Event schedules- P dressage on Fridays

[HER]

I was looking at events for the rest of the year and it looks like Prelim dressage will be on Friday for most of them. (I was looking at KY Classique, Jumpstart, Hagyard and Virginia). I understand that with large amounts of entries that this must make scheduling easier. However, as a competitor with a full time job it does mean four more days I would need to take off work, plus the extra stabling night and hotel or camping night. I trailer with a novice rider so I don't get to go home any earlier, plus some of these events look like they will be spread over all three days.
How does everyone else feel about this schedule? I know Waredaca runs BN through I in two days, each division runs on only one day. Economically this seems easier. Ideas anyone?

[Ajierene]

I don't ride at the Prelim level and that is a long way away for me, but if they start putting shows or certain phases on a 'weekday', I will be less likely to attend.

[GotSpots]

I'm with you. I think it goes along with events not having an amateur or rider division at Preliminary - some weird assumption that it's only pros and "professional amateurs" who compete at this level and up.

With a couple of exceptions, particularly for "destination" events, I try to enter one days where I can. I think it's easier on everyone, and I don't lost a day and a half of work as well. In general, I think the advantage of letting the beast stay in his own stall and be turned out with his buddies outweighs any "break" he might get staying in a portable stabling for two or three days.

[SevenDogs]

Perhaps the lone disssenter here (and in case the Organizers are watching this thread) .... I am an adult amateur with a full time job and would still way rather have an event run over three days. I don't like to do two phases on one day and would rarely even consider running a one day event -- too hard on my horse, too hard on me (not necessarily in that order). I like the "Three Day" in Three Day Eventing! :yes:

[HER]

Don't take me wrong- I am not complaining about organizers at all. I think everyone in our area does a great job. I was just wondering if prelim could stay on sat/sun instead of fri/sat. I don't mind one day events but they are tiring. I just used Waredaca as an example of a trial that runs alot of entries and divisions. I was actually wondering if some of the organizers might chime in and give us their input too.

[asterix]

Not an organizer (but as a boarder/volunteer at Waredaca, I can tell you we have a tough time getting volunteers for anything on a Friday as well -- whether it is the endurance day for the T3d or the young horse stuff we are now doing)....
but count me in the NO NO pile -- my life as a working amateur didn't change when I moved to prelim (in fact, it is harder, no, because of the extra time spent training and conditioning), and this would be almost impossible for me.

The last time I went out at prelim I was in xc warmup surrounded by lots of other working ammies...it is an odd assumption indeed that only pros go prelim.

As for multidays and one days, I guess it's what you're used to. I avoid multidays like the plague, love one days. Mr asterix would have a really limited tolerance for a horse trial that ate the ENTIRE weekend, rather than just one day.

I'm hoping to run two horses at the same HT a few times this fall -- one of those times, if all goes well, they'll be running the same level -- I imagine that'll be a tiring day, but I'd still rather (I think!) do it and get it done.

[HER]

I've been to Waredaca several times and I think you guys do a great job! What was tiring for me was the drive! (coming from Ohio).

[FlightCheck]

Somewhat rambling, but I hope this makes sense.

Part of the problem is numbers. A large event, like Midsouth, Rocking Horse, Galway, etc. attracts many competitors - the winter events in Florida are between 400 and 500 competitors. Daylight time is limited.

You can only run so many competitors XC in one day - especially as those days get shorter. And that is IF no one is seriously injured, and no weather delays occur.

I can tell you that at RH in the winter, there are SIX dressage rings going on Friday as well as SJ for some, and sometimes it is a real challenge to get everyone done by Sunday evening.

So, as an organizer/sec'y, you have to decide who runs when. As a rule, adult amateurs and teenagers are at work/school on Fridays. So you run the higher level dressage (and sometimes SJ) on Friday, leaving Sat/Sun for the lower levels who generally have more entries.

Of course, other options are to (a) limit competitor numbers (b) hire more dressage judges - both of which would probably mean higher entry fees.

Back when I worked a "real job", I tended to do what you did - find those events that were run over 2 days. So no help here, but sympathy anyway.

[scubed]

Assuming you are in Ohio/Kentuckyish area. Some options for preliminary could be with dressage on Saturday, or a couple that are Sunday 1 day events:

Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy October 11, all of Preliminary runs on Sunday

CDCTA Fall Horse Trials (if they are running) October 17-18

Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials also October 17, one day

Waredaca, one day for preliminary is Sunday October 25th

River Glen (Tennessee) November 7-8

Hunter Oaks October 10-11

South Farm, Sep 5-6

Stone Gate, Sep 19-20

Flying Cross Sep 18-20, but omnibus seems to say dressage on Saturday

[Altitude Rider]

I've helped do the entries & organization at a recognized event.

When it got to the point where we needed to run Prelim Dress the day before, we contacted all the P entries and asked them if it would be OK if they did their test a day earlier. Most were agreeable and if not I think we worked the ones that couldn't do it earlier, into the original day.

it was a lot more work for the organizers, farm, etc but helped ease the burden of the main event day (which happened to be one-day events). Many were very glad to have the option.

Note: we had to get permission from USEA & maybe FEI also to do this (I didn't handle these calls so I can't totally remember). This was also a bit of an ordeal at the time.