Any bored eventers out there??!

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millitiger

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as the weather is so horrid and i can't ride anything really as no school, i have decided to cheer myself up by planning next season.

i need help with choosing courses for my 2 horses as haven't really evented for 3 years so a bit out of touch.

horse 1 is super bold and confident PN so needs big, technical courses that might actually make him think about what he is doing.
also maybe some small Novices? he is fine with technicality but cannot jump the big, wide tracks like Weston Park.

horse 2 has done 4 intros 2009 ending with DC at Broadway.
i need easy, encouraging Intros at the start of the year, then more technical.
then need some easy PNs towards August until the end of the year.

i have added below all of the events that i can travel to, any help much appreciated (told you you would need to be bored!
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Apr 3-4 SOMERFORD PARK (1)

Apr-04 LAPWORTH **NEW**

Apr 17-18 ELAND LODGE (1)

Apr 17-18 KELSALL HILL (1)

Apr 20-21 SAPEY (1)

Apr 24-25 BRADWALL

Apr 24-25 SOLIHULL (1)

May 2-3 BROADWAY (1)

May 12-13 RODBASTON (1)

May 30-31 CLEOBURY MORTIMER (1)

Jun 4-6 BRAND HALL

Jun 5-6 DRAYCOTT HOUSE (2)

Jun 5-6 ASCOTT UNDER WYCHWOOD (1)

Jun 12-13 GREAT TEW

Jun 12-13 LLANYMYNECH

Jun 15-16 WEST WILTS (1)

Jun 26-27 WOLVERHAMPTON

Jul 3-4 ELAND LODGE (2)

Jul 6-7 SHIPTON MOYNE

Jul 14-15 UPTON HOUSE

Jul 17-18 MALPAS

Jul 17-18 ASCOTT UNDER WYCHWOOD (2)

Jul 20-21 CHELTENHAM

Jul 23-25 STAFFORD (2)

Jul 31-1 TETTON HALL

Aug 3-4 HOMME HOUSE (MUCH MARCLE)

Aug 17-18 SAPEY (2)

Aug 21-22 SOLIHULL (2)

Aug 21-22 SOMERFORD PARK (2)

Sep 4-5 GORING HEATH (2)

Sep 4-6 CLEOBURY MORTIMER (2)

Sep 10-11 WEST WILTS (3)

Sep 25-26 KELSALL HILL (2)

Oct 1-3 DAUNTSEY PARK

Oct 13-14 RODBASTON (2)

Oct 16-17 BROADWAY (2)
 
Wouldn't go to Draycott again personally. Have been three times, and one other time on foot. The course is ok but the ground is pretty much always crap in one way or another.

Eland Lodge is lovely, I aim to get there. The Intro has a bit of everything in it, so isn't simple but is encouraging. The PN is lovely, a bit to test you but again nothing technical. The Sjing is on a surface which is ok! Very bright sjing!!

Ascott Under Wychwood is LOVELY, loved the course when I walked it... nicely built and inviting with enough to do.

Stafford is a nice old fashioned course, not twisty but causes enough problems. They work hard on the ground and it is very friendly.

Cheltenham have only been to once, but the ground was like concrete so didnt run Sjing or XC. Not very inspiring!!

Great Tew is a big PN, but again very very nice and inviting (solidly built). Sjing in a big arena on a slight slope.

Thats all I can think of at the mo...
 
I'm not much help as you aren't in the same area as me so i don't really know those events but i am SOOOOOOOO bored too!!!! I have also planned my season and things todo most weekends between 2nd Jan and first event!!!!

Of the events on your list i can help with

Ascott Under Wychwood - Lovely event!!! I did the intro this year and thought it was really nice, inviting and jumped well but also not tiny and a few educational things to think about on the way round. PN is tircky, not huge but loads to think about and quite technical.....it cause a lot of probs this year.

