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Post by skint on May 14, 2010 14:16:41 GMT
I have been a member of PUK for years up to the last 2 years as our pony was a real novice so we didnt do any qualifiers. I have just looked today and are they real
I have worked out that for me and my daughter who is 16 to be a member and do the lee smith classes with 2 ponies will cost me £118 for membership
If we do a class a day with each pony at the champs we will save the grand total of £24 on entries and big wow we will get a free class on Saturday
Somehow it doesnt seem right to me so I will gladly not be a member and just enter the open classes and they can shove thier overpriced membership where the sun dont shine.
I wouldnt mind if they spent some of the membership money on staff to keep the Newark showground clean but the toilets and facilities have been a disgrace these past few years.
We went to Equifest for the first time last year and it was so nice to see the showers and toilets kept so clean and such a nice apmosphere
OK Rant over but what does everyone else think
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Post by kmg on May 14, 2010 14:23:17 GMT
I agree!!
I do my membership in January, somehow if you pay for your membership before any entry fees it doesnt seem so bad! but it is a rip off!
Last year i couldnt even get the benefit of my "free" class as the only class i could do was the HOYS which of course is not free!
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Post by armada on May 14, 2010 15:40:12 GMT
Sacked them off years ago. I think the prices they charge for everything is an absolute disgrace, and they are the most unhelpful bunch I've ever come across.
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Post by ponymum on May 14, 2010 18:53:14 GMT
Here here Armada, totally agree, puk has gone to rack and ruin, i wont be spending any money with them , i for one have not got MUG written on my forehead! Equifest for the 3rd year on the trot for us! ;D
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Post by dancer on May 14, 2010 18:59:17 GMT
I haven't joined since the year they had the 'clapometer' - 2006? - I only do NPS now as it's 1 membership for the whole family & no pony registration!
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Post by bowditchblobs on May 14, 2010 19:23:39 GMT
Im going back after a five year break only entered one open class though £30 ouch!! Equifest is far superiour, PUK has never been the same since it left Peterborough. You get alot more perks with Equifest membership too.
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Post by mayhem on May 14, 2010 19:30:50 GMT
Will not do PUK ever again, the cost is a joke, but there are people that will pay it. so if you dont think its fair vote with your feet and dont go try Equifest.
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Post by janine111 on May 14, 2010 19:48:45 GMT
i agree, why? do they need to charge so much? /
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Post by hunter on May 14, 2010 20:06:08 GMT
im not bias and judge for both shows but remember puk have to pay a huge amount just to rent newark before they even start ,but i also agree puk should have never left peterboroug and what ever the difficultys should have been sorted out even if it ment certain parties swallowing a bit of pride !!
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Post by masters on May 14, 2010 20:30:06 GMT
Looking forward to the champs already!!! Have been going to P(UK) for years and yes had a right moan when they left peterborough but feel now that they have sorted things out. We travel up from Cornwall and thoroughly enjoy ourselves, sponsored last year and will do the same this year and the same with BSPS. Not competed at equifest so cant really give any thoughts on it but even that was given some bad reports to, cant please everyone!!. It all costs money, especially ruddy diesel!!!!!!!!!
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kayjayem
Happy to help....a lot
Posts: 10,046
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Post by kayjayem on May 14, 2010 20:36:51 GMT
The cost is bad enough at PUK but the attitude is far worse! Last time I went I entered a champ class the day before as it was obvious they woundn't clash(ha ha ha!!!) However they made a major cock up, dismissed a class without placing it and stood the ring down for an hour whilst they reassembled the previous class. This meant I missed mine which I had paid a premium for! Went to secretaries and was basically told to F off and write for a refund! I did this and was firstly ignored then after I persisted and emailed the wicked witch personally(to be told they'd never received my earlier communication - yeah right!!!) I virtually was told I was making it up cos they couldn't remember what had happened! Had they dealt with it at the time there would have been no problem. I kept on due to the principle involved - Their attitude is competitors should be seen and not heard - WRONG! Eventually I was offered a "credit" against the following years membership! Well they knows what they could do with that! Whilst ever it is run by the present dictator, with the attitude they have to competitors it will be a farce. I witnessed a competitor being told to "get lost for an hour we don't want you here" by a steward at an evening performance which was running late when they asked a perfectly civil question re timing - who can blame them they would be kicked out if a few minutes late. The whole attitude stinks, showing is meant to be a pleasure and I would expect to be afforded the same respect which I would give to fellow competitors or organisers/officials. I think they will reap what they sow. Equifest is a pleasurable experience, not only due to the facilites but the helpful courteous way it is run
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Post by cazcox on May 14, 2010 21:56:04 GMT
I just hope someone from the PUK committee is reading all this. I haven't become a member because of the cost involved.
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Post by noodles on May 14, 2010 22:23:09 GMT
We lost our royal international ticket from PUK we were lucky enough to qualify for the PUK royal international intermediate under 25 class but I didn't realize that the substantial amount of money we had paid for membership on the 19th of feb ran out on the 28th of feb! we paid for the pony's 12 month loan membership, his winter membership, my membership and the owners membership. I guess it is my fault for not reading the entry requirements properly... I assumed my pony was covered for the summer due to having to pay the 12 month loan fee. I only found out I lost my RIHS qualification because the person who came 2nd rang to say she had been sent all the qualification papers in her name two weeks later. I would have purchased the card which you are supposed to produce if you are a non-member but i generally thought we were members. I also heard that someone else who wasn't a member and qualified got a phone call from ponies UK that night letting them know therefore giving them a chance to become members as soon as possible. Totally gutted as only had the pony on loan till April as he has stud duties in Scotland. Luckily his owner was very understanding when we told her and said maybe its just fate. Was so over the moon as we came overall Champion open and Champion young riders on the pony getting two RIHS tickets in one week! PUK should just do one year anual membership like many of the other societies. We have been members of PUK for 11 years. Not Anymore. Also I still don't understand how the winter membership runs out in Feb when the ponies UK winter champs is in march??
