Eden Valley report.....Why I shall not be returning any time soon!!!!!!!!

Novicehorse, i cannot agree with you more! What is this thread all about?!!

I took our horses to eden valley as their first event of the season having not been on grass this year never mind jumed a xc fence and I thought it was great.

Ok so the dressage was a little soggy (i have seem much worse mid summer never mind early April and with a leak min week i am not surprised!) I am only grateful they did not choose to cancel and just take insurance premiums, then people really would be moaning! Other then that the going was great. I had no studs in any of ours and did not find it slippery or boggy.

As for the course itself I though it was super. Well built fences with abit of variety- just what is needed and all perfect for first timers. We had 2first timers and it was ideal for them! Any less challenge and people would be saying that they may aswell do unaffiliated!

I was also very impressed with the showjumping - the surface itself was possibbly the best i have ever ridden on and the course was very well buit with high quality fences - i have been told that there were no jumping eliminations on saturday (not sure about sunday), which i have never heard of!!

All in all a fantastic event. I am sure the organisers will have spotted some areas for improvement as you would expect from any course in its FIRST year of running but myself and many others i know will certainly be back next year.

Thank you to all involved in the organising of this event I look forward to seeing further developments next year.
 
its good to hear that its not all negative but i for one won't be attending if they run again... poor ground is the one reason why i pay ££££s to attend BE events rather than unafiliated ones and i wouldn't risk my horse on poor going. i do feel sorry for the organisers but don't think that the OP is out of line with what she is saying!
 
There is a comment on the BE forum from the TA for Scotland and the north re the ground ... worth a look
 
eventingnovice said:
I competed at Eden Valley in the BE100 on Saturday and had a FANTASTIC DAY. Ok, so the dressage warm up wasnt the best going ever, but for gods sake, GET ON WITH IT. One ring really was boggy and I understand that wasnt ideal, but everyone in your section had to cope with the same circumstances.

It was Eden Valley's FIRST running, and they tried very hard to please every one, it iritates me that your all posting very un helpfull complaints.

As for the SJ, it AMAZES me that you complain about competing on A SURFACE, I mean come on?! It was lovley and for your infomation there were a hell of a lot of clears. So please dont pick faults in a brilliantly built course and a fantastic surface.

As for the XC. It was advised as a good first timmers course, and I truly believed it was. If your going to enter a AFFILIATED event then you should obvioulsy have done SOME xc schooling. And as long as this course wasnt your first time EVER OVER some XC jumps then the course would have been ideal. It rode well with plenty of clears, But not just a walk over, the time was tight, and meant that no one could just trot round, it made you push on which is what the XC is all about. And there where alternatives when needed. Ground was a Little up hill and down dale, but its a CROSS COUNTRY for gods sake....what can you expect!

A great event with a fantastic warm atmosphere, I had a great day, As did lots of other people, so please, try and be helpfull with your criticism. We are short of events as it is in the North, and should try and support new ones such as Eden Valley.
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I have to confess to being a little :eek: at this reply! All I did was report my thoughts and opinions on the day, both how my horse performed and what the event was like.

This is my 6th season BE eventing and in that time I have ridden at over 80 BE events. IN MY EXPERIENCE AT BE I have never come across ground as deep and holding as that at Eden Valley. I have ridden at serveral events where they have abandoned the second day (or even cancelled mid way through the day) and never have I come across ground like that at Eden.

As for complaining about the SJ surface. All surfaces take a little while to settle. When I had my arena put in the manufactures advised not to ride on it for 2 weeks, and no jumping on it for 6 weeks. I have heard on the gravevine that the surface providers who was putting the surface down on the Monday were very :eek: when they heard there was a BE event running on it that weekend! The organisers knew when their event was, and to leave it until the Monday before the event to lay the surface is very shoddy IMO. I really don't mind jumping on grass, infact I expect it at BE. I would rather jump on a grass arena with a good coverage of grass than the surface Eden provided (the surface will be fine once it has settled though!)

I was only giving MY opinion of the XC course, comparing it to other BE courses I have ridden. And I still stand by my comment that IMO it was not (as the schedule said) an ideal first timers event, but a course to test those looking to move up a level.

And for the comment "it's XC what do you expect?". When I have paid over £80 in entry and start fee I expect good ground. At the end of the day that is a major reason why I pay to go BE! I have nothing wrong with the course being "up hill and down dale" after all that is all part of XC, but I do not pay over £80 to run my horse over rough, deep going. If I want to do that I will find a local hunter trial in Autumn and pay £20 for the priveledge :rolleyes:;)!

As I said before this is only MY opinion, but I am entitled to it, without being told I am wrong :mad:!
 
It's an interesting post and one that shows one mans meat is another mans poison! Obviously the people that had a good run and have a sound horse at the end of it will have a very different view to those that perhaps did not.

I did know of the venue as had been XC schooling there last year and was rather confused as to where the BE course was run as where I had ridden certainly did not seem suitable for BE event. However knowing the organisers other events I had hopes they could work some magic and were maybe going to run on some different ground.

I walked the course on Friday and had very mixed views as to whether to compete or not and the course ran over the very area I hoped it would not. My number one concern was the very unlevel ground on some bits of the XC. Not that it was boggy or wet but there were dips and holes and stones which whilst I tried to memorise best route to negotiate through was concerned may not be that easy when galloping at speed. Incidentally the big stones were sprayed yellow which against the grass not easy to spot - surely a red or pink would have been