Goring and Dauntsey are big and bold PNs, not the place for P to do Novice i'd have thought but fab PNs for him. How far is HIghclere for you, that was supposed to be a very big PN this year
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Solihull is nice - bit of everything there. In the intro there was a step down three strides step up stride to rail in as 4, 5AB. Big grey was on cruise control [and I had a trapped nerve in my shoulder] so we bounced the rail. There's skinnys, a nice water, good variety.
Wolverhampton was a nice course, incorporated part of the allweather racetrack, but was quite straightforward [as in one big loop, no water]. But there's only so much you can do on a racecourse
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Because I am too very bored, I'll give you an analysis on the courses that I know
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~#~

Apr 3-4 SOMERFORD PARK (1)

Apr-04 LAPWORTH **NEW**

Apr 17-18 ELAND LODGE (1)

Apr 17-18 KELSALL HILL (1)

Apr 20-21 SAPEY (1)

Apr 24-25 BRADWALL

Apr 24-25 SOLIHULL (1)

May 2-3 BROADWAY (1) - I've been told that the Intro here is inviting. Not sure about the PN. Maybe the intro would be suitable for horse 2?

May 12-13 RODBASTON (1)

May 30-31 CLEOBURY MORTIMER (1)

Jun 4-6 BRAND HALL

Jun 5-6 DRAYCOTT HOUSE (2)

Jun 5-6 ASCOTT UNDER WYCHWOOD (1)

Jun 12-13 GREAT TEW - I've been told that this is quite big, probably not for horse 2, but maybe suitable for horse 1.

Jun 12-13 LLANYMYNECH

Jun 15-16 WEST WILTS (1) The Novice here is quite inviting, as are all course really. Would be a good PN/N for horse 1, and a nice Intro for horse 2.

Jun 26-27 WOLVERHAMPTON

Jul 3-4 ELAND LODGE (2)

Jul 6-7 SHIPTON MOYNE

Jul 14-15 UPTON HOUSE

Jul 17-18 MALPAS

Jul 17-18 ASCOTT UNDER WYCHWOOD (2) - All courses here are very inviting, and it's a nice place. There's a more technical water complex - would be suitable for both, as the Intro water is quite nice, whereas PN is a bit trickier.

Jul 20-21 CHELTENHAM

Jul 23-25 STAFFORD (2)

Jul 31-1 TETTON HALL

Aug 3-4 HOMME HOUSE (MUCH MARCLE)

Aug 17-18 SAPEY (2)

Aug 21-22 SOLIHULL (2)

Aug 21-22 SOMERFORD PARK (2)

Sep 4-5 GORING HEATH (2) - Heard this is a nice course for all levels, so maybe suitable for both again. I've been told this is an inviting Novice.

Sep 4-6 CLEOBURY MORTIMER (2)

Sep 10-11 WEST WILTS (3) - as above, although I think that horse 2 would be able to do the PN this time around.

Sep 25-26 KELSALL HILL (2)

Oct 1-3 DAUNTSEY PARK - I;ve heard this is very big and technical. Not a nice one for a novice horse at all. I've been told the PN is more like N, and Intro is more like PN.

Oct 13-14 RODBASTON (2)

Oct 16-17 BROADWAY (2) - as above.

~#~

I know it isn't on your list, and it may be a bit far for you to travel, but if you want a nice Novice course, I would suggest Stonar School. I did the ISODE over the BE tracks there, and despite only doing the PN, the N looked more like a bigger PN than a N. It was too technical, and rode very nicely.
 
As golden_match has said for West Wilts, Dauntsey and Broadway. West Wilts courses are good first timers - nothing to big or technical and same for Broadway - the intro looked more like unaff 2'9, and the PN was a more like an intro. I've heard dauntsey is v.big.
 
Of the ones i've done:

Kelsall is a fair course, Intro was nice, but can be hard.

Bradwall is a nice course, but ground wasnt great when I did it in 2008.

Tetton PN is lovely; but big-i'd say top end PN with big hedges.

