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Post by sophia10 on Feb 11, 2012 22:17:45 GMT
I am from south Wales and love competing at the champs, but now I just feel it is too much hassle! For one it is too far away! Why are all big BSPS shows so far away in England? Surely they should compromise when it comes to championships and have them somewhere in the middle where everyone can get too? Or at least rotate venue's every few years? And it seems very unfair that the winter and summer champs are at the same location. Granted arena uk is a nice place but at the end of the day it's not perfect! When it's wet, which is very often for the champs, the stables are ALWAYS flooded. This CANNOT be comfy for the horses how can they sleep knee deep in mud? Plus we cannot get around without being head to toe in overalls to keep clean. And don't get me started on keeping your horse clean for the show ring... and what about the parking? Twice my lorry has had to be towed out because of the mud, once I was even towed in! There is also hardly anywhere to work in, when the parking field is full there is not much space to work your horse in properly, and that indoor arena working in bit is TINY! Trying to jump my horse before the gold cup final was awful. Everyone was crashing into one another and you couldn't turn. I just feel that for the amount of money we pay to go to this prestigious event we aren't getting anything great in return. There are plenty of venues that have great facilities and much better stabling and parking that are also more central to everyone. It just feels that BSPS seem to favour all of its English competitors! Hoys - England, RIHS - England, winter champs - England, summer champs - England!!! The only thing we have is the welsh champs. Why should I have to travel at least 3 hours to every show and some people travel 20 minutes down the road? I know that sounds unfair and people will always have to travel, what about people in Scotland and Ireland, but I just think something should be brought a bit closer. Something like hartpury college, Gloucester? Indoor arenas, huge outdoor surface, grass, permanent stabling.. Maybe just an idea! Rant over  |
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snowflake
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Post by snowflake on Feb 11, 2012 23:48:45 GMT
I know where your coming from. Arena UK is three hours from us & a right pain to get to. However, there aren't many central Equestrian Centre's big enough to hold events such as the Champs. I think the problem with Arena UK is that is isn't a permanent show ground such as Equifest, NPS, PUK, etc.
BSPS have a signed a contract with Arena UK to keep it there for something like, 6 years I think?
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Post by rabbit on Feb 12, 2012 11:44:02 GMT
we are IN England and still have to travel over 3 hours to nearly anywhere!! we are in kent so nearer Paris than anywhere else!! just part of the job i'm afraid!!!
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Post by lils on Feb 12, 2012 12:23:07 GMT
we are IN England and still have to travel over 3 hours to nearly anywhere!! we are in kent so nearer Paris than anywhere else!! just part of the job i'm afraid!!! Agree- and when you have the M25 to contend with on EVERY journey, makes it hellish!! Until im either at Heathrow or Stanstead i dont really regard my journey as started!! either of these are at least 1.5- 2hrs away. |
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Post by iluvmyponies on Feb 12, 2012 12:38:27 GMT
We're in England & its 3+ hours for us to get to any big champs! It's a right pain! Will take us about 4 hours to get to Equifest & probably about 5 to get to NPS. I have a friend in Scotland who has to travel over night & sometimes day & night to get to a show. We were just talking about the champs the other day & she said that the closest thing they have to 'champs' is the grand slam.
Arena UK is murder for mud! I remember years ago we were to first to arrive at BSPS Winters so we ended up on hard standing with a huge indoor stable for my little 12hander! I heard that someone was sent off the showground a couple of years ago for taking the partitions out of their wagon, putting shavings down in the back & 'stabling' their pony in there rather than in an enclosed mud bath.
I could go on all day about the working in at Arena UK but I'll just say- Urghhh!
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Post by m&mwhp on Feb 12, 2012 13:06:30 GMT
I do have to say that's a little harsh on Arena UK... They tried their best last year to avoid the mud baths from previous years but it was inevitable that it was going to happen. They did improve the stables last year, even though it still got extremely muddy! I think any showground would find it difficult to cope with the horrible wet weather and the amount of ponies, grooms, riders, parents and also spectators that walk around over 4 days.
I don't have many problems with the amount of travelling I have to do as Arena UK is an hour away from us, NPS is about 3 hours, Equifest is 20 minutes, HOYS is 2.5 hours and RIHS is 4 hours. But I can certainly see peoples views on how Arena UK isn't very central, but again, many showgrounds won't take on the responsiblity and simply don't have the capablilities to hold such a big championship show.
