Oasby organiser Stuart Buntine said he was “humbled” by the volume of entries as the event became the first British Eventing (BE) fixture to trial a first come, first served model.
The new system was not without teething issues. There was a slight delay on the planned noon opening time; some members experienced glitches as they tried to enter, and others missed out.
Shortly before 8pm yesterday, Oasby had received more than 80% of its total entry capacity for the event, with many classes already filled.
“We always knew that entries were going to come in quickly. We just never thought they were going to come in that quickly,” said Mr Buntine, as he was putting fences out at the Lincolnshire venue.
“It’s humbling to have that number of entries that quickly, so thank you for that and apologies to those that missed out.
“If we hadn’t run the system and had gone on the traditional system, I’m sure we would have had 1,400-1,500 entries, and then we would have had to ballot 400-500 people.
“Hopefully it’s better to know within 48 hours of entering whether you have a run or not than to go through that old system and get to three weeks before an event to suddenly find you are balloted out.
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“There’s always going to be winners, there’s always going to be losers. Any thoughts, let us know, we will do what we can to improve it.”
BE announced last autumn that it would be scrapping the ballot system for 2023. But this was delayed and BE instead has given organisers of early events choice whether to use the ballot system or not.
Oasby (1) (9 to 12 March), organised by Bede Events, has historically balloted heavily and this season has tried a new approach. Entries opened for full members yesterday (8 February), to be accepted in order of arrival. Each class closes when it reaches 90% capacity, with the remaining 10% taken from the waitlist. If there is any space left, entries for ‘pay-as-you-go’ riders will open on 15 February.
“We’ve just got to remember this was a unique event as it’s the beginning of the season and there’s no other event that weekend,” said Mr Buntine.
“A lot of people queried the 12pm opening time – we had a big discussion and thought that 12pm would be suitable for everyone, as hopefully you can schedule a lunch break if you’re at work, or if you’re riding, you would have finished your horses.
“If you have a better time, or any other thoughts or queries you have, let us know.
“Somebody said to me last night that they never realised Oasby entries were going to be more popular than Beyoncé tickets. I know what people must feel like at Glastonbury.
“It was mayhem yesterday, but thank you very much. We are humbled by it all and look forward to giving you a great season.”
What do you think about the decision to scrap the ballot system? Send your thoughts to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, for possible inclusion in the Horse & Hound letters pages.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
