Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

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Kurt
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Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby Kurt » Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:15 pm

If you ride Veterans or Masters at the Aust Titles the trials commission is recommending to combine all of you into a single Veteran 40 years+ class for 2017.

Either the class will be dominated by ex Masters riders losing maybe 1 or 2 points for the weekend or the normal Veteran riders will be crashing and bashing trying to get through difficult sections.

Considering the veterans make up a significant proportion of a normal aust titles, it is a foolhardy decision to potentially upset the riders who bring the kids, the helpers and the bottom line to the organising club.

If you are a rider of a certain age and enjoy riding the Veteran/Masters classes, i would send the commission a friendly bit of feedback by 1st of July at rules@ma.org.au



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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby pop » Mon Apr 18, 2016 5:40 pm

IM out then :shock:



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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby paulm » Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:01 pm

There is also another suggested Rule change (TL 630) to allow Non Champ classes to be run at the event. Currently 'Support' classes are banned at Titles but if this rule goes through, the organisers can presumably still include those classes, including Clubman as well as age related Vets and Masters, they just won't have 'National Title' status.

All might NOT be lost here....



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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby Rod » Tue Apr 19, 2016 7:00 pm

I'm thinking out loud here, very loud since I'm posting it on a forum.

Obviously MA is trying to cut down on Aust Championship classes, fair enough, but we need to accommodate the growing number of oldies wanting to have a go, me included.

Currently we have Masters (>35) riding B sections, Vets 40-49, 50-59, 60+ riding C sections ( C+ sections now), so that's 4 x championships they currently award.

What if we could combine those 4 classes into 2, would that satisfy MA, more importantly would that satisfy you, "the riders". Below is my thoughts......................

2 Classes incorporating Masters and Vets where you must be 35 years or older.

Veteran A. 35 + years, Riding B grade sections.

Veteran B. 35 + years, Riding C or C+ grade sections.

If something like this seems plausible, then I am happy to submit it to MA.

Give me your thoughts, please.



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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby bgradesherco » Tue Apr 19, 2016 8:17 pm

Rod wrote:
Veteran A. 35 + years, Riding B grade sections.

Veteran B. 35 + years, Riding C or C+ grade sections.

If something like this seems plausible, then I am happy to submit it to MA.

Give me your thoughts, please.


As long as the entrants are checked so that the class they ride reflects their grading, I see no issue.

We need to move away from the "everybody gets a trophy" scenario that seems to permeate Trials in Australia.

Its also got me stumped why there isn't a class for 21-35 year olds who aren't willing to play with the big boys in Open Solo or ride a daggy old twinshock at Championship events. Something like 21-35 riding the B grade lines, Call it Sportsman class or something.

My 2c.

Josh



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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby David Lahey » Tue Apr 19, 2016 8:41 pm

paulm wrote:There is also another suggested Rule change (TL 630) to allow Non Champ classes to be run at the event. Currently 'Support' classes are banned at Titles but if this rule goes through, the organisers can presumably still include those classes, including Clubman as well as age related Vets and Masters, they just won't have 'National Title' status.

All might NOT be lost here....


I'm reading the proposals like this too, paulm


relax, nothing is under control

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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby paulm » Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:03 pm

Hi David - it would seem to me that the guys have got it right... The organising club can include support classes that better suit their local situation.



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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby Rod » Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:18 pm

bgradesherco wrote:
Rod wrote:
Veteran A. 35 + years, Riding B grade sections.

Veteran B. 35 + years, Riding C or C+ grade sections.

If something like this seems plausible, then I am happy to submit it to MA.

Give me your thoughts, please.


As long as the entrants are checked so that the class they ride reflects their grading, I see no issue.

We need to move away from the "everybody gets a trophy" scenario that seems to permeate Trials in Australia.

Its also got me stumped why there isn't a class for 21-35 year olds who aren't willing to play with the big boys in Open Solo or ride a daggy old twinshock at Championship events. Something like 21-35 riding the B grade lines, Call it Sportsman class or something.

My 2c.

Josh


Hey Josh, I thought about that, however I thought the Vet "A" Title would be enough to encourage the best to have a go. Like I said, just thinking out loud.



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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby Steve Holzhauser » Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:50 pm

Here are few things that come to mind after witnessing the spiralling decline of Moto Trials in the last 5 years in particular.

Ask the proponent to out line the benefits they see of implementing such a dramatic change again.

Has their been consultation to everyone that this would effect. .

Is a 20, 30 and even 40 years age gap in a class promoting involvement.

Does a mature age class that was in place for nearly 30 years and created the most contested and ability levelling era of competition removed not seem a better model to again look at..

Their has been a dramatic decline in Veteran class participation since the last rule change from Greybeards to the Veterans age grading system only a few short years ago.

Non affiliated clubs are doing very well with the attendance and guidance of the disillusioned mature age riders in many areas throughout Australia who smile at the recommendations of some of the ill thought out rule changes that have given rise to their success.

Trials has never had a huge following in Australia but the continued decline will only gain momentum with out consultation of the rider base.

The other point the should be mentioned is the starting age of Veteran.

Masters class was initiated and supported by many of the riders at the time of its proposal.

Its aim was to give the more skilled Greybeards a better challenge and divide the over 40 riders into a A and B grade with the former riding B graded sections and the latter riding C graded sections.

Without any word we all found MA had if fact spirited the change through but with out warning lowered the age to 35 years.

This move entirely defeated the purpose of the proposal.

So what then happened a couple of years latter was the removal of the age related venables points system and the multi level veterans classes were introduced.

It has proved to be unpopular and I suspect this is the catalyst for the proposal we are now seeing.

.



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Re: Masters & Veterans Age Groups Gone

Postby pop » Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:06 am

If im not riding for a trophy, then there is no need to go to a meet, save on travel, entry, MA licence,membership, and organiser saves on a $5 trophy, everyone wins??




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