arenas that are no more

[Lanky Loll]

Mill Lodge - went every year for the pony teams. Lots of memories none suitable for the internet

Are you a member of the BSJA ponies from the 90's page on FB?? There's a vid been posted of the "treat" got in for the girls going out of ponies in 1990 I was much to young to be allowed to stay in to watch that although I remember it happening

Hampshire folks - what happened to Burley Villa (tiny arena but always went well there) and the big outdoor place down there - want to call it Vicarage Farm but I know that's wrong

I thought the Essex one was Longwood?? Still remember trespassers being seen off with a shotgun one night

 

[humblepie]

Rambo - I remember the Great Missenden show. We did the British Novice regional final there. Think may have done a Newcomers regional there another year. Were driving there at 30 mph in my old lorry and there were some lorries going the other way. Was convinced was on right route so kept going. Talking to someone else later they had turned round and followed the other lorries and ended up at a pony club event!

Has happy memories for me as we won and qualified for the final which in those days was Hickstead Int Arena.

 

[cobwithattitude]

Sabel - thanks very much - glad to hear it is still going and of course, LONGWOOD!

 

[Garnet]

I learned to ride at Millfields in Stetchworth near Newmarket and there used to be big BSJA shows there. I got Nick Skelton's, Liz Edgar's and Lesley McNaught's autographs there one dark winter evening!

 

[Honey08]

@Honey.

Really was. Shame as it was a nice place.

Where are you? I used to live in Littleborough, used to work at Fenn's Equestrian centre, remember that? Thats gone also, I believe, but wasnt a venue as such.

I'm over the hill in Saddleworth. I vaguely remember Fenn's - went to a pc demo there many moons ago and thought it was a great place (in the days when hardly anyone had arenas, let alone indoor ones!).

 

[barneyhunter]

I remember the Friday night showjumping - used to go on for blooming hours!

I know these are all SJ venues but anyone remember Shamley Green horse trials? Dunsfold Ryse? Lovely venues.

I remember Burwood Farm in Guildford - I'd take hours to hack there and home again, usually clutching a consolation rosette or two!

Horse Trials - well thats a huge list, on top of Shamley Green and Dunsfold Ryse there is Stilemans (ok only recently finished), Brockwood Park, Aston Park, Petworth, Wokingham, Crockstead, Clandon Park, Withcote Hall and Merrist Wood. Thats just the ones I went to, Im sure there are many others in the South East (I know Withcote isnt in SE but I realy enjoyed the 2DE there) that I have long forgotten about.

 

[Little Nell]

Are you a member of the BSJA ponies from the 90's page on FB?? There's a vid been posted of the "treat" got in for the girls going out of ponies in 1990 I was much to young to be allowed to stay in to watch that although I remember it happening

. Great to know that the most embarassing moment in my life ever, is now up on youtube for all to see

 

[Lanky Loll]

. Great to know that the most embarassing moment in my life ever, is now up on youtube for all to see

it makes for scary viewing even now!

 

[Double_choc_lab]

I remember going to two arenas Hereford way in the early 80s. One was Yarkhill, I also remember the name Bartestree. Is that the name of the second arena or was it another name for Yarkhill? One was fairly basic indoor school the other was quite new then I believe with a cafe (posh in those days) and lovely outdoor warm ups. The smarter one held Newcomers Regional Finals.

 

[Baggybreeches]

I was going to say Mill Lodge!
Of the great arenas we had in the North West, we had Goostrey, Aughton Chase, Arena North (now Camelot theme park) and lots of xc courses that are no longer used, Walsh Hall (Hazel Booths) Cobbs Brow (West Lancs County PC), Storeton Hall, Osbaldeston had a BE course.
Probably another half a dozen that I can't remember missing.

 

[EventingMum]

Echo those already mentioned by Scottish riders - Kilmardinny, Letham House, Devon Leisure, Jumps. Going further back (really showing my age!) Overhailes ran affiliated shows for a short while when the Airds were there and there was also a centre at Drem we went to once or twice. I jumped regularly at Foxley and we sometimes ventured over the border to Stannington and Rufforth Park however the 3 day shows at Balcormo were the best!

 

[measles]

Forgot Foxley! Real blast from the past

 

[Horsemad12]

East Midlands people, do you remember;

There were also some lovely country fairs (Rempstone Steam Fair, etc) and county shows which have fallen by the wayside

Rempstone Steam Rally still runs. Cancelled this year due to the rain but they had Jousting there 2-3 years ago!

 

[sussex_sun]

I've recently come back to riding after a 25 year break (work/4 kids/skint), and I'm quite shocked to hear that Stocklands is no more.

I used to WP for Celia Ross-Taylor when she was at Forest Mere (her old yard is now the equine hospital I believe) and used to go to Stocklands all the time - it was a great place.

So, my question is - why have so many venues closed? Have others replaced them? Do people not compete like they used to?

