Advice for Badminton visitors - top tips wanted

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HHO admin

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Dear forum users

I am sure that many, many of you make the annual pilgrimage to Badminton every year, so I would like to offer you the chance to share your tips on how to make the very best of your visit. Whether you stay on site, or just come along on cross-country day, please let us know what you do, bring, organise or plan to ensure your visit goes smoothly and successfully for all involved. The best tips will be published on the main H&H website.

Best wishes

HHO Admin
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Sensible shoes and dress for all weathers!!
Decide whether to walk XC or do shops if visiting on XC day as hard to squeeze both in unless you do half and half.
Use map to walk XC
Be patient!!
Not ideal for pushchairs!
Take lots of money as there are loads of bargins!!!
 
*Arrive early & leave late!
*Make use of the shop & drop service
*Shop at lunchtime/eat during off-peak times - you'll spend less time queueing
*Use loos that are off the main drag - less queue time and cleaner (although Andy Loos are pretty fab at keeping ontop of the pong)
*Take time to watch competitors in the warm up arena - you can get very close to them and might pick up some good tips
*Bring plenty of cash - there are no machines on site and whilst Thomas Cook offer a withdrawal service the queues are often very long
 
If there is a crowd at a fence its usually because a competitior is about to jump, if you wait for them to jump the crowd normally moves off to the next fence leaving you with 3 mins to get a comfortable position to watch the next one jump over..(doesn't apply to water jumps - they are always crowded)
 
Take tissues - incase the loo's run out
Water - it can be expensize and incase you need to wash your hands

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PLEASE.....leave your dogs at home.

I love dogs but dont want to spend the day tripping over them and wiping their deposits off my boots.
 
ooooo i wanna fly now!!!!!! bet its xpensive

plan is
SHOP
watch a bit of dressage
SHOP bit more
bit more dressage
Drag poor mother dearest round the xc
EAT
watch dressage
SHOP!!!

am so xcited hope all run,
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should be a fantastic
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competition!!!!
think we should all wear t shirts with our hho names on!!!!
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Comfy shoes/boots!
Clothes for all weathers - sunglasses and pac-a-macs essential.
Try and get there early to shop if possible.
Take plenty of water.
Take hand sanitiser and tissues......portaloos are still portaloos even if they are well managed.
As above, try and watch the warm up - it's one of my fave bits of the day.
When you're stuck in the enormous queues to leave, tune into Radio Badminton from your car and listen to the analysis of the day.
 
Radio Badminton - for all 4 days.. headset WELL worth the money (£7).

Travel light - you won't want to walk back to your car, so take a rucksack, and carry as little as possible.

Bear in mind that with approx 30 fences, you will probably only be able to see 2 riders over each fence, if you plan on walking the course on XC day. You will miss some as you are walking the long stretches in between, so watch and move on!
 
Go on dressage days to shop - shopping at the weekend is a nightmare.

Go on dressage day to walk the course if you are that way inclined, then you can settle yourself in front of big screen for XC day and have a handy Pimms source close at hand
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LEAVE YOUR DOGS AT HOME
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Unless they are as wonderful as Bumbledog, then they are allowed to come - BRING POO BAGS TO CLEAR UP YOUR MESS (although, of course, Bumbledog does not poo, she is an angel
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) If you must bring your dog then think about putting them in the excellent dog creche when you want to hit the shops.

Have a huge breakfast so you only need some chips or a crepe to keep you going - the food really isn't great and it is expensive.

If you need disabled parking you MUST BOOK AND OBTAIN A PASS IN ADVANCE otherwise you could be in for a shock.

LEAVE YOUR TODDLERS/SMALL CHILDREN AT HOME or disguise them as a dog and put them in the dog creche
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[ QUOTE ]
Fly in - beats all the traffic

[/ QUOTE ]

Show off!!!
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Tie a stupid balloon to your car so you can find it easily! And make sure you know where you have parked as the ballooon might have blown away.

Walk the course backwards.

Leave dogs at home.

Leave young children with Grandparents!
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It is just too much walking for them.

Don't wear stilettos.
 
The big screen is a great meeting point - you can sit down, not miss any of the action and grab a drink/food.

Pack your car for every weather occasion and then decide on what you need when you get there. It gets cold sitting in the stands even on a warmish day.

Prepare for long queues to get into Badminton on Saturday. Leave early.
 
Comfy shoes a must!
make sure your friends wear something easily recognisable on head or neck so you can find them in the crowd.

Use the loo every time you are near one that way you wont have to leg it to one in a panic.

