BSJA Courses at different venues

D

dieseldog

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 July 2005
Messages
14,332
Visit site
So at the different places you jump how 'big' do they build, how big are the classes and what is the standard like?

I jump mainly at... it does all depend on which course builder they have. I also have not jumped BN/DIS for ages so I'm talking about open classes which tend to be smaller in numbers than BN/DIS

The Hand - which is always built well up to height, has lovely new fences with interesting fillers and the classes are usually about 30 in a 1.10 (unless it is one of their special shows), but you have to be reasonably quick to get placed.

West Wilts - up to height but not that many in a class, don't usually pay out 6 money and you have to go very quick to get placed

Rockhampton - build very small, but you get Rockhampton specialists which you are never going to beat.

Dorset - don't build that big in the 2nd ring, the main arena looks like it is big but its because the poles are so long about 16' so an optional illusion

Wick House - build normal and very friendly

Wales and West - huge classes but if you go DC you will get placed and the course is usually quite small for BN
 
redpost - usually big enough classes, build nicely taxing but fun tracks, and usually pretty good standard down there

bicton - often the opens are much larger than you think they should have been when theres alot in the class, sheer numbers means pretty good standard
 
Hmmmm....this thread could get us all in trouble but here goes
grin.gif


Pyecombe: Big classes, big 'names' and big courses. A 1.10 Open can have 50 starters or more. Lovely arena though and horses seem to jump well there.

Hickstead: Mahoosive classes...200+ in the 1.10m Am classes. Again build big, but courses ride well. Tough place to get placed.

Royal Leisure: Another favourite of the 'names'. Big tracks usually and tough to get placed.

Golden Cross: A bit more welcoming than some places and tracks vary in severity depending who's building. Fences fall quite easily though and indoors can be tight. Numbers vary according to what else is on in the area.

Crockstead: One of my favourites as entries are usually quite small. Tracks vary from very small to quite tough and clears are often few and far between as poles are light and fences airy. Feels like family though.

Felbridge: Decent courses. Classes can be large. Never been lucky for me though...

Other venues I have been to infrequently...

Norton Heath: Good courses and nice facilities. Very well run shows. Seems tough to do well in Essex though.

Towerlands: Fabulous !
 
[ QUOTE ]
What about Summerhouse? I am going there on sunday not on a ticket!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you affliated?

Summerhouse - take too long to build the next class
 
I'm off to Summerhouse on Sunday too
smile.gif


Summerhouse indeed take forever, tracks are about right there I think
tongue.gif
Not small or large.

Hartpury build small in first round, tend to make it up to height in JO.

Gracelands is normally up to height aswell-go up a fair bit in JO's.
 
This is a good thread! It always amazes me that classes can differ in height so much.

Duckhurst - Usually under-height, have heard the expression "building for the till" in relation to here lots of times. You definitely need a speed merchant for the small opens as well. But a friendly venue and my horses generally go well there. A good one for a novice's first show. 20 - 30 in a class normally.

Royal Leisure - Up to height but I find the courses ride well. Hard to say how many in a class as can be very busy one time and dead the next. Again a friendly venue.

Hickstead - Big, wide imposing fences. Huge entries in the smaller classes. If you have a good newcomer horse and can jump double clear or even clear/4 consistently you will be placed every day. If you want to be competitive in the amatuer classes then turning and burning is a must. 8 qualify for the main ring out of about 250 in a class. A great (if expensive) experience though no matter how you do!

Felbridge - Usually up to height bordering on big in ring 1, quite small in ring 2. Usually very busy. Ground has improved in recent years.

Towerlands - one of my favourites, superb facilities, courses are testing without being over height. Usually busy at weekends but can be quiet on a weekday.

Norton Heath - A nice venue but courses vary greatly depending on who is building. Indoors I would say the fences are spot on height-wise but outdoors they must use a different measuring stick because they always look over height to me!

Pyecombe - Haven't been here since the new surface was built but when it was just on grass - ring 1 big classes and big courses, but a lovely ring that I used to love jumping in. Ring 2 - average size classes and average courses. I always thought that they could have made a bit more effort with the fences in this ring as they always seemed short on fillers and poles.
 
