Try http://www.freewebs.com/westernridinginscotland/index.htm, this is the website of Kayreen Jones it tells you every thing that is going on in Scotland, CatG's
post say's it all these are people who are trying very hard to promote the sport but it will take time to get it all right.

Hi

As regards sites being found on the web yes it is a minefield and can cost quite a bit if you choose to pay for an SEO specialist. A decent web designer will create an optimised site from the start, or at least as well optimized as it can be. There are many ways to improve things not all of which cost.

It would also help if any sites created looked as good as they should (good example is this one, a good one that is) There are a few which have been created using free website generation tools that come with free hosting packages etc . These sites will never feature in google prominently enough to work as far as finding new converts to Western riding. They are generally found by people who already know the url anyway.

It seems it is a bit of chicken and egg here in the UK and Scotland in particular. We dont have the numbers so dont have the budget to spend on quality well constructed sites but we need such sites to drive things forward.Story of western riding in general though it seems. Not enough trainers or western trained horses to for newcomers to give it a try not enough shows for people who do try etc etc.

A simple tactic to drive people to website and events would be to utilise gumtree.com. If you create a gumtree posting with carefully thought out keywords in the title you can pretty much get your event into the first page of google if not in the top three!!!. This is especially the case for area specific listings and niche subjects.

Getting things posted on other equestrian related sites would also help as well as the traditional methods of advertising ie local tack shops ,vets ,etc etc.

If anyone would like help to promote their event in terms of google (and its free!!) feel free to pm me.

Incidentally chestnut-mare is my other half and she felt she had to say something after seeing all the effort put into such shows and such relatively poor attendences. John from our yard puts in plenty of effort in helping out as do all those that organise these things is just seems a shame to go to all that effort for around 13 people to compete .

Neither myself or my partner are what i would call competitve but it would be nice to have some regular localish events to go to, and that cant happen until enough interest is generated .

Meant to ask did anything develope in regards to adding some fun type classes to encourage the youth to get involved ie barrel racing?

One last thing CQH it was not possible to download the entry forms I tried !

Now I'm confused, in fact that confused I've had to join in, something I don't normally do.

I don't know a great deal about what I'm doing with computers etc but have worked out, CQH is right, click on the web address given and then click on Show Schedules, scroll down and 'hey presto' there are the schedules.

Kayreen does a brilliant job in Scotland with shows and clinics well advertised, you just have to go to the links page on this website and there are plenty places to look!

I'm off to look at gumtree.com - haven't come across that one before.....I will report back.

Hi Coalburns. Yes it is a bit confusing but you've kind of hit the nail on the head. You can find things through the links on this site but first you have to find this site. Like I said its about page 4 on google before you find it then if you look on the events page the event is missing. The next show in Scotland is in September and it isn't listed. I do believe as I've said before that the reps up here do a grand job but with a little more support the sport could be promoted to a wider audience.

Im off to bed ....was going to post but thought better of it! : instead a quote

"Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day".

Letters to a Young Poet