't enter a NQ... if this is correct then they want their heads banged together.. if I have got it wrong I'd be interested it have it explained to me... |
Jackie Ellis
| | Posted on Tuesday, 13 November, 2007 - 7:41 pm: | |
I agree with Rita; The BHDTA don't seem to be encouraging competitors for National events. 2 years ago we aquired a horse that we thought would take us to a National event, we were over the moon to think that we could enter a National via a Novice Qualifier class. The whole aim of our season was to get to the National Championships. We drove at Farleigh & Normanhurst in NQ classes & luckily qualified. But what a shock to get to Windsor & actually walk the obsticles that we were to drive- they seemed daunting, but not as daunting as if we had never driven at a National event. We were lucky, we did the last year (2006) in NQ class at National events, & were prepared to a degree. It would be interesting to hear from this years competitors wheather only competing at club events before Windsor made any diffirence to them? As i said the whole emphasis of our year was to drive at National events, it was a challenge for us, exciting too! The BHDTA have taken away that option for Novices, how has that affected them this year? I do believe numbers of entrants were down. Is this saying that more people will stick at club level, & not try to climb the National ladder? I think it would have made me think twice about wheather the costs involved were worth it. Perhaps it is time for a radical re-think of events, with maybe all events counting as National events, perhaps rated as 1 star, 2 star etc, like ridden eventing, & points aquired varying with the "difficulty" of the event too? It is not my idea alone i am just throwing suggestions in that i have heard. There must be a way forward that will please the majority of people! |
Rita Bundock
| | Posted on Tuesday, 13 November, 2007 - 11:49 am: | |
It now looks as if the BHTDA are trying to DIScourage not ENcourage Club competitors to have a try at a National standard course.How? BY introducing START FEES to CLUB COMPETITORS who compete at a CLUB EVENT held in conjunction with a National qualifier.
Has the BHDTA Council gone stark raving mad?
More and more National qualifiers are running Club events. Why? One obvious reason - look at the numbers of national entries - reduced entry numbers - reduced event income - rising costs of putting on events = no events UNLESS Club event run at same time as qualifier, thus boosting event income. This is one way of keeping our National qualifiers.
BUT many previous National competitors are now driving at Club level and so reducing National entry numbers, you can hear some shout. Very true, some National competitors are driving at Club events, but why?
There are numerous reasons: from expense of National competition, entry fees are higher, start fees, new inexperienced horses not wanting the stress of higher competition, not fit enough, the list of reasons is endless, but many of these competitors will return to National competitions in the future.
But what about the Club competitor that wants to 'play' at the National level but has the animal that will never reach National level? Are these competitors going to be charged for the honour of trying to reach higher level of competion? Some never will reach National level but why restrict them from trying?
Is the BHDTA trying to restrict our sport to only those who can afford to comply with all the expense of National events OR should the BHDTA being doing all it can to encourage the grass roots of our sport, the Club competitor who is not only the backbone of our sport but possibly the National competitor of the future.
The BHDTA charge affiliated Clubs a levy on all Club members as well as Club affiliation fee according to membership number of the Club. Obviously the Clubs have to pass this on to their members by increasing Club membership fees. Surely this has hit the Club member hard enough in their wallet.
To impose yet another charge to compete at Club level by insisting that Club competitors driving at a Club event, run in conjunction with a National qualifier and over part/whole of the National marathon course is just too much. Oh Yes, the START FEE for Club competitors is to be £15. The entry fee of Club competitors at these events is now not much lower than the National competitors AND the Club competitor does not have the added incentive of qualifying for the National Championship.
Without the Club members support and help at National events there would not be any, so come on BHDTA think of the future not how much the bottom line on the accounts sheet reads.
Encourage the Club competitor for they are the future of Horse Driving Trials. Think of the future before it is too late. |
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