My horse and I have only been registered a short time and have been to 3 Aff Shows (all at Weston Lawns)

At the mo, we're jumping 0.90m Amateur Q, BN and just starting Discovery

There have been different course builders everytime we've been

The first time we did 0.90m Am Q and BN - they were I'd say exactly 0.90m fist round and 1.00m in 2nd round/Jumpoff

Second time they were built solid - BN was 1.00m in first round and pushing 1.05m in 2nd round/jumpoff!
The Disco was over-height too - the 2nd phase must have been 1.10m!

And went Sunday (different builder again) and was under-height but a twistly course

x
 
Rodbaston- usually up to height, distances normally pretty good, although sometimes some funny turns! classes normally fairly big 30+ jumpoffs often decent and quite competitive.

Kingswood- lovely outdoors always built nicely and up to height, if not big classes all depend on the day, DC often placed. Indoors bit trickier as quite small.
 
Im based in Essex and dont do much BSJA but when I do I always go to Norton Heath for the quality of the courses, the height and the quality of the fences.

Longwood EC - Awful, warm up awful, arena awful, jumps old, no fillers, rarely up to height.

Towerlands - Lovely venue, super facilities, varies in height but nice jumps

Norton Heath - My fave, super courses, lovely bright wings and fillers, water trays, always VERY up to height BN is always like a Discovery when it is outside, and always good competition
 
well other than one winter show not jumped since July and not currently a BSJA member as let my membership lapse so bit out of date
tongue.gif


Exeter EC normally slightly under height to 'about right' depending on course builder can sometimes be over technical but normally good and suit a forward thinking horse with one course builder who tended to always make distances long (suited Dan down to ground!)

Bicton main arena almost always spot on height if not slightly over, and square wide oxers with a decent degree of technicality especially for the young riders and 1m25s+ Other arenas really depends on the course builder. There was one discovery I withdrew from as it was honestly the height of a newcomers on the other hand I see discoverys at BN height and BNs almost on the floor. So really depends who building in what ring and what mood they in
smirk.gif
Newberry tends to also be up to height though as well.

Hand - agree always smack up to height.

Redpost, only been down there twice but was up to height for the fox/1m20 and 1m30s and was testing but not overly. Clear first round normally gets you placed unless its one of the big money classes.

Wales and West, not jumped there for a couple years but was fairly gentle in outer rings but was big in the main ring. Got a photo of a very large 1m20 oxer in a fox
wink.gif


Tiverton - Not to complex slightly under max height for the little ones and the newcomers depending on entries. Normally have a good junior second round class there which is fairly hot. (think was newcomers last year)

Devon county. Big big big! well actually I lie not always, one year was very wet and big boggy so spreads were bought right in and height dropped about 5-10cm in the opens but sticky ground took away that advantage! Rest of time though its built big, wide and solid. One 1m25 class I did with about 50 entries was won by the only first round clear!!!

Pontispool - nice generally up to height as popular and area show is there. But nice surface that as long as not too dry jumps well. Big arena normally gives some nice flowing courses as well.

Jersey. Generally a bit on the small side for the smaller classes but oxers are square and courses well built. Get some very very good course builders who build well for the combinations presented in the classes. You are lucky to get 15 in a BN and 5 in a 1m10!!!

Katie
 
You forgot Badgworth - tight but not generally that big. Large classes at BN and Discovery but after that not many in a class. Good warm ups though as use of 2 arenas but not good if raining as drains badly.

Mid Somerset Show - Lovely event warm up can be a bit hair raising as they have same warm up as 1.30m classes so the pros hog the fences a bit. They water the Sj courses.

Wick St Lawrence -lovely little show outdoors.
 
well i don't understand why for BNs etc BUT course builders do have 5cm 'grace' to build above height!

I personally can see the point sometimes in an open. I take for a couple of examples the Bicton 1m25 GP is regulary easily 1m30 in the first round but with 60-70 starters who are normally predominatly professionals they have to build big to keep clear rounds to under 20ish. Another is Blue chip where they have a 1m25 winter 'classic' that when I have seen it is always well over height, one year I did it was turned into a 2 phase as well over 100 competitiors with the first phase at 1m30-1m35 and the jump off nicely over 1m40!! If they hadn't they would have had DCs left right and centre, as it was they still had quite a lot but far fewer then they could have had!
 
Arena UK - Always up to height but look smaller because of the thin poles. Not many fillers and you have plenty of time between each fence. Horses seem to love it but usually not many clears due to lightweight poles and semi-flat cups! Lots of entries but easy to win with great prize money. Always lots of pro's and very nice horses even at normal shows, but still not many clears. A place where you can beat the Whitakers etc.!

