[QUOTE=fooler;8230202]
JP60 I wonder if you are not understanding what we are saying or if you are just trying to get more and more information.
You noted your experience with organizing a regatta - my x-dh was a Laser sailor. I backed him when he organized a regatta in CA and was “shore crew” at multiple frost bite series.
Big difference between the 2 competitions in preparation - for a regatta you need a body of water deep and large enough to set up the 3 legs of the races. Then 3 markers for the course with at 3 markers for backup. A couple of boat owners willing to donate their boats for the race committee, and maybe be a member of the race committee. Then notify the Coast Guard and locals you plan to race in a specific area for x number of hours a day and you are mostly ready to go. The rest of the time can be spent getting a scorer then setting up for the evening festivities.
No land to purchase/rent, maintain, pay taxes. No dressage arenas to maintain, no dressage (with extra boards) or letters (with extras) with decorations. No SJ arena to maintain with a variety of well made standards, rails, gates, ramps, etc - all painted again with extras. Do not forget the jump cups pins plus the safety cups necessary for the back rail of all spreads. Then numbers/letters, red/white flags (a flag for every standard) and decorations.
No XC courses to maintain, normally BN through Prel, each fence is 200-1000 depending on the design. Those banks, ditches and water fences that can withstand multiple rides are not cheap. Spare equipment and the crew to do fence repair/replacement during the competition. Again red/white flags, numbers/letters plus spares.
I have yet noted the people who will drag, mow, weed eat, aerate, put down gravel, re-level water fences, secure sides of ditches/banks, paint fences, etc, etc, etc.
Also I have not yet mentioned the secretary(s), volunteers who are responsible for requesting additional volunteers, order shavings, temporary stabling (if needed), port-a-pots, food & other vendors, creating & printing the programs -often delayed because people enter at or after closing date then want to re-arrange their schedule or change horses so many organizers don’t print until Friday. Reams of paper so the secretary(s) can print out multiple orders of go for each test for all of the volunteers.
Much more is necessary to prepare for and put on an event - this list just scratches the surface.
IMO it takes a special type of crazy to be a repeat organizer. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for organizers. Even the ones who never get it just right. At least they are out there trying. It is much harder than it looks from the competitor side. That is why so many of us encourage others to volunteer.
“WE Eventers” have lost too many events because the organizers burned out, aged out, land access was lost, stricter XC course design/construction requirements, again etc, etc. I remember when Area III had at most 6 Spring events, no summer and about 5 Fall events. Smaller and fewer events so we had a chance to know each other and actually spend time with the organizer, secretary and officials. Back then a large event was 150 entries. Now 300 entries is not unusual.
Again eventing is different today. Now competitors have the opportunity to compete almost year round. Once competitors were limited to 2 at most 4 total horses per competition, now some ride 5-10 horses. We have gone from a largely amateur sport to a professional based sport. So we have more pro riders riding horses owned by another, owned by syndicates or owned by their students. From their perspective it is a business and many look at the organizer to make everything “just right” so they (the pro) can show their owners what a great job is being done with the horse.
As with anything positive (improved footing/courses) there is the equal negative (increased costs/events closing).[/QUOTE]
You are correct. They are different.
I was not trying to make a one for one comparison. I only stated my experience to say that I understand the impact and effort in trying to put on any event. It. Is. Not. Easy.
Can we all just agree on that? Putting on an event is not easy. What I did understand was that if I did not put on the best event possible then the next year, turn out may be less. I witnessed that first hand and I busted my ass to make sure all those non-entitled competitors had little to complain about, that they left happy and wanting to come back.
Is there something wrong in wanting to make people have a great experience and go home feeling good? Otherwise, why are we talking about this at all. I would think that the first reason why someone would want to put on a show would be to ensure that people left wanting to come back. Otherwise, why do it?
The topic of this whole thread was about a simple thought, ribbons and empty packets and it has morphed into great conversations about volunteers, overworked organizers, and personal experiences, but the original topic was about the small things.
A simple question, do small things matter? Does attention to detail matter?
For me, small things do matter. Attention to detail does matter.