I would totally try to accommodate you if you put that note in with your entry (even if I was a recognized show secretary). If I couldn’t, the refund would kinda depend. I can be more lenient at schooling shows, so I would basically treat it as a medical withdrawal from the second class and would refund the entry for that class. I don’t know how strict the refund policies are for recognized shows.
I volunteered at a recognized show last week that split a couple of the classes into 1 and 1A, 2 and 2A etc., I’m assuming to alleviate this (or possibly because the riders had multiple horses that would otherwise have gone at the same time?). The A entries ran out of sequence and before the rest of the class, but were held and pinned with the rest. So I assume it can be done.
[QUOTE=Highflyer;8741486]
I volunteered at a recognized show last week that split a couple of the classes into 1 and 1A, 2 and 2A etc., I’m assuming to alleviate this (or possibly because the riders had multiple horses that would otherwise have gone at the same time?). The A entries ran out of sequence and before the rest of the class, but were held and pinned with the rest. So I assume it can be done.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I have done this with my schooling shows too when I couldn’t resolve issues by moving the entire class. It is a hassle so a last resort, but totally doable.
You can schedule out of order rides when one person is riding multiple horses in the same class (or different classes) and there are not enough entries in that class to have their rides 50 minutes apart. That is basically the only allowed reason to run a ride out of order. It is covered in DR126.1.b.4
I showed a few weekends ago at a HUGE recognized show. There were four (4) rings going on and space for a 5th if needed. I rode T2 at 8:14 and T1 at 2:30. I feel OP’s pain.
The fees for this particular show cost me a lot of money (there was an OUTRAGEOUS trailer-in fee and a hefty office fee that I am bitter about), so when ride times were posted, scratching was not an option. I was not going to pay the small fortune that I did, and only ride one test. A stall would have cost me at least $100, so I decided that I would hand graze pony face for 6 hours. It was awful, and by the time 2:30 rolled around, I was beat and forgot how to ride. But pony face was wonderful, he can cope with mega wait times, but I certainly cannot.
But that show was poorly managed on multiple levels, so I am not going back there. That’s all I can really do.
[QUOTE=AltersAreUs;8741441]
Since we have a number of show secretaries here, how do you handle the person with the anhydrotic horse who can’t show in the heat? If I put in my notes “Please schedule classes X & Y no more than 3 hours apart because my horse can’t handle being out in the heat all day. If you can’t, please don’t sign me up for Class X”, would you do it?
Refund the class fees and only sign me up for Y? Cause at least one of the secretaries in this area has said they don’t do that sort of flexibility with recognized shows. It’s either sign up for both and roll the dice on the timing working out or only sign up for one. I haven’t bothered asking due to that but if there was a chance putting a note in might save me the class fees when the schedule just doesn’t work in my favor, I’d be willing to try it.[/QUOTE]
As mentioned in post 37, I have accommodated an anhydrotic horse in the schedule. I have not had the request to not sign up for a second class if too far apart, because here nobody rides an anhydrotic horse more than once. It’s too hot and humid here. I would probably try, though.
I honestly would never think to complain about my ride times or expect any different.
There are a ton of variables that go into running and scheduling a show; I guess I’ve always given show mgmt the benefit of the doubt that they’ve done the best they can and that there’s an element of luck of the draw.
At my last show, day 1 I had rides that were 30 minutes apart (perfect because we were already warmed up but had a chance to tune up a couple of things before going in for the second test.) On day 2 I had a 9am ride and a 4pm ride and didn’t think anything of it. Not the best, but not the worst either. What I really hate is when rides are 1hr - 3hrs apart – too long to stay dressed and “Awake”, but not long enough for a real rest and reset for horse and rider.
Of course, I also take for granted that at a recognized show, I’m going to be paying more for fees and buying a stall and hotel because we haul in from 2 hours away. Maybe I would feel differently if I lived in an area where I could easily haul in / haul out to recognized shows, but I don’t.
