In general if I felt that I needed coaching at a particular event, that’s something I would want to have nailed down when I entered, not when I got to the event and saw who was available and didn’t happen to already be committed during my ride times-- but I guess it could be nice in an emergency. But I would think putting the list out well in advance would be more useful.
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I believe this is something BE offers at all their events. It’s actually long been something I’ve wished USEA/ECP offered. I no longer event, but as a teenager, when I went to events with no coach? I would have used this every show!
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It seems an odd thing to do, to come to an event and find someone to coach you at the last minute, someone who may or may not choose to work with you.
It’s an interesting concept. I’m curious.
What would qualify a person to be an Eventing Coaches Program Ambassador?
Don’t many coaches have their own students and/or are participating in the Event themselves? If so, then this creates an opportunity for riders who need help, to pay for a spot in the coach’s schedule?
Is this a response to people showing up to an event unprepared and asking others for help? A way for coaches to find new students?
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BE80 is the lowest level of BE competition (show jumps max 85cm and xc at 80). Some organisers offer BE80(T) classes where the T stands for “training”. An accredited BE Coach is available on the day to help competitors with e.g. warm ups and course walks and just answering questions. I’ve seen plenty of people on the course walks.
I can see that working well with the British system.
IMO, not so much people who are “unprepared”, as much as people who are prepared, but their regular coach isn’t at the event, They would like help with walking the course, adjusting fences in the warmup, and general “handholding.”
I do not think I have ever gone to an event “unprepared”, but I have very often gone to an event without my regular coach, and would have liked to have someone with whom to discuss, for instance, the best strategy for a particular fence.
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Do you know what qualifications are required for the position? Seems like you’d need to be a pretty good trainer/coach to assess a stranger and their horse and correctly advise them on the day.
There was a very recent, very heated discussion about warm ups at certain shows having a lot of ownership of fences and trainers not allowing people to jump “their” warm up fence (including standing in front of it on purpose) and leaving the fences a few feet above the current division.
It fell into two camps
That we have the whole x rail, vertical, oxer rule for a reason and if you move it you should quickly move it right back camp
and the
You shouldn’t come to a warm up without a trainer or designated person to help own and set your warm up fences and if you try to jump someone’s fence that they own you’re the problem camp
They are all accredited BE coaches so have been taught to teach and coach, specifically in the Eventing discipline, with exams to pass. Most will also have e.g. BHS professional qualifications.
Edited to add www.britisheventing.com/coaches.
Various levels from grass roots up to 5* and more than 200 of them. Good eh?
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Yes, I understand BE, I was asking Janet how it would work in the U.S. 
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Oops.
There’s a lot to like about BE. Are most people where you are, satisfied with the organization?
In the U.S. anyone can call themselves a trainer or coach, so I’m wondering how they’ll go about choosing qualified people to be “Eventing Coaches Program Ambassadors”.
First, I am not a coach of any sort, so I was not paying attention to all the details. I know it was only for ECP certified coaches, but I do not remember if they have to be a specific “level” (which refers the the competition level they are approved for, not how experienced they are).
But there was a lot of discussion about the fact that no coach should feel pressured to sign up for the ambassador program if they are not comfortable with it. There was also a lot of discussion about the fact that no coach should feel obliged to take on a new rider they are not comfortable with. There was some discussion about coaches having access to the prospective client’s ERQI ratings, but nothing was done formally. There was some discussion about the logistics of signing the “coach” spot on the entry form.
So, as I understand it (and remember, since it doesn’t affect me, I was not taking detailed notes), they are, for now, expecting the coaches to self-select for being “a pretty good trainer/coach [able] to assess a stranger and their horse and correctly advise them on the day.”
But this is a brand new proposal, and I am sure there will be lots of tweaks along the way.
Edited to change “ECP approved” to “ECP certified”
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Thanks!
I wonder how many coaches are interested in participating in the program.
Interesting.
I guess the events I go to with friends or volunteer at are different than what other people experience.
For starters, if my friends that ride think they will need coaching at an event, and their trainer is not going, they arrange ahead of time to work with someone at the event. That way they know a trainer they agree with, has room in their day when they need them.
I have never seen show jumping warm up be an issue. There are always people there willing to fix a dropped fence or move a rail or heck, provide a word of encouragement to someone whose there alone for whatever reason.
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I’ve never actually encountered this in person, but I was completely appalled the first time I heard about it online. That’s incredibly unsportsmanlike behavior and shouldn’t be tolerated. The warm-up fences are for everyone, and everyone gets access. Standing in front of a fence and leaving them raised (especially feet higher than the level? that shouldn’t be happening) is not okay. Anyone caught doing this should be warned to stop, and then removed from the showgrounds if they keep doing it.
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I’ve struggled a lot with the SJ warm up and I don’t think anyone intends harm. It is just that the culture seems to have changed from x-rail/vertical/oxer to 3-4 jumps that can be changed by whoever claims them, and people who don’t have a ground person then have to use jumps that someone else has “claimed.”
As a nervous ammy, I’ve often come down to the warm-up to find everything at 1.20 and pros soaring around, and have to wait for someone to show up and lower one. Lower levels are less of an issue because there are fewer inches between the first and last fence most people want.
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If nothing else, you could ask the warm-up steward to help you.
My experience is they are typically more than willing to help.
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