I appreciate the intent, but jump options often create more problems than they solve.
Inexperienced riders often don’t understand what is allowed at options, and get themselves unfortunately eliminated.
Also, inexperienced jump judges often don’t know how to score them. As a TD, I have spent a lot of time “correcting” jump judge sheets where the jump judge has marked the rider “off course” when they have simply taken a different option.
I would love – in theory – jump options… but I think most people are at, the end of the day, competitors first… meaning they will always go for the easy over the risky, because like another poster said, their first priority is to go clean.
I just came home from my TB’s first BN. We had an option on XC to jump a ditch or a half ditch. Every competitor I watched took the half-ditch even though the line to the following fence wasn’t as good – including me, lol!
I thought the course was very fair by today’s standards, but it was by no means a green horse event. The stadium caught a few competitors – the first fence was a stiff square oxer away from the gate (which I thought rode well for me, but not the rest of the class) and there was a 2-stride that a lot of big horses struggled with. The course featured lots of changes of direction, and the bigger strided horses struggled to get a good rhythm.
The XC went over a lot of terrain, with most – if not all – of the fences being right after a downhill approach. The only uphill fences were the last two fences, and a maxed out ramp mid-course that was at the top of a big hill – then it was downhill to a ditch at the bottom of the hill. There was a bank up, a bank down, ditch, water crossing, and a two stride log in-and-out at BN this year. Then the usual assortment of logs, a pheasant feeder, coops and a nice stone wall.
For me, it was fine and I liked the course a lot because I have a horse used to jumping things out of stride downhill (thanks hunts and hunter paces!) – but I think for a first timer I could see all the downhill playing a factor in their nervousness.
Interestingly, quite a few of these fences were shared with with the Novice division… I walked the Novice course out of curiosity, wondering if I should have signed up for that instead. There were a lot of shared fences and similar complexity.
Stupid question… what is a half ditch?
Revetted on only one side.
Well like I said more than once earlier in the thread I ran these type of schooling events for years. Are they work? Yes. Are they too much work and cost? No. They aren’t that hard to get going if you want them. Also I never lost money on a single show. It’s easier to have a profit with schooling shows, and I always had amazing ribbons and prizes.
Don’t let these misconceptions about running things discourage people.
I want to grow and support the grass roots so I made the effort. If you want it, make it happen.
I know it was this easy for you, but it is not this easy everywhere. I am certain if it was this easy it would be happening.
One of the biggest reasons is lack of available land to hold it.
People just don’t make the effort or want to do the extra work, I get it. There are plenty of ways to make it happen and I pointed it out above, just have to get the ball rolling.
Or unable to afford to buy the land necessary when there is none in their area available. So maybe nothing to do with not being willing to do work and all that other hate you want to dump on people.
I think it is amazing that you were able to make profitable schooling events. Just because you could there does not mean it is doable everywhere.
I guess this depends on where you are and how the volunteer organization is. At the horse trials I used to volunteer at a lot, experienced jump judges were assigned the combos or watching multiple jumps and the less experienced ones were assigned the single obstacles.
The volunteer coordinator had run things for 30+ years and when she stepped down, there was a big kind of shake up because all the experienced volunteers were used to one way of doing things and the new person started doing things a different way.
I’m not saying the new person’s way is bad, just that it’s different so I haven’t volunteered there - mostly because we never signed up via that website and the Coordinator had my name and we has a deal that she could call/email last minute and I would fill in as necessary. This way other people who wanted the free schooling could get “first dibs” on volunteering but Coordinator had someone “in her pocket” to call. The other thing is, that website only allows you to schedule the full day and we are very used to half days.
So if could be at that venue it is now more difficult as they are going through adjustment pains, but previously, fence judging wasn’t a concern like you described.
Now, counter that with another venue I got talked into volunteering at - Coordinator MUCH less attentive, had a little attitude like she was better than us…didn’t give us a radio at the jump we were at and acted like we weren’t skilled enough to use it was the reason. Forgot to give us the promised lunch. It did sour me greatly but what really made me never want to volunteer there was when I was taking video of a sale horse my trainer was riding and witnessed that same volunteer just absolutely screaming at some 12 year old jump judge that just looked so lost and scared.
Nope, not going to happen - so yeah, same area but they probably had more trouble filling the volunteer slots because of that.
Anyway, my long winded way of saying “it depends, let’s not write of options as blanket to hard”.
Can you elaborate on how I, who lives in the suburbs, works 40 hours/week and spends about 3 hours per day at the barn working off board on my horse, living paycheck to paycheck, can “start the ball rolling”?
Yes!
First of all, let’s start with a positive attitude that it can be done, an open mind and remove the passive aggressiveness in our thoughts that make things seem impossible 
Ways to get started; posting again…
Volunteer your time where it is needed already for those already running these.
Reach out to your trainer, barn owner, barn manager, etc, ask if they are willing to get involved.
Reach out to a local Pony Club, see if they do rallies or have events they will open to non Pony Clubbers.
Reach out to local hunts to see if they would be willing to offer schooling shows at their courses.
Gather a group of friends as a task force to see how you can come together to make a schooling event happen in your area.
Rent a facility, heck some places will volunteer a facility.
Reach out to hosts of XC schooling facilities or recognized events and see if they are willing to host schooling trials too.
Run surveys on social media to see what people in your area want, if they want this at all!
I too work 40+ hours a week, plus run my own farm and keep my horses in work. You would be amazed how many people will help if you just ask. I made all the showjumps, the dressage ring, and the XC myself and with friends with mostly donated materials.
If you want it, make it happen. People find excuses to not do things every day. Nothing new. I’ve given plenty of good starter tips in here, I will happily help any organizational side of things for people if they truly want it and are not just being snarky.
