Powys Carriage Driving Group

Please all have a look at the Document I have put here and on the documents page of the website. It is from Mr George Bowman and is regarding a possible new format of Carriagedriving. Worth a read!

Meeting Northlake’s Gateway Hotel 1pm 24th September 2015

Present: Barry Hilditch

Ian Harford

George Bowman

Discussion of proposal for driving competitions to run together with Countryman Fair venues around the country.

THIS PROPOSAL IS NOT TO REPLACE THREE DAY EVENT COMPETATIVE CARRIAGE DRIVING

BUT INSTEAD TO RUN ALONGSIDE AND HAND IN HAND WITH COUNTRYMAN FAIRS.

The new proposal and format will encourage new drivers to move upwards and compete in three day carriage format, at the same time increase membership and showcase the sport to the new drivers and sponsors and also acclimatise drivers and horses to compete in front of huge crowds, all this at affordable prices.

• The format will be a two day event, three section Marathon and Cones (cones in world cup format).

• NO DRESSAGE.

• Entry fee £99.00 – The aim would be to start with 100 competitors recognising that running the marathon on both days would enable us to cope with up to 200 competitors.

• No start fee, instead £2000.00 per event to be donated by Countryman Fairs to British Carriage driving.

• To make the sport of carriage diving as affordable as possible and encourage new members, BC needs to implement a £49.00 membership fee for all new competitors.

• Six classes:- Horse Team, Pony Team, Horse Pairs, Pony Pairs, Single Horse and single Pony.

• No tandems (Tandem competitors we would be encouraged to compete single or put the 2 tandems horses together as a pair)

Dates and Venues for 2016

• Floors Castle, Roxburghshire* (Not confirmed)

• Belvoir Castle, Rutland 23rd & 24th July *

• Lowther Cumbria 13th & 14th August*

• Broadlands, Hampshire 28th & 29th August *

• Weston Park Shropshire 16th & 18th September *

• Points will be awarded 10 for 1st place, 9 for 2nd place etc.

• Competitors will be able to take forward their 3 best scores from each event and throw away their worst one.

• Your 3 best scores are taken forward to the final competition at Western Park, because it is the final, the points awarded will be doubled i.e. 20 to win 19 for second place 18 for third etc.

TEAM WILD EXTREME CARRIAGE DRIVING SERIES PRIZE MONEY

TEAMS PAIRS SINGLES

PONY HORSES PONY HORSES PONY HORSES

1 4000 8,000 1500 4,000 2000 3,000

2 2000 4000 750 2000 1000 2000

3 1000 2200 325 1000 500 1500

4 300 1250 150 500 200 1000

5 150 500 100 300 150 600

6 100 400 70 200 100 500

7 75 300 60 90 80 400

8 50 200 50 70 70 300

9 40 150 40 60 60 200

10 30 100 30 50 50 100

TOTAL 7745 17,100 3075 8,270 4210 9,600

GRAND TOTAL 50,000

C.M.F would try to encourage the local clubs to help provide stewards and run each event.

Countryman Fairs will donate £1000.00 to each club that helps run the event, plus they would offer a reduced entry fee for members of that particular club taking part in the competition.

Recognising the sensitive nature of some of the parks where the competition take place, C.M.F would adopt the policy to build four permanent obstacles to a very high standard at each event. This can be achieved with the sponsorship generated for each obstacle. The other four obstacles would be portable and Countryman fairs would purchase a very large trailer to move the different components to the appropriate venues. Because of the experienced back up team, and resources available, C.M.F. can help make the events more achievable by taking on the work load and responsibility of supplying showers, toilets and water etc.

The cones course would be the same at each event, the 4 portable obstacles would be lettered the same at each event, and where possible the 4 permanent individual obstacles at each event would be lettered the same, this would relieve pressure from competitors who might not be able to find the time to walk the obstacles umpteen times, especially if they arrive later on Friday night after finishing a week’s work.

As a present day example, A possible new member views B.C. on TV, he attends a competition in an empty field as a spectator, and he decides to take up the reins.

He gets the old hunter out the field, breaks it to harness, trots along the road, down to the local pub (he’s mad keen never done anything like this) Galloping round a few trees and posts at home, it’s great fun.

Then someone shows him a dressage sheet – END OF NEW CARRIAGE DRIVING MEMBER

The new format will encourage the drivers to move up to the three day event, human nature and the ambition to improve will make new competitors realise that all basic training in any equestrian disciplines will come from dressage. The new format will pull in indoor competitors, drivers from grass roots and everyone who wants to be involved at some level who cannot afford a dressage carriage, dressage harness or a competitor who cannot afford the extra time off work.

The five events could command crowds from 300 to 400 thousand over the summer, spectators at this huge level would make B.C. very attractive to potential sponsors. B.C could very well find a sponsor who will pay for the administration and insurance of our sport, allowing start fees to be abolished and realistically lowering the membership fee to a mere £25 - £30.

The last part of the meeting was the realisation that came from Barry, if we don’t partner with Countryman Fairs they are going to do it anyway and save themselves £10,000, which is exactly what they have done with clay pigeon shooting and gun dog agility classes and made it a phenomenal success.

With the collapse of CLA running country fairs, Mr Harford will be expanding his management and

Is aiming to run 10 country fairs in 2016.

THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS.

REGARDS

GEORGE BOWMAN IV