Anyone doing the Burghley XC Sponsored Ride?

[Kenzo]

Did anyone do the Burghley XC Course Sponsored Ride (obviously minus the jumps!) last year?

If so was it worth trailing your horse up there and more to the point did you have a good time, please share your experience.

Do you get placed into groups for example... plodders/people that may want to go at a faster pace/keeping the children together etc? or was it pure carnage and people tearing about at different rates all over the place?

Was it well organised, boxing area, refreshments etc?

And are you going again?

 

[shellonabeach]

Yes I went last year and will be going again this year.

I rode in a group with my 2 friends, we were given a start time but were allowed to start earlier as we were on and ready. I had visions of us being started off in a massive group but it didn't work like that at all, we simply started off the 3 of us together.

It wasn't carnage at all but like a very busy sponsored ride so plenty of overtaking / being overtaken. At the start we got stuck behind a large group of 10 horses going slowly and with several green horses, we passed them at a slow trot (had asked first) and the lead horse threw a fit. It is def not the place for a green horse!!

We had a great time, plenty of variety, hills, fields, wood, trying to get my boy to stand near the XC fences!! We had several decent canters but it was easy to get bunched up with other people and having an old mad TB mare in our group who always has to be in front made things a little tricky.

I am only an hours drive away so personally for such a relatively short ride which is expensive I wouldn't travel for hours to get there.

Parking was well organised, there was the usual burger stand which was very nice.

We could hear some of the show-jumping but not see anything, nor any of the crowds of people shopping.

 

[Kenzo]

Thanks for your reply, just wanted to know if anyone had been and what they really thought of it, sounds really good then, I'll send for an application/sponsor pack and make some arrangements now!

Cheers