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Post by CarolineNelson on Feb 12, 2012 15:05:59 GMT
You guys who travel for a mere few hours and winge about it, don't know you're born. Think of those who live in Australia where travel to the best shows for 6-12 hours or more is accepted as the norm.
And, having got the animal in the ring, if the competitor doesn't shine and get a 'pull' "off the circle" (which is what we somewhat hideously refer to these days as the 'go-round') then all that travel is in vain.
I lived very near to Arena UK for a good number of years and had to undertake a vast amount of travel at that time.
It was possibly the most convenient location which I've lived in; Grantham is relatavely central, being right on the main A1.
Wherever you are/the venue is in the UK, you cannot change the weather.
Back to travel, if you desire to compete, it's best to work out an annual plan so you aren't stressing the animals too regularly, then just go for it!
As for lack of "Champs" or other good shows in Scotland, that too is debatable.
Both BSPS and NPS Scotland hold excellent shows with 'finals' (one, the NPS at Blair Atholl, the other the BSPS Finale show in Ayrshire).
Then there are excellent Agricultural shows, RHAS (Edinburgh) BUAS (Kelso) the RIHS qualifier Ayr County..... to name but a few.
And, the renowned Scottish Horse Show held in late August and now located in the Glasgow region, with HOYS qualifiers in almost every section....
As for Scottish/Welsh/NI/Kent/East Anglian/West Country residents, for example, if we chose to show and live not in Central England, we must simply accept the travelling.
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Feb 12, 2012 19:18:27 GMT
It's not always a question of choice though is it, it's not as easy as that! Spoken by an unwilling Surrey resident following marriage to a man working in London. Better than Kent, travelwise, at least, unless you're trying to get to the Continent of course. There are pros and cons for all areas. I think some of the unrest is due to the current showing culture of qualifiers and championship shows having become the be-all and end-all. Gone are the days when you went to a county level show and were thrilled if you did well there as a one off, now they all have qualifiers and all that matters is getting that vital ticket.
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Post by fanfarefan on Feb 13, 2012 13:51:20 GMT
i totally agree sarahp , i was chuffed at doing just one county show last season , but as you said it seems to be that you have to have the latest qualification card where ever in the country that maybe , yes ive moaned that it would take me 3/4 hrs to get to a certain show / champs , but thats as far as it has gone and we dont go , im afraid that if a society hold its champs the other side of the country , or up north , then i dont join , im not prepared to make my animals travel that distance regularly for my pleasure , that may make me old and miserible , but its not so long ago that all the shows i went to you had to hack too as there wasnt the transport , we have done a radius map this year , 30 miles , yes thats ok , 40miles if its a really good show , and 50 miles at an absolute push if its show of all shows , be sides i cant afford all the diesel and subscriptions !!!!
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Post by mcw on Feb 14, 2012 10:02:39 GMT
Tbh, unless I was riding somebody's pony. I would never compete at any of the BSPS champs, a total RIP OFF!  Equifest and NPS (providing I qualify) are where I am this year! And I'm very much looking forward to it too!  |
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Post by nj on Feb 14, 2012 15:10:58 GMT
I can see the original posters view, but also agree with other posts, have never been to arena uk, we find that to travel 7hrs would just kill us and the pony, but saying that we have to travel a minimum 2.5hrs to any show as we have a county sp so have to travel, its a shame that bsps cant be centralised as we have never been, but wow would not like to be in australia so will not whinge ;D
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Post by pipandwill on Feb 14, 2012 20:15:35 GMT
I do love going to the bsps champs, it is so expensive though, and its long for us to get there, atleast 2 hours, and even 3hrs because we always get caught in the traffic, but lovely facilities there....
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snowflake
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Post by snowflake on Feb 15, 2012 0:08:53 GMT
RIHS took us over 6 hours - it's all part of the fun. ;D
Have to agree with m&mwhp BSPS did a great job at the summers this year.
