£36.66 Per Fence...........

[Rambo]

.......................

That's what Hickstead cost me this year

Went to jump the Amateur Champs on thursday and the ground was what could only be described as 'holding'......in fact, after 140 horses had gone round before me, it was more like 'deep'

Bo decided he didn't want to have any of it and stopped at the second fence, and then at the second part of a double which was the third fence.......so end of thursday for us

Had pretty much decided not to bother even going today (saturday) as the ground was going to be even worse, and the track another 5cms higher, but in the end decided we had paid our money and so we might as well have a look

Well, we missed the coursewalk, and the ground was already looking dubious after the nights rain, and by the time we were due to jump at 122 it was starting to resemble a quagmire

Needless to say we just 'hired' the warm-up for the duration instead and didn't bother to jump at all

All in all, i spent £110 on entry fees and cleared 3 fences................ho hum

We did stay and watch the Speed Derby, which turned into a farse tbh

I have never seen so many good horses refuse or be eliminated in the main ring at Hickstead in my life ! They even had a break halfway through to repair the course

God knows what tomorrow's Derby is going to be like, if they even run it

 

[icestationzebra]

So sorry it cost you all that money....
Glad that you and Bo came back safely though. I hope they cancel the derby tomorrow if there is a risk to the horses.

p.s - £36.66 a fence

That makes eventing look cheap

 

[Allykat]

Eeeek!!

I was at hickstead yesterday as a spectator and the ground in the main arena was cutting up so badly and that was before last night and todays rain

I dodn't like the look of the ground in the outside rings and I wasn't even jumping

 

[Weezy]

What a pain in the arse. I applaude you for going at all though!

Will watch in interest as to whether the Derby runs tomorrow - I certainly wouldn't want to be going down that bank

 

[lizzie_liz]

Oh dear what an expensive 3 fences.

Sounds awful the ground, I was meant to be going to Felbridge tomorrow but it is cancelled so hopefully they will run the Derby and I can sit at home and watch it

 

[conniegirl]

do you think they would run the derby without the bank? i can see the bank getting extremely dangerous.

 

[Allykat]

News on the hickstead website states the Derby is going ahead as planned but all other earlier classes in the main arena are now being held in the outside rings to preserve the ground.

Tis another night of rain tonight though.....

 

[Weezy]

[ QUOTE ]
do you think they would run the derby without the bank? i can see the bank getting extremely dangerous.

[/ QUOTE ]

They CANNOT run it without the bank!

 

[dieseldog]

Rambo, I really feel for you.

[ QUOTE ]
News on the hickstead website states the Derby is going ahead as planned but all other earlier classes in the main arena are now being held in the outside rings to preserve the ground.



[/ QUOTE ]

Thats a sensible idea, they really can't cancel as the BBC are supposed to be televising it for 3 hours this afternoon and after the disaster that was Badminton it would do the horse world no good at all to cancel. I'm not saying that horses safety should be put before TV, but if it is safe to run they really should

 

[helenandshadow]

Oh no, I'm really sorry to hear that.

That's an expensive 3 fences! It's about time this crap weather stopped, it's meant to be summer.

 

[Peanot]

Just started, got it on TV now. They are still jumping it. Sunny where I am now.

 

[Peanot]

Bloomin` expensive tho Rambo. It`s a great thing to even get there to jump among the top riders. Sorry that it had to end like that tho. There is always next year.

 

[FMM]

What a pain. We were there today. The hunter ring was just awful (although could have been a lot worse!) - I understand they cancelled the competitions in the main arena (didn't realise they put them to other rings though). The main ring has an expensive drainage system, but the other rings don't. One of the other rings that had just been used for showing was not too bad - the working hunter ring (which had also been used for flat classes as well) was in a really bad condition. And the walkways between rings were just mud - some of it sticky, some of it sloppy. It will take some work to get it ready in time for the Royal International. If we get a few days of dry weather, sun and wind, it will dry too fast - almost a no win situation. There was honestly no grass at all in the walkways between the rings.

 

[RLD]

Sorry you didn't have a good Hickstead. If it's any consolation I paid for 1 stable 2 memberships and a class per day and didn't even go! I went to watch the derby today and the ground in the main ring was poor so I can only imagine what the outside rings were like, especially with the amount of entries they get there.

I think you made the right decision not to jump on the saturday, there will always be another day.