Cute video from my old farm where I hosted these shows. Hoping to start hosting schooling events in 2023 at my new place
Jump options can definitely cause confusion, and unfortunately seem to work best for people who already know what they are doing. One of the starters I have helped run offered a free coursewalk with a volunteer local trainer the day before which I think is nice if you can swing it.
To give an example where I was the jump judge: water jump is in the shade and can be a bit looky in bright sunlight. For novice/bn/2’3 flagged in a way that you can either a) pass through water b) jump in down a very small drop or c) go between the water and the white flag without going in the water. Also room enough to approach from the side and go through the water without presenting before circling back to present. All levels are untimed. Multiple people at all levels were eliminated at the drop after a very generous 3 refusals despite having so many better options to try. Only one person (pro on green horse) circled through before presenting. No one chose to go through the gap even after their second refusal. It just doesn’t necessarily occur to newbies to look for these options so I think if you do it you need to come up with a very clear way to identify them.
I think this is a very important point to make about schooling shows versus sanctioned by the USEA. I’ve been involved on the organizational side of both. It’s much easier to turn a profit at a schooling show. Several very capable venues here just don’t deal with the USEA anymore and host schooling shows because putting on a sanctioned event is an expensive, logistical nightmare. From what I’ve been told by these show organizers (and people talk) is that the USEA was extremely difficult to work with and all the scheduling conflicts just made it easier to walk away and host their own schooling show versus pay more money and headache to host a recognized event.
Another thing to consider is that people want all the frills at sanctioned. This is beyond the required basics, like certified and licensed officials, EMTs, judges, etc. Competitors want the food trucks, and the decorations on XC ($$$$$$!!!) and the perfectly manicured stadium ring that needs to be dragged every other rider (no grass for most eventers). They complain and pitch a fit when they have to ride in boggy footing or do a test on grass…
Fence decorations, food trucks, renting/moving of big fences, etc doesn’t come cheap. Something to consider.
NE Ohio has a whole mini trial series that allows schooling before the show! NEOMTA, and they have year end awards, etc. One of the farms (Stone Gate), also hosts rated shows.
OH man, major stumbling block…I don’t have friends!
There are some good ideas here I would take more seriously if you didn’t add in condescending remarks.
Other flaw to the plan…where do you get the capital to rent a field? Which would likely require purchase/building of jumps.
Also, a large issue I see with other suggestions, at least in my area, is generally you need an “in” for people to want to work with you so me calling random hunts or Pony Clubs isn’t really going to do much. Even that organization that I volunteered for, it was hard to get closer than “just” jump judge/warm up steward. A factor may have been that I cannot attend every show due to work constraints.
Not that my area in particular needs more schooling shows but at least you gave more of an answer to that question over the non-answers to what exactly are your safety concerns with running lower divisions at rated shows.
It’s frustrating when people complain about a problem, then expect others to provide them with solutions. Suggestions, or encouragement? Nah, that’s too hard. But I still want cheap and accessible schooling facilities that I can go to on my own schedule.
Heard that before. In my area, the land owners and organizers are getting tired of riders’ entitled attitudes, especially in a sport completely supported by volunteers. Recently was privy to an organizing committee wondering if anyone in a younger generation was planning on learning how to run the show on its public land, as they were getting tired…
Had this conversation at Scarlet Hill (Area 1) on Sunday with the woman that used to run and organize several Area 1 events (including one she owned), as well as Pony Club rallies and mounted meetings. She said the biggest reason she stopped volunteering her time was because of the entitlement of riders.
Apparently it’s not a new thing, because she was the organizer for these events back during the long format days and hasn’t run a show in over a decade.
Many organizational committees are running into the same barrier. The volunteers are aging out (for a lack of a better word) faster than they can be replaced. Most of the people that make a show run are parents of children in the sport. Make the time to thank them, because we wouldn’t have much of a show at all without them and volunteering is sadly a thankless task.
One of my challenges in the past is not being able to get more into volunteering. Several years ago, I had more time and asked to do more than just cross country jump judge or warm up steward. I offered to help set up and run the volunteer website (I forget what it’s called - the one that USEA or whatever set up). I had asked previous to that how to do some time as dressage scribe and how to help in other ways but either I was told someone else was taking care of it or “it goes to more experienced people”.
So, I get the concern about people not wanting to do more but I also feel like coordinators are not using their people when people asked to be used more.
In my area, I do not see to many entitled riders. Once in a while a pro will try to puff their feathers and got upset with me when I wouldn’t just put him in when he was ready - he was basically trying to jump the line of other riders (this was before Area 2 started to really crack down on going in order/ride times - probably because of people like him). I explained to him that those 5 amateurs he wanted to jump infront of all had equal right to be there. Furthermore, he has a groom and he knows his horses well enough to know if they need a 10 min or 40 min warm up so he can utilize his groom to come over and tell me.
He did not get to jump in line and his groom did come up and would say “ok, this one can go in 5 rides” and I would leave a space (if needed) and put him in.
Not all volunteers feel comfortable pushing back, though - due to age, experience, whatever, and they shouldn’t have to.
That being said, that incident sticks out in my head because it was so rare.
ignore
your attitude is the only thing stopping you. I can’t help you there, that you have to work on yourself. You don’t need an “in” to do anything. Send a message, pick up the phone. I can’t do it for you.
What’s there to outline about safety issues? You don’t think there is an issue with people who can’t canter courses showing at recognized events and I do, you’ve shown you aren’t interested in learning just interested in complaining and then making excuses why you can’t take action. Now you say your area doesn’t even need more schooling shows so what exactly is your issue?
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