Off topic...is Weston(1) big? Didnt think the 1* was huge, wanting to do OIU21 there in the spring, but Shannah cant do that if its big!?
 
oh, yes, I am soooo bored - especially as I can't even riding this snow where I am! I'm afraid I'm in a different neck of the woods to you, though, so can't help with your choices!

If anyone has any inspiration for doing things to avoid boredom in these conditions, I'd love to know
 
thank you everyone!

Eland Lodge i think is a definite- lovely photos on facebook.

Great Tew, Goring, Tetton and Dauntsey for Pilfer then.

Ascott Under Wychwood for either?

Millie to do Braodway, West Wilts and Wolverhampton.

Millie flew around Solihull inside the time as her second Intro so ok to go there, not sure if there is enough for Pilfer though.

regarding Weston, there was nothing too technical or skinny but there were a lot of maximum height/width fences when i was there and it was a v.v.long course- Pilfer will jump you a big fence or 2 but cannot do 30 big efforts over a long course!
 
Yes she's really enjoying a new challenge. It's actually my trainers horse, she's sent him there for a season as she's having a baby. Useful as E gets lots of extra help/advice!!!!

Pilfer will be at our house on Christmas day, my parents have got a big blown up pic of them xc framed for her present!!!! He looks fab in it
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oh good, glad she is getting on well.

Pilfer is the most photographic horse i know, particularly over a fence- i don't think i have seen a bad shot of him (plenty of jumping pics where i look bad on him though!
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OMG, you can get to ALL those?! I have like 10 events I can do in a season (within a 4 hour drive).

I cant wait to event again next year, but with a brand new house - Im worried how Im going to afford it
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For what its worth, these are the ones I know -

SOMERFORD PARK - Fab event, beautifully built and presented courses - ask quite a few questions, always a good mix of technical and kick on fences (they seem to particularly like combinations of related fences on bending lines), always over subscribed, horse needs to be fit - there's a good hill XC

ELAND LODGE - Really nice again - I've only ridden at the unaff events here over the PN course but I really liked it, lots of variety, they're always upgrading too - at the unaff event the SJ was on a nice surface but the warm up was tiny - may have been diff for the BE though (I was balloted!)

KELSALL HILL - Mark Phillips is taking over as course designer this year so should be interesting to see what he comes up with. Dressage arenas tend to be on a bit of an incline but the ground is good early / end of season as its sandy so tends to run even when others won't.

BRADWALL - One of my favourites, its been around for ever, since I was pony club eventing. I think its quite straightforward in the intro and PN but Nov has stepped up a bit recently.

SOLIHULL - Short flat course with well dressed fences - lots of effort goes in to pretty them up. I've only Intro'd here, and it rode well. I thought the xc was not the most demanding at Intro / PN. SJ was quite small I seem to remember.

BROADWAY - V straight forward courses (even though I still managed to stuff up in the Nov
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). Nice one to step up Intro to PN?

RODBASTON - A flat course, lots of variety - cool shark in the water on the Nov! It is probably a higher end Intro / PN but I personally wouldnt say the same for the Nov. Tends not to ballot as it runs mid week

CLEOBURY MORTIMER - I've heard people say they don't think enough work is done on the ground here - it can be a bit patchy. Its one of those places my horse has always run well so I'm quite pro CM although I see the ground point. SJ is in a lovely grass arena bound by hedges on 3 sides.

MALPAS - Good old fashioned hunting type course, lots of stuff in fence lines. Really friendly event. Sadly ground often very hard so SJ tends to be quite small.

STAFFORD - I thought it was v straightforward when I was last there a couple of years ago - it would have been somewhere I would have chosen for a first event or a first upgrade, but I've read comments from others recently which lead me to think it may have been beefed up a bit.

TETTON HALL - Bit like Malpas in that it is a lovely old fashioned hunting type course with plenty to kick on at but nothing really tricky.
 
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