Tbh (and going off-piste here - apologies) looking through the posts on this forum seems like much has changed - EVERYONE seems to be doing dressage these days. Affiliated SJ classes start at a really low height, people seem to have a lot of problems with their horses....working in an outline? is that the same as on the bit/engaged......and wtf is this parelli thing??

 

[kerilli]

I used to go to Box End too, it was a really tight arena with the judge's box in a corner (?!) I remember nearly landing in the judge's lap once on a 16.3. Crikey.
Lost Horse Trials... crikey, so many. Withcote Hall was fun, esp the 2-day, don't miss the too-narrow water though, that my grey blithely bounced (oops) from a hand canter when we did it.
Wellesbourne, Everdon, Northampton, so many gone... and especially the big Stately Homes ones: Savernake and Cornbury were fantastic, had an absolute blast round the Advanced tracks at those, so so sad to lose them, a real privilege to ride at.

 

[Quadro]

The one at drem is Appin. Overhailes has been flattened ans is now cattle sheds.
Q

 

[meardsall_millie]

Rempstone Steam Rally still runs. Cancelled this year due to the rain but they had Jousting there 2-3 years ago!

Yes I know the Rally still runs, I meant the horse show element, which (I believe) is now either tiny or non-existant.

When I did it as a kid (so obviously back when Adam was a lad ), there was a huge horse show attached - showjumping, showing, working hunter, games, etc

 

[Little Nell]

Echo those already mentioned by Scottish riders - Kilmardinny, Letham House, Devon Leisure, Jumps. Going further back (really showing my age!) Overhailes ran affiliated shows for a short while when the Airds were there and there was also a centre at Drem we went to once or twice. I jumped regularly at Foxley and we sometimes ventured over the border to Stannington and Rufforth Park however the 3 day shows at Balcormo were the best!

Wow Foxley, when it was at lanark racecourse my very first show away from home was lanark racecourse, handy pony and working hunter My lil turd of a first pony was neither handy nor a hunter, or a suitable first pony and he certainly didn't like work but he did stick his tongue out after he got polos which endeared him to everyone!! Too young for Overhailes but got the best pony i ever owned from the airds.

 

[JCWHITE]

Yes, the Town and Country was always a blast, working hunter and coloured classes right in the heart of the Royal showground with parking right beside it, great memories!
I still have the mare I did a lot of classes on, she is 24 now and retired, she used to love doing extended trot to show off and got really buzzy at that venue!

 

[humblepie]

On the show jumping front anyone remember shows at Tatchbury - may have entirely the wrong name. Am thinking it was Southampton ish way? This would be the early 70s? Recall they had a white fenced main arena and then other rings. Lanky Loll may remember though she is a bit (or a quite a bit) younger than me.

 

[Lanky Loll]

Not sure HP could be the one I want to say us Vicarage Farm but know it's wrong had a big main arena and then about 3 smaller ones round the outside. Think it was near Brockenhurst maybe??

 

[Millie-Rose]

I did my stage 3 and PTT there! Wonder if we were there at the same time?

I used to have private lessons with Stephen in the evenings and took my exams in 1999. Used to jump ponies there in 96/97 time happy days!

 

[humblepie]

LL could well have been near Brockenhurst. Did have big main arena and three outside

 

[humblepie]

Have googled tatchbury and found that it was near Southampton and went bankrupt in 1975. I am even older than I thought.

 

[EventingMum]

Wow Foxley, when it was at lanark racecourse my very first show away from home was lanark racecourse, handy pony and working hunter My lil turd of a first pony was neither handy nor a hunter, or a suitable first pony and he certainly didn't like work but he did stick his tongue out after he got polos which endeared him to everyone!! Too young for Overhailes but got the best pony i ever owned from the airds.

Well, I'm very old - not that I like to admit it and jumped at Foxley when it was at Mount Vernon, Glasgow before they moved to Lanark. I attended many Pony Club camps at Lanark Racecourse before it was leased out though.

 

[Lanky Loll]

:

Have googled tatchbury and found that it was near Southampton and went bankrupt in 1975. I am even older than I thought.

Still not sure what the one I'm thinking of is then

 

[Bigbenji]

Did anyone ever compete at Home Farm in Stoke Poges? (think thats the right spelling!)

 

[teapot]

I'd love to see Goodwood back as a dressage venue!

 

[PrillyD]

Crabbet park is still going. Theres a hunter trial there this weekend...

 

[Jane_Lou]

The show I was thinking down the road from Hickstead wasn't Stocklands it was Pyecombe! Do they still have shows there - it was a great venue back in the late 80's.

Somewhere for the Irish crowd, was it Hawthorn Lodge where they couldn't jump in he indoor due to the low slung lights but the outdoor was great and they had an amazing derby course. "Old Kill" will never be the same as "New Kill" not that they are running shows at the moment anyway and of course the event at Punchestown, which was the only course in the world that under long format actually used real chase fences on the racecourse!