Field house - Every jump is usually as big as they can possibly get it with very heavy old poles and wings, so quite hard to knock down but would hurt if you hit it. They can be very hard technical courses in a tight arena, usually pony-types do well. Not many entries in any classes and the bigger classes more often than not are cancelled.

Markfield - Course similar to Fieldhouse but attracts lots of entries, usually big names bring their youngsters and novices. Usually quite a lot of clears, but not too many speed merchants, one kick on and you could win a class easily. ( all the pro's saving their youngsters and going for steady double clears). Usually very high jumps but not very technical. more suited to big slow power jumpers. They always seem to aim a few fences at the side of the ring as well and give you two strides to land and turn?

Moorhouse - Very friendly atmosphere, quite laid back but they can be stingey with prize money, placings and rosettes. They will only give the bare minimum with quite high entry fees. Hold a lot of qualifiers and the course height is average. Can be offputting to some horses as there are strips of light run across the floor from the windows (sometimes you need sunglasses!) Usually strange turns and one or two real bogey fences. Always have a water tray (+ floating duck). Classes are usually full but good organisation gets them through quickly. It always seems to bring out the pony jump-off in everybody for some reason? Even if there aren't many clears everybody always rips round and bounces off the walls, but the courses are designed to be able to be ridden like that.

Hargate - Strange, it feels quiet all day but entries are usually massive. Hardly any clears, you can usually be placed high up even with 4 faults. Course height can be either massive or tiny but there is usually a filler in every fence. Always seems to be very long courses with lots of jumps.
 
well as i understand it, the 5cm thing is not so all the fences can be 5cm over height, but bcoz some wings dont do the correct height, so to do a hole lower would be silly so they r allowed to go a hole higher...
why not just call it 130 instead of 125...?
ok, rant over !
 
Addington.
Super venue, very bright, good flowing but upto height courses. Huge numbers of entrants, 90 in BN 90 DC. They run it that even if you have a fence down in the first round you can continue and jump your jump off course. Just had a 3 million revamp! Occasionally have to cancel last class as end up jumping well into the night.

Blewbury.
Friendly atmosphere, nice indoor arena, very dark comparied to the likes of Addington. Indoor warm up is very tired and dead surface! outdoor if wet is normally flooded.
Its very cheap and cheerful, usually have 30 in each class.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Addington.
They run it that even if you have a fence down in the first round you can continue and jump your jump off course.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh thats good to know, they never used to do that!

[ QUOTE ]
Blewbury.


[/ QUOTE ]

To add, their grass summer jumping paddock is nice and big and well constructed (haven't been since 2005 though!!)
 
This is such a useful thread!
I agree, am glad spent the winter jumping at Royal Displeasure, they build so solidly but am looking forward to jumping outdoors there, as indoor is so tight.
Felbridge- if youre in the main ring its biig! Walked a 1.10 disco there last summer, but there is so much space and the course flows nicely. The 2nd ring is pokey and the height drops by 10cm it feels like.
Merrist Wood. Huuge classes as its the only indoor venue in area 44 * SOMEONE SORT THIS OUT!** so they build well, good lines catch you out as you inocuous (sp?) fillers and colours. Is up to height but I wouldnt say over height. The over height jumping goes on in the outdoor warm up where people insist on jumping 6" over class height
mad.gif

Anyone got opinions on Vicarage? only went unaff there last spring...
 
Hi, It all depends on the course builder on the day as to the course. We have 4 main course builders that I know of around our area and 2 of them are good fair builders and build within the height and the other 2 always build over the height and they look massive. Needless to say, I always look at who is building on the day. I go to Weston Lawns, Hargates and Markfield mainly and although they use the same jumps, some builders build more solid than others but it is the height that I look at.
At Markfield they always use the same builder, Paul Thompson, and so you always know how he is gonna build. But at Weston Lawns and Hargates, the builders vary and so does the heights. I recently jumped in a 1m open qualifier and there were some fences at 1m10!
blush.gif
In the BN on the same day, someone was walking the course at the same time as me, and I heard her tell the builder that the fences were higher than 90cm and that some of the fences looked higher in the first phase than in the 2nd phase and it was single phase. The builder then measured it in front of her and put it down to 90cm.
smirk.gif

If there is a lot in a class, some builders will put them up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top