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Post by tabbyx on May 15, 2010 9:33:24 GMT
the clapometer was an absolute joke, some very undeserving ponies took championships that year(2006 last time we went) just because they had lots of connections at the show. of course some ponies really did deserve to win the whp on friday i think was a very deserved win(chestnut pony, something kissangel) we saw it jump it's round and really deserved it(not connected at all, never had a 14hh whp ever )
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Post by noodles on May 15, 2010 9:50:49 GMT
Also when they did that marking system where the judges held up either A,B or C on a board after each phase (conf and show) we were very pleased to be the only one to get A,A for show and conf but then we weren't asked to come back in the top ten for the final placing when people who got A,B or B,B etc did. Glad they stopped judging with that method.
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Post by frozzy on May 15, 2010 12:49:15 GMT
We gave up our PUK membership in 2006 after the majority of the Lee Smith championships at the winter champs were won by a professional. I laid down my money and bearded the lioness in her den after being sumonned to "control". Upshot was she agreed we were right, I got my my objection money back. We gave it a bash at the summer champs when due to an administrative "error" the information we needed that one of our classes entered would require the pony entered to be measured was sent to the producer of the one pony we owned that was being produced and were denied entry to the class because we didnt have the chitty that said we had been measured. Child was howling, steward refused to believe we had never been sent the info, and I spent one and a half hours in the office whilst hey tried to prove that I had been sent the info. Eventually they agreed that yes in fact they had sent the info to the producer and we would get our entry money back. It would be sent to us by post. Guess what? It wasnt. I would never support PUK again. The attitude towards the paying members and non members is atrocious. We are simply cash cows that enable the elite to enjoy a standard of living that few of us who work d**n hard to compete our ponies and frequently "do without" , know precious little about.
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ada
Full Member
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Post by ada on May 15, 2010 20:40:08 GMT
can i just say that i have had a conversation this week with the lady in the office at p.u.k. re a missing ticket for the young riders class, she could'nt have been more helpful and pleasant on the phone.
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Post by perfect on May 15, 2010 22:11:44 GMT
i joined two ponies 2 yrs ago for the first timewith puk. then found out there wasnt any classes for fyfr show ponies, so waisted money all i was told was... you should have asked us in the office first if there where these classes. needless to say wont be joining them again. roll on Equifest had a brilliant time and nothing to much trouble for them..
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Post by mayhem on May 15, 2010 23:24:55 GMT
ada--- of course they were nice in the office they need your entries, this year, more than any other year, people have had enough with the attitude of the of PUK.
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Post by dsmum on May 16, 2010 5:55:40 GMT
I stopped being with them because of the price of the stables at their major shows - mad!
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Post by hunter on May 16, 2010 6:07:05 GMT
i think the biggest con (and its not just puk ) is that why if a junior member is the registered owner then why does the parent still also have to be a member i had this with my neice she brought he rown pony and was the registered owner on the wpcs passport but i still had to become a full adult member to allow her to compete so doubling the cost !!
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Post by bigmama on May 16, 2010 9:28:12 GMT
can i just say that i have had a conversation this week with the lady in the office at p.u.k. re a missing ticket for the young riders class, she could'nt have been more helpful and pleasant on the phone. that may be so but just wait and see how long it takes for your class ticket to arrive ... i sent mine off over three weeks ago and despite a call to PUK office when i spoke to a 'pleasant lady' it still hasnt arrived
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Post by cayo on May 16, 2010 12:47:30 GMT
money grabbing clicky no thanks i will stick to equifest just hope they dont get to greedy that would be awful as its such a good show and at the moment just about affordable to most unlike the other set ups
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Post by nomdeac on May 16, 2010 13:02:31 GMT
I agree Skint. Puk are a total rip off. I haven't joined for 19 years ever since my pony won a trophy but they said it had already been presented to someone else! I remember the Ponies of Britain days, lovely shows and what seemed to be a much more level playing field for all.
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Post by pencaedu on May 17, 2010 13:00:02 GMT
mmmmmmm...... seriously wondering whether to waste money on a special judge to put 9 P(UK) classes on at our show in August having read this thread....... ?
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Post by skint on May 18, 2010 18:22:48 GMT
Dont get me wrong I am not knocking the classes at all, we have had some brilliant holidays with them and totally enjoyed it and probably will again this year. What really annoys me is the membership fees and the very little that you get back for it. Having to pay for Lee Smith membership when there are not any lee smith classes separate. and as Hunter says having to pay for Adult and Junior membership.
I do realise that they do have more overheads than Equifest with having to hire Newark showground and that their entries are always going to be more but good god enough is enough.
The other thing that really winds me up is the workmen literally kicking you out of your stable at 10am on the sunday morning.
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Post by heath on Jun 17, 2010 9:09:36 GMT
Can I stick up for PUK and say that they build fabulous WHP courses . They are tough and challenging but fair. The Park ring last year was one of the nicest rings to jump in and the coursebuilder had put so much effort and thought into making them interesting. A lot of people look on PUK as the poor relation to BSPS but I can only say there courses are really good and take some jumping. I would far rather have that than a class where the majority go clear and reduce it to a show class.
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Post by loopylouis on Jun 25, 2010 11:33:09 GMT
To enter open classes at PUK and book stabling do you not have to be a member then? Is it just the championship classes you need membership for?
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