I know it’s hard for show secretaries but I also think that generally speaking the lack of consideration is very frustrating as a competitor.
I also scratched a class at my most recent horse show because there was a 3-1/2 hr gap between my rides and I was a haul in/tied to the trailer rider. This venue gas stabling issues - the stalls are a huge problem for my particular horse.
If it was a busy show, I wouldn’t have had an issue with it. But there was an hour and 20 min lunch break and I was the only rider in my second class. The second ring was only running for half the day.
Let me just say that I have managed many, many horse shows. There was no reason for this situation. It would have been easy to stick my second ride at the end of the morning and the judge still would have had an hour and ten minutes for lunch.
It was all legal, but as a competitor, it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.
Do any of you contact the show secretary about schedule problems before arriving at the show?
I usually email my competitors a preliminary schedule the Monday before the show, and ask for any necessary changes. The schedule then gets posted to the website/Fox Village by Wednesday or Thursday. There is still time for changes. By rule, the schedule is then final on Friday at noon.
So if you wait until you get to the show, it really is too late to change anything, because any schedule changes after that means all competitors affected by the change have to be notified and approve of the change.
I always put in with my entry ride time preferences and any considerations for the secretary. As soon as I get times, I’ve contacted them about issues. Except for the one time I got a five minute reprieve, no changes were made.
I hate it .when that kind of widely spaced ride schedule happens. My horse can handle it, but I can’t - at least in the heat, and it generally is hot around here during g show season. Once I got screwed over in this regard because the show management had multiple FEI rides, but had hired only one judge who was qualified to judge FEI levels, and he had to leave at 1:00 pm. I ended up riding 1st/1 at 10:00 am and 1st/3 at 6pm, while the FEI rides were scheduled between 10:45 and 1pm. The scheduling of the FEI rides didn’t upset me, but they COULD have scheduled 1st level to start just after the FEI rides, but nooooo - they then went 2nd/3rd/4th. One poor gal ended up riding 2nd/1 before 1st 3, though obviously her rides were not as far apart as mine. I did complain enough that they did give me a pole paddock for $15, though they initially wanted to charge me $75. And oh - they turned out a grey Arab to run and play in a large paddock next to the show arena during my 8am ride on a greenish 6 year old . Bless his heart, he only did one minor spook. They don’t put on shows such anymore, probably due to lack of entries . (Snark)
The same venue screwed me over another time: I put a polite note with my entry saying it was a two hour drive for me, and asked that they put me toward the end of my classes, if at all possible. They put me at 8am, first ride of the day we while they scheduled one of their boarders in the same class at 10am.
As Beenthere says, if they are totally and unreasonably unaccommodating, you just have to vote with your checkbook and go elsewhere, even if it is further away and possibly hotter. The wine and grain awards venue people put on 3 Star shows with two ring, and still manage to be accommodating, so I’m always inclined to go there, even tho it does tend to be hotter.
[QUOTE=yaya;8741676]
Do any of you contact the show secretary about schedule problems before arriving at the show?
I usually email my competitors a preliminary schedule the Monday before the show, and ask for any necessary changes. The schedule then gets posted to the website/Fox Village by Wednesday or Thursday. There is still time for changes. By rule, the schedule is then final on Friday at noon.
So if you wait until you get to the show, it really is too late to change anything, because any schedule changes after that means all competitors affected by the change have to be notified and approve of the change.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I sent an email within 10 min of receiving the ride times. I sent a follow up 24 hrs later.
No one would have had to be notified in this particular case - it would not have impacted anyone but me and the judge/scribe.
It was totally legal to schedule the show that way, but as I say, I have scheduled many, many shows and I would not have done something like this to a competitor. Given the parking situation (ground up asphalt, no shade), I decided it was not in my horse’s best interest to stand there for 3-1/2 hrs to do the second test.
My decision - I just ate the fee, because it was the right thing to do for my horse.