Dressage
DONT LEAVE IT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO GO BACK TO YOUR SEAT AND WRECK THE PREVIOUS TEST

DONT SIT IN SOMEONE ELSES SEAT AND KEEP MOVING BETWEEN TESTS BECAUSE YOU SHOULDNT BE THERE

DONT WEAR A WIDE BRIMMED HAT IN THE DRESSAGE

DONT LEAVE YOUR MOBILE PHONE OR TAKE CALLS IN THE DRESSAGE

DONT CLAP BEFORE THEY HAVE LEFT THE ARENA

X/c

Dont allow your kids to swing on the ropes

Dont bring your dogs if you must dont use those stupid flexible leads

Ooops too many donts..

DO take a pair of binoculars handy in the dressage to check if someones hands really are moving that much and see if you can work out what bit they have got in

Handy cross country as you can often find a tuft of grass and see over other peoples heads and watch a horse over at least 3 jumps if not more.

One more DONT please please take your rubbish with you and please use the crossing points they are not there for the stewards they are for you.
 
walk the cross country course at end of the day! It gives you a real close up of how MASSIVE the fences are, but watch you dont put your hands in any grease - doesn't come off easy!!!
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Take a couple of black bin liners, if the grass is a little damp you can sit on them while having lunch and then put all your rubbish in them after.

Also take sun cream and wear it (although maybe not looking at the weather today!!) even if it's a bit chilly, the sun can still be strong if it's windy. (I made this mistake at Gatcombe a few years ago and came home with sunstroke, oops!!)
 
Bumble dog wins "UK's most pampered pooch" I wish i could fly in, it takes 20 mins to drive there and an hour to sit in a traffic jam.
Ditto to not taking dogs, Minnie hated it - unless they are small enough to carry or big enough for everone to get out of your way!
Get lots of Pimms for OH early on, they dont seem to care as much about the burning plastic smell emitting from your (or even better his) wallet!
 
If you are taking a small person...attatch your mobile phone number to them in some way!!! That way if they do get 'lost' (we all say lost dont we...but we know the truth) you will get them back.
(or in some cases dont attatch number...)
 
* Take plenty of SUNBLOCK and WATER!
Even if its chilly you can still burn quite badly from the wind up there, especially if walking the course so have taken off layers and left skin exposed. Water is expensive there and if its hot or you're doing a lot of walking then it really is important to keep your fluid levels up.

* LEAVE YOUR DOGS AT HOME
Unless you are staying well and truely away from the crowds please don't bring your dogs. They get under everyones feet, get trodden on, poop everywhere - if you must bring your dog CLEAN UP AFTER THEM! and make sure you bring enough water for them too! DO NOT leave them in your cars, the RSPCA will forceably remove them if they feel they are too hot or in distress.
 
~Suncream! Nothing worse than getting burnt!
~Stay over somewhere fun then you can make the most of the days there and not worry about the drive home!
~Radio Badminton, a great way to find out loads of stuff! I will be interviewed on the Saturday and Sunday so listen out for me!
~Camera
~Enjoy it! See you there x x x
 
in addition to all the other suggestions i reccoment taking a bottle of the no water needed hand wash, its ideal for after a trip to the port a loo's! Also take a few wet wipes always come in handy.
Also boots do little capri sun type bottles of sun tan lotion, these are so small and handy and less bulky.
Most of all have a fab time!
Tizzy xx
 
Buy sesson ticket, as on xc day you get to park near the shops so you don't have to carry your bags very far!!!!!!!!!!!

Pack picnic, this a must, pimm and lemonade don't forget!!!!!

Leave dog at home, no place for dog with 250,000 folks thats 500,000 feet!!! to step on dog in trade stands!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Far cheaper than flying in - on XC day get there as soon as the gates open at 7am (or is it 7.30? Best check that one before setting out....
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)

No queues

No waiting

You get to park in the front row of the Lake car park (good for spectating later in the day)

You can walk the course when it is still lovely and quiet (do remember NOT to let your dog off the lead whilst doing so, my lurcher chased WFP's lurcher around 3 fences one year
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luckily he was lovely about it)

You can hit the tradestands when they are first opening at 9am (still quiet)

And you can walk the course again at your leisure after breakfast to see people jumping each fence
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1) Be prepared to wait your turn at the cross country jumps to get a good view (it can be rather a squash at the exciting jumps for a good view), i always whatch two or three at each jump, by the third you will be at the best possible view!

2) Its a lot of standing and walking and apart from the occasional fallen tree to sit on there isnt anywhere to sit round the course, so something to sit on can be really nice!

3) When you see a loo without a que use it, normally you wait for hours for one!! Take tissue, loo roll goes fast!

4) Suncream needed, even if its cloudy and windy i always come away wind burnt from badminton!

5) Enjoy !! Its so exciting - try and get to the main arena to see them start and end, nice to sit down and relax and see the horses and riders.
 
Join the Event Horse Owners Association (EHOA) who have a marquee at Badminton this year for the first time I think - and are also at Burghley, Gatcombe etc. Fabulous value, nice place to sit down and watch the screens with all the action on, teas ans coffees usually free - and everyone is very friendly and welcoming.
 
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