Why not Saturday and Sunday?

[horseshorseshorseshorses]

@ksbadger

The 400lb Gorilla in the room in all this is the time it takes for the average competitor to get to the venue. Here in Area III that can be close to only an hour or less for the majority of riders in Central Florida or in Aiken but in Area IV the closest HT can be over four hours away and one way trips of eight to ten hours - in other words an extra day at either end of the weekend - are routine. The interesting one is Area V - on paper it covers Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas - but in reality the majority of their venues are within four hours of Dallas - Fort Worth.

I mean, that is the big problem. Area VII spans Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. 7 of our events are close to I-5 (within an hour or so) in Washington, 1 in Oregon (also off I-5), 2 in eastern Washington, and 2 in Montana. Most are 2-3 hours or more way unless you live in just the right part of Washington. I am not sure there is eventing in Alaska and if so how are they conditioning all winter?

[LR4]

I agree that the T/P/I on Friday/Saturday and BN/N on Saturday/Sunday is unfortunate, especially since those are typically great events that I don’t want to miss. I’d be interested to hear the reasoning behind it. If nothing else, it would definitely be helpful if they alternated which divisions go Saturday/Sunday so that the same people aren’t always having to take the extra day off.

[IFG]

@16 Hands

I remember competing at Caumsett on L.I. and they were one day trials, all three phases, one day. This would be so much easier.

Good chance that we were at the same HT. : LOVED Caumsett! In MA and surrounding states, most events are one day.

[OverandOnward]

@LR4

I agree that the T/P/I on Friday/Saturday and BN/N on Saturday/Sunday is unfortunate, especially since those are typically great events that I don’t want to miss. I’d be interested to hear the reasoning behind it. If nothing else, it would definitely be helpful if they alternated which divisions go Saturday/Sunday so that the same people aren’t always having to take the extra day off.

If the case can be made that Friday ride times are losing enough entries, there is no doubt the organizers will be interested in that , if someone will make the case to them. Numbers of entries make or break an event.

Is this an area where the T/P/I entries are assumed to be just the pros? I’d be surprised if T had few ammys, but could be I suppose. But there are some areas where there are very few entries above T. Assume XC is on Saturday, when they can get the jj volunteers?

I used to be in an area where one venue wanted to offer a true 3-day for the UL’s, so it was Friday-Saturday-Sunday for all UL’s at that one. I believe they had an afternoon start to dressage on Friday so that it wasn’t necessary for the UL’s to arrive on Thursday. I don’t know if they have been able to sustain that idea in recent years, though.

[FlightCheck]

In addition, in the winter you can only squeeze in 250 XC rides per day at 2 minute intervals. And that’s if everything goes perfectly, plus time enough for those running more than 1 horse in a division.

[16_Hands]

@IFG

Good chance that we were at the same HT. : LOVED Caumsett! In MA and surrounding states, most events are one day.

This was back in the early 80s so maybe we were. I remember one in particular where the track ran through an opening in a hedgerow and just as I approached it, a family of three on bicycles rode across the opening on the other side! If they were a second slower or I was faster, I would have plowed right into them. Luckily my horse didn’t spook or veer but stayed on course and acted like she didn’t even see them.

O & O - There are a fair number of amateurs doing training level, about 1/2 I’d say. But, yes, Prelim and Intermediate are mostly, if not all, pros; especially intermediate.