[QUOTE=Sandy M;8741756]
The wine and grain awards venue people put on 3 Star shows with two ring, and still manage to be accommodating, so I’m always inclined to go there, even tho it does tend to be hotter.[/QUOTE]
Will I see you there Sunday, Sandy? 
Wow. I’d only be complaining about the lack of stalls, when talking to management. The wait times? That’s showing! Especially if there are limited rings and a lot of riders. Just go to a different show. I honestly do not get the issue. I do shows and get a stall, especially if doing multiple days or rides. If I did one day as a jump out and I was worried about waiting, I’d do one class and go home. If I can’t stand show management or facilities, I go to a different show, even if it’s out of state and overnight.
Btw, good management will often let you ride out of turn and have scores count. That point has already been made by others. But sometimes it’s not possible nor worth the risk. Let your money speak for itself. Take it somewhere else.
Unfortnately, the “don’t show there if this is how they schedule” lesson still costs well over a hundred dollars to learn. Since there is a small handful of “professional” show secretaries covering about 75% of the shows in the region, just getting away from the poor planning team is difficult. It involves replacing multi-hour wait times with 4 - 8 hour trailering one way.
I’ll stand by my opinion that an 8 hour wait at a facility with no stalls in the middle of July is excessive for any show and is very poor planning on the part of the secretary.
My plan going forward is to both send in the competition report forms and send notes to the actual show management going “your secretary has done some really bad scheduling at your most recent shows (see examples X, Y & Z) and, because of that, I’ll be going elsewhere”. That approach does not leave me with a valid show season next year but hey, hopefully if enough people point out the problems, things will change.
[QUOTE=yaya;8741676]
Do any of you contact the show secretary about schedule problems before arriving at the show?[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah, I contacted the first show’s secretary within minutes of the schedule going out, saying “Is there anyway you can rearrange the classes so there is 3 hours or less between my two rides? Because otherwise I’ll have to scratch given the forecast & lack of shade available.” Her response was basically “So you’re scratching from class X, then. Got it!”
[QUOTE=Rackonteur;8741367]
And why stand a horse IN a trailer for hours? Why not tie him TO the trailer, with hay and water and what breeze there is? Or hand-graze him in the shade?
I don’t know anyone who leaves their horse IN the trailer at a show.[/QUOTE]
It sounds like this particular show is tight enough on trailer space that even tying horses to trailers may not work. There’s one particular schooling show series in my area that is like that; most people would put up with it because it’s a great series and very well-run, but some would not.
As for fans: in our truck, DH and I carry a big battery-powered air compressor that can also be used as an electricity source. We could run a fan off it for at least a day.
But, OP, if you are going, YES fill out the USEF feedback form. I’d be annoyed too, mostly because I’m really heat-sensitive.
Was just curious about the contacting beforehand.
Another thing I wonder is how many of those show secretaries actually currently compete? I try to look at running my shows from the competitors’ view, as I do currently compete as well (which means instead of competing at the shows 20 minutes from my house, I have to travel 3-8 hours to compete since I run the local shows!). I actually had an argument with a show manager who wanted to make the judges happier than the actual competitors, and I told her if she pissed off her competitors, there would be no one to judge, and if I couldn’t do it my way, she could find another secretary! (I ran her shows for years after that until she quit having shows.)
Now that I think about it, now I’m going to have to go 5-8 hours away, since the 3-hour away show screwed my trainer royally at the last two shows and were nasty to her, and I wasn’t thrilled with them either last time I went there.
When I am scheduling, specific requests are accommodated to the very best possible. When one 2nd level AA wants the first ride times of the day and another 2nd level AA wants late ride times, someone’s gonna be unhappy. In the case of a anhydrosis horse, we have done the best we can to accommodate the rider, but honestly - if you choose to show a anhydrotic horse in the summer, you have to be prepared to scratch, weather-dependent. It has been 85 and humid at 8AM here some mornings.
Different management/secretaries have varying levels of tolerance for individual requests regarding scheduling. For me, good customer service is trying to do the best you can for specific requests.