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Post by magpie on Feb 23, 2012 16:49:35 GMT
Try living in Cornwall!!! We have been to 3 counties, which took 5 hrs, Addington (Side saddle champs) took 8. David broome centre - 4 hrs. I would really like to go to Equifest this year to do the Highland show afterwards, my sister doesnt live too far from it either. Its so expensive nowadays with petrol, stabling etc that we prefer to do a lot of local shows. We dont even have HOYS M&M qualifiers down here now, the nearest would be at NPS Area 25 (Bristol - took 4 and half hours but we had a good day! Coincidentally, I live 15mins drive from there as im at uni in bristol at the moment) or the other HOYS Q for M&M's would be at the NPS at Malvern.
I'd love to live where I got my highland from, close to the M5 and 20mins from malvern!
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snowflake
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Post by snowflake on Feb 23, 2012 20:40:59 GMT
Tbh, unless I was riding somebody's pony. I would never compete at any of the BSPS champs, a total RIP OFF! Equifest and NPS (providing I qualify) are where I am this year! And I'm very much looking forward to it too! IMO BSPS is not a rip off, yes it's expensive, but they do cover all RIHS/HOYS & Olympia Qualifiers, & society's have to make a profit. |
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Post by sophia10 on Feb 24, 2012 14:46:01 GMT
I do agree that travelling is part of the fun and I do enjoy it, however it just seems VERY unfair when ALL of BSPS' champs are in arena. I was just reading the horse and hound and there is a BSPS advert.. Winter champs - arena uk, summer champs - arena uk, heritage champs, yes, Arena uk. It just seems very unfair that they are all in the same place! I would rather it go back to Peterborough!! I do like arena uk and think all the surfaced arenas are amazing but I think BSPS just needs to mix it up a bit. We spend all year going to shows that are enjoyable and local to us, for what.. To travel hours and hours on end to take part in the champs. And I know people are going to say "well don't go" but then what do we get out of that? We just compete against the same people year in year out. My problem is not with the travelling it is with the fact every BSPS show is in the same place - we just can't get away from it!
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tulip
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Post by tulip on Feb 28, 2012 14:26:02 GMT
It takes us at least six hours to get there. This winter champs we are having to pay extra to stable outside the site so that we can do the Gold Cup on the Thursday. It is outrageous that we southerners cannot stable the Wednesday night.
I am having the lorry serviced again at expense I really worry about breaking down on those long distances.
Complaining about three hour travel, you are just really lucky to be so close!!!
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snowflake
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Post by snowflake on Feb 29, 2012 19:03:48 GMT
It takes us at least six hours to get there. This winter champs we are having to pay extra to stable outside the site so that we can do the Gold Cup on the Thursday. It is outrageous that we southerners cannot stable the Wednesday night. I am having the lorry serviced again at expense I really worry about breaking down on those long distances. Complaining about three hour travel, you are just really lucky to be so close!!! I do agree the people who have entered the Gold Cup should get Wednesday night stables too IMO. |
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Post by cheetham on Feb 29, 2012 21:33:10 GMT
just a thought,have you contacted arena uk directly for a stable on the wednesday as they are very accomadateing.
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Post by tabbyx on Mar 2, 2012 12:12:55 GMT
Tulip, I agree with Cheetham, have you contacted Arena UK directly for a stable on wednesday night? mum and I booked 2 for 2 nights each for North of England and Arena UK were very accomodating, we had indoor stable adjacent to the big indoor arena and about 2 metres from the door of the stables to the entrance to the indoor working in, that cost us £80 for 2 ponies for 2 nights with bedding included. The staff were very helpful and friendly and had a fantastic sense of humour, because of that we'll definitely be doing North of England again and stabling there.
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snowflake
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Post by snowflake on Mar 4, 2012 19:50:01 GMT
Tulip, I agree with Cheetham, have you contacted Arena UK directly for a stable on wednesday night? mum and I booked 2 for 2 nights each for North of England and Arena UK were very accomodating, we had indoor stable adjacent to the big indoor arena and about 2 metres from the door of the stables to the entrance to the indoor working in, that cost us £80 for 2 ponies for 2 nights with bedding included. The staff were very helpful and friendly and had a fantastic sense of humour, because of that we'll definitely be doing North of England again and stabling there. Arena UK are very helpful, we asked them to take a look at our stable (huge rocks in, which wouldn't budge) & they said they'd move us stables, offer us a free bale of shavings, but in the end we got them out so we were fine! They're very helpful! |
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Equifest and NPS (providing I qualify) are where I am this year! And I'm very much looking forward to it too! 
