Training level BE

[EmmaChal]

Just read on the H&H webpage that BE are considering introducing a pre-intro level. Consists of a intro dressage, then 80cm sj and xc. They are trial running it at various events throughout the season.

What are you're thoughts?
If not a BE member already would you consider having a go at this level?
I also wonder if the charge for joining and competeing will be as expensive as lower levels of BE? Would that put people off having a go as many unaffiliated ODE available at 80cm?

[dieseldog]

I would think it would be a good money making exercise for BE. If it adds value to your horse doing them as an intro does I can see them being popular

[Rambo]

So, BE are going down the same route as the BSJA then.......I see the headlines now...[ QUOTE ]
British Eventing Dumbing Down

[/ QUOTE ]

[H-J]

Hope I dont get shot down!! but I disagree, there are unaffialiated ODE's that run this height.

But then if people want to pay all that money to register BE when they could do it unaff for about £120ish less then thats up to them!

Good for money making within BE though I spose

[tigers_eye]

Hmmm, not at all sure I like the sound of this. There was a lot of grumbling about Intro, and I'm still not sure it fulfills a purpose in horses' development. I think its introduction has drained more competitors and their money away from Riding Clubs and Hunter Trials, which isn't necessarily a good thing as the former in particular have a more educational approach (ie offering subsidised training and clinics in addition to competitions) than BE. I think it will be popular, and events, who only have a finite amount of sponsors, volunteers, and land, will happily run the cash-cows that will be pre-intro, intro and pre-novice leading to fewer and fewer Novice and Intermediates, much the way there has been a drop in the number of Advanced events over the last 10 years. That's how I feel on first impressions anyway.

[ihatework]

Mixed feelings on this ...

Yes I agree it is dumbing down, and yes I agree it it probably just a money making ploy by BE.

And while I probably wouldn't wish to spend BE prices on riding in one of these events which, at these heights, is also well catered for in the unaffiliated sector, I could however see myself using these on a baby horse as its first ODE's and completely bypass the unaff events. The benefits being at least you could garentee some sort of consistency in ground and fence quality.

[_Fran_]

tbh i think there are enough unaffiliated ODE's around.

[sw123]

Difficult one......people are crying out for it. The standards of so many unaff courses are terrible, or the ground not good, or the organisation poor etc etc. However this is often the case because of lack of support/organising committee due to people going off to BE events. Also due to lack of people for the above reasons the good competitions often stop or move to BE venues anyway so maybe there is a place for it. Its not something i'd be interested in being old and stuck in my ways (aged 22) I don't even agree with Intro but i'd like to see something maybe like TrailBlazers that gives a standard for unaff ODE's to work for alongside the PC/RC ones?

We organise clinics with lots of top riders and the most popular groups are the "pre intro" with those ones always being oversubscribed.

[KatB]

Yep agree with Ben_and_Jerrys on this one, I am all for riing club events, If you have some near you! We are seriously struggling around us to find events under Intro height which are actulally nicely built and inviting courses. The ones we do have are on BE courses anyway... so the smaller classes are just scaled down versions of BE events, and would I imagine be the new "training" courses. So I think they may be useful for amateur riders with young horses, who want to go up the levels in eventing, but I think there should be a restriction of the number you can do in a season, so they can be used for "training" and confidence building, but encourage people to then continue and move up....

[Acolyte]

I thought the training idea was a good one for people like me (erm...not a natural rider lets say!) but couldn't understand why they made it even smaller than Intro? To me there are loads of unaff events at 80cm, but granted you don't get the 'training' aspect included

If I EVER have any money I will affiliate to BE again this year cos I find the XC courses are better built than our local HT venues, but that is the only reason really.