Advice on first event please??

[ernikins]

Hi - I am planning on doing my first BE intro towards the mid, end of the season on my 6 year old, I just wondered if anyone knew which were the nice, inviting, friendly looking ones? I am in Kent, and the ones that are around my area are Brightling, poss Iping, Firle, Munstead and Borde Hill, Chilham unfirtunately is when I am on hols. I haven't done BE before and I am not particularly brave, mainly in XC, dressage is not a problem, and the show jumping I can deal with, but I do get quite nervous before XC so want to choose an event that I am not going to scare myself (or my horse) at!! Any ideas?

 

[lorenababbit]

dont go to iping then. it is a fair course. munstead not too big and they do schooling and hunter trials there for practicing, brightling fine ground often quite hard, firle and borde hill also fair.

 

[TiaPony]

if yoo look at hattikins post lower down, yoo'll see Munstead intro fences - none of which are particularly daunting and as lucretia says, yoo can school their before hand to get to know the jumps
x

 

[Hattikins]

ok well the best first time courses round kent/sussex surrey are: munstead - friendly atmosphere, plenty of warm up space, and bold but kind cross country course

Borde hill - also, like munstead has a friendly atmosphere and fair courses
Pulborough (coombelands) - also a fantastic first event - bold but kind cross country and showjumping courses

I advise against doing Firle as a first ever - dont get me wrong i love Firle - the courses are superb and fantastically built BUT the atmosphere is VERY buzzy in the showjumping because it is surrounded by trade stands on all sides and this can be a bit unnerving at a first event (trust me i speak from experience

)

Which ever you choose to do - have fun

and let us know how you get on

 

[Hattikins]

this was the 2nd fence at munstead yesterday

 

[ernikins]

Wow - just read your post - you did fantastically - well done!! I think Munstead will be a good one to do, I will probably it on a ticket though as can't justify registering for one or two events, I want to do some unaff stuff for first half of season and then finish with some BE, then hopefully start next season from the beginning - I am so excited!

 

[Hattikins]

thats what i did for my first season - got 3 day tickets and did Firle (not a particularly great idea!), Munstead and Coombelands

thankyou very much - am so chuffed with my girlie - am going to enjoy the good feeling while it lasts

 

[ernikins]

I got two thirds at dressage today but don't think it could beat the feeling of winning a BE event!!
Do they often ballot you when you enter on a ticket?

 

[Hattikins]

the unfortunate thing about entering on a ticket is that you are the first to get balloted if they have to ballot - however if you can offer help at the event either on the next day of competition or in the form of a Mum/Dad/Brother/sister/OH on the day then you are almost garenteed a place

Beware - Munstead balloted 75 people this spring and they may have to do the same in the autumn if the event is as popular again - so either registering for 1/2 a year or helping out at the event would be worth thinking about

 

[ernikins]

Ok thanks - that what I was worried about but sure I could offer to help in some way!

 

[EmmaChal]

Pulborough HT in Sept/Oct is great for a 1st event. Very busy dressage warmup area, close to SJ and XC start, but other warm up areas good. The XC course is very inviting for novice horse and rider-I think a good one if slightly nervous XC. They have a hunter trials on 22nd April and unaff 1DE held by the Horsham Riding Club (website has all scheduales and entry forms). Enter the open class in both and you'll be jumping a mixture of the into/PN jumps.
Personally I have never been taken with Munstead intro-last year the XC first jump was tiny, then followed by an big up to height sheep feeder, then the third tiny again-so wasn't too impressed as it wasn't particulary encouraging for young horses needing to establish a rhythm early on, saying that though loads of warming up room for the dressage, and lovely showjumping. Again-hunter trials held there!
Borde Hill-a great course-but long and hilly so make sure horse is very fit-also slightly more complicated than Pulborough and Munstead-jumping into shadow, and a combination of logs to be jumped at an angle-but lovely rolling parkland.
Firle-I love, but extremely biased as I live there! Rolling parkland-intro course up to height but very inviting and simple fences. Very well run and great atmosphere and place-plus lovely big SJ ring.