Spruce Meadows "Dumbing it Down"?

[ElisLove]

With the relatively recent changes in the schedules at the Spruce Meadows shows to include lower jump heights than they have (at least since they had hunters) I was just wondering what other people’s opinions were?

The indoor tournaments and the may classic now start at 0.5m (crossrails) and have 0.6m, 0.7m and 0.8m classes before the 0.9m classes start. This can push the last classes of the day to 7pm or a bit later. The show sometimes also starts at 7am instead of the usual 8am it used to start before the lower heights were added.

The summer series starts at 1.0m
and the Champions Welcome starts at 0.9m.

Should Spruce be something you have to ‘work up to/earn’ or should they include everyone that would like to partake in the Spruce Meadows experience?

[eclipse]

Well seeing as the only other big show facility that can actually compete with Spruce sucks the big one (to put it mildly) I for one am glad I have somewhere where to go with my young horse that offers great jumps, rings and great footing! Gone are the days where we had lots of shows to choose from. Be glad they are offering us “lowly” lower crowd the opportunity to show there, as someday you might need it again too!

Also, entries aren’t what they used to be, even at Spruce do they’ve seized a great opportunity to increase numbers instead of having the low numbers they had for a few years. I, for one, still miss the days when they had hunter classes too!

edited to add: the other facility has essentially sucked our show life from this city…makes me sad as we used to have a ton of A and B shows to choose from

[ElisLove]

@eclipse;7230014

Be glad they are offering us “lowly” lower crowd the opportunity to show there, as someday you might need it again too!

I’m not sure where you got this from. I stated the facts and asked people for their opinion. I never once said that people were ‘lowly’

Thanks for the rest of your response.

[alto]

Makes more sense to offer different show dates or at least different days … or add days so as to keep the 8am start & earlier finish.

I agree that Spruce as something to work towards would be my preference, but if costs are rising & entries are down, better they address this soonest.

[eclipse]

My apologies if I read your post wrong! We see so many posts complaining about “dumbing down” but sadly around here we have been pushed into a corner! One guy has taken all our shows and sadly people let it happen and if your not in his Grand Prix ring his footing is awful. No way will I take my guy into his small jumper ring…hunters I’m stuck but that’s not too bad!

Alto: these are different shows to their big ones. They only go upto 1.40m and will skip a height or two daily. For example, one day they will have 1.20 and 1.30 and the next the 1.40 class and no 1.30 these bigger height also have less entries, around 15 to 20 and the really small classes aren’t big either. The biggest classes are .9m, 1m 1.10m and this last week had good numbers with around 60 entries per class (1 per day each height)

Spruce runs on time too so no matter what you know when you go as it’s posted order. This show is in their indoor so one ring. Their outdoors is a whole different ball game, huge number of rings and all done by 5pm

[FalseImpression]

[QUOTE=eclipse;7230014]

edited to add: the other facility has essentially sucked our show life from this city…makes me sad as we used to have a ton of A and B shows to choose from[/QUOTE]

Do you mean the Rocky Mountain Show Jumping venue?

[eclipse]

[QUOTE=FalseImpression;7230033]
Do you mean the Rocky Mountain Show Jumping venue?[/QUOTE]

Yes. You can only show at the same venue before boredom sets in so many times; I would like to jump a different course in my jumper rounds instead if the same two all day; I’d like my hunters to be on time instead of trying to combine two rings into one and we are still waiting for a 2 pm class at 6.30pm and it’s also darn expensive with no prizes! It’s got to the point where we’d rather pay to go out to BC etc

edited to add: at Spruce Meadows, no matter what the height, you are also made to feel like you matter… That your entry makes a difference. No matter what ring you are in the jumps and footing are impeccable and in turn you are expected to present yourself to show respect and we want to! No polo shirts only jackets and show shirts and full presentations and victory gallops for ribbons. There’s just nothing like a victory gallop at Spruce and I really wish every rider at every level could experience it every level will also get to salute judge/sponsor at some point… I’ve also known the days when Mr Southern used to quietly pull out a chair to watch the 3ft classes going on as he loved to watch them… Made me super nervous but my goodness what a feeling! little things can go a long way

[Small_Change]

[QUOTE=eclipse;7230038]
I’ve also known the days when Mr Southern used to quietly pull out a chair to watch the 3ft classes going on as he loved to watch them… Made me super nervous but my goodness what a feeling! little things can go a long way[/QUOTE]

What a neat memory to have!

[Come_Shine]

[QUOTE=eclipse;7230038]
at Spruce Meadows, no matter what the height, you are also made to feel like you matter… That your entry makes a difference. No matter what ring you are in the jumps and footing are impeccable and in turn you are expected to present yourself to show respect and we want to! No polo shirts only jackets and show shirts and full presentations and victory gallops for ribbons. There’s just nothing like a victory gallop at Spruce and I really wish every rider at every level could experience it every level will also get to salute judge/sponsor at some point… I’ve also known the days when Mr Southern used to quietly pull out a chair to watch the 3ft classes going on as he loved to watch them… Made me super nervous but my goodness what a feeling! little things can go a long way[/QUOTE]

I was very spoiled because some of my first showing experiences were at Spruce. It was a bit of shock when I found out, years later, when I got back into showing, that not all shows hold to their standards and philosophy.

