Area 17 and 18 Clear Round 85cm BN - advise please

[melliebobs]

Hi,
Can anyone advise me of a BS show for a genuinely novice horse, literally done two training shows. I would like to do a BN with him or even better an 85cm or a clear round first.

I don't want a 2 phase as the second round will be knocking on 1m but I feel more comfortable with jumping BS rather than unaff.

I have been out of competing for a few years and lost touch with things like this.

Where builds the kindest in my areas please?

Thank you.

 

[Fides]

I'd go clear round first as they tend to take the more intimidating jumps out of the equation but still leave them up so you horse can see them without having to jump them.

You could always book in for a clear round and a BN and just withdraw if you don't feel comfortable? Even if you do the first part clear you don't have to continue if you don't want - treat is as a schooling session, rather than going out to win and you might be surprised.

Fwiw, different places have differently intimidating jumps. I've been to some places where I would have been happy to jump the BN straight off and others where the clear round was full up height and width on every fence.

 

[Fides]

To add - just seen you are in Manchester. Dean Valley can be quite 'challenging' (Stockport way)

 

[montanna]

I would stick with doing the clear rounds for now. The ones before a BN are usually a hole smaller. You can usually do as many rounds as you like, and if you do come unstuck at something, you can continue until you do get him round.

BS record all rounds now too so saves getting a big E on your record straight away too (also cheaper!) And you still get to jump round a BS built course, so lots of plus's. I have been doing this with my 4 year old

 

[melliebobs]

So where can I find places with clear round. Yes I went to Dean Valley as one of the training shows I have done, did their 85cm and Clear Round, it was like a BN track to me, or am I seeing everything as big being more nervous these days!

 

[Fides]

So where can I find places with clear round. Yes I went to Dean Valley as one of the training shows I have done, did their 85cm and Clear Round, it was like a BN track to me, or am I seeing everything as big being more nervous these days!

No they are full up height - not good for a training show. Don't most places do clear round for an hour before the main classes start?

 

[melliebobs]

Looking at schedules I can only see that Church Farm have a clear round, or maybe some places don't put in on the schedule, as I say, I am out of touch with it all after a 6 year break from competing.

Glad you said that about Dean Valley though - I thought I was being a wimp, the second part of the BN was all built 1m high and wide. I wonder what Church Farm build a BN like?

We survived the Dean Valley 85cm, just had two down, more due to him getting a bit strong than anything, so I guess we are kind of on the verge of getting towards a BN, and if I went all the way to Chruch Farm I would ideally like to do more than just the clear round. But I suppose we could do a CR and see what the course was built like and maybe save it for the next time up there.

I will stay on a ticket until I feel ready I can go clear round a BN - thanks for the advice both of you x

 

[IndygoGirl]

The Dean Valley 85cm are Amateur courses so they are built a bit more 'technically' than a BN. Church Farm midweek shows (usually a Wednesday) are fantastic as they're quite quiet and it's a lot of novice horses - when I was working for myself and able to go to Church Farm every Wednesday I produced my then-4 year old pretty much exclusively through those shows. I found the BN to be exactly as it should be - encouraging for a novice. Church Farm is also great as it is very colourful which is a great education in itself. Everyone there is very encouraging as well.

Also look for Aintree unaffiliated show jumping. They are well built courses like you would see at a BS show, over the same kind of fences, so also a great education as you've got more options height-wise. Lot cheaper than a BS Ticket as well!!

 

[VRIN]

Church farm is very nice, very friendly and accommodating. I did my first BN there this week. The CR was just a hole smaller than the BN. Fence 12 in the BN seemed enormous but I did think well I can just miss that out but my horse was jumping so well we did fence 12 too - and what a buzz!

So good place to go. They seem to be doing a show every couple of weeks. CR is only a fiver which is very reasonable too!

 

[VRIN]

PS Warren farm have a show 7/8th June. They have club classes starting at 60cm

 

[melliebobs]

Ah this is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks for your replies.

VRIN - well done on your first British Novice

Indigogirl - thanks for the heads up about Aintree, we should find a couple of things to aim at.

Out of interest is there a best time to join BS? Is there a time in the year when all the BN will be 2nd round etc?

Thanks again everyone x

 

[IndygoGirl]

2nd runs are only run at a number of venues around the country at this time of year before Scope. As it happens, annoyingly, there are no 2nd rounds in Areas 17 or 18 this year. Nearest one for us is Harrogate on June 21st and all second rounds are pre-entry so you'll never find yourself entering one accidently.
There isn't really a best time - they are incompetent and useless all year round but all membership runs to the end of the month regardless of the actual day you joi so I always join on the first of the month and that way you get an extra month. So for example mine expired march 31st. I renewed the next day so now my membership expires 30th April 2015.

Have you looked at Cash jumping? Better run, more range of classes and better prize money. Significantly cheaper as well.

 

[melliebobs]

I haven't been a member of BS for such a long time it will be like starting from scratch again. I have never heard of cashjumping, but just looked it up. How have I never heard of this before? It sounds perfect, just not many venues near me yet.

Thanks for the tip on when to do my BS registration! I won't be doing it though until I know I am in with a shot of some prize money/the price of the ticket makes it worth paying their ridiculous fees! No point other wise, hopefully cash jumping will give them a fun for their money at the grass roots level!