With the lower heights, what a great introduction to the sport for the novices. They are very lucky to start off showing at such a fantastic place.

I’ve been trying to get victory gallops going in our area. Those were some of my best memories!

ETA: If they ever need a judge for one of their rings, I would love to do it!

[FalseImpression]

Thanks. I wondered. I keep seeing all their announcements on FB and wondered what they were like. And, really, were they competing with SM? I have never been to either as a spectator, much less a rider.

SM had not won the reputation it has by cutting corners… one barnmate used to show her horse (26 yo Damion!) ridden by Chris Pratt (I think) and she is always so in awe of everything at SM (the facilities, the people, the other riders - Eric Lamaze was in the same barn -). She is taking a trip back there for her 25th wedding anniversary!! sans horse!

I hope that it is just growing pains at RMSJ, but SM is no doubt a class above!

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7229968]

Should Spruce be something you have to ‘work up to/earn’ or should they include everyone that would like to partake in the Spruce Meadows experience?[/QUOTE]

If they are flexing the schedule to include everyone (starting an hour early), it is most likley to bring in more revenue to keep the shows more liquid financially. If they are allowing people to partake that are not all 3’6 ers - carry on! Keep that fabulous show going.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7230017]
I’m not sure where you got this from. I stated the facts and asked people for their opinion. I never once said that people were ‘lowly’[/QUOTE]

Since you asked where the response came from.

I believe the “dumbing it down” phrase in the title might have done it. And complaining about the longer show days to accommodate those lower divisions might have left the impression that you didn’t think this was an improvement.

[ElisLove]

Thanks for the replies.
All the in-quote parts are because they are “quotes” (look more quotes). These are some of the thoughts I have heard from people who have commented about the change in the Spruce schedule and it was the best way ( I felt) to describe what I was trying to ask. I felt that using ‘dumbing it down’ was the best quote I could use to encourage people to open it up and respond, while having it in quotes also meant that it was not necessarily the truth.
As far as listing the long show days, that was simply a fact. The shows sometimes start earlier and often go later. This might make a difference to someone replying to know that the days (mostly for trainers) may be longer due to the addition of said classes.
I never said anyone was lowly and ‘quoting’ me as saying it was incorrect.

[goodlife]

I don’t mind it. I don’t show in the small classes, so the early start times don’t affect me. Once my class rolls around, it’s usually about the same time anyways.

I believe Spruce used to hold a Novice Development Series, which has now been discontinued in favour of holding lower classes during their indoor tournaments and smaller outdoor ones. Makes sense - less cost to hold everything at the same show.

With the amount of stuff that Spruce does well, I’ve learned not to sweat the small stuff. Unless you want to end up with certain venues having a monopoly, like eclipse said. Tbird is a long drive and as much as I love it there, I really wish I had more options close to home in AB.

[RugBug]

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7230803]
Thanks for the replies.
I never said anyone was lowly and ‘quoting’ me as saying it was incorrect.[/QUOTE]

You didn’t say it, but your title and your post implies it. If you didn’t mean it, you need to be clearer. :shrug:

[ElisLove]

I can’t change how other people decide to interpret my posts. I thought that I was very clear about just stating the facts (heights at different shows, length of show days if it differed from the length that it used to be) and anything that wasn’t straight up fact and instead were quotes, I quoted(“dumbing it down”, “worked up to/earned”)

[Polydor]

[QUOTE=FalseImpression;7230308]

I hope that it is just growing pains at RMSJ, but SM is no doubt a class above![/QUOTE]

I doubt it’s growing pains since they have been running these shows for probably close to 10 years.

Sad to hear there isn’t much choice now since when I was there last ( 2008) there was a pretty good circuit/ choice of venue to pick from on any given weekend.

and as for SM, eclipse said it pretty well. Everyone is made to feel like they matter - that goes from the lowest staff to riders. The Southerns really make a point of it. Demand that sponsors come and watch their class ( and get treated very well for it too! ) Can not say enough good things about Spruce!

P.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=RugBug;7230858]
You didn’t say it, but your title and your post implies it. If you didn’t mean it, you need to be clearer. :shrug:[/QUOTE]

I agree. OP, you didn’t say “lowly.” I haven’t quoted you as using that term.

I understand the logic of using a term like “dumbing it down” in quotes. That can mean you don’t believe the descriptive term. It can also mean that you don’t disagree that it is an apt term used by those who do think that jumping smaller jumps is equivalent to being dumb.

[ElisLove]

Thanks for the replies. From what I have heard from people I have talked to/heard talking about in real life they tend to lean towards thinking it isn’t the way Spruce should be going, and people online seem to lean towards it being a good way for Spruce to go. Interesting to hear the difference.

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7231621]
Thanks for the replies. From what I have heard from people I have talked to/heard talking about in real life they tend to lean towards thinking it isn’t the way Spruce should be going, and people online seem to lean towards it being a good way for Spruce to go. Interesting to hear the difference.[/QUOTE]

The difference may be that who you are hearing and talking to have a smaller perspective and you are in a smaller circle. On COTH, you have a very large pool of horsepeople with expansive experience in the industry, so you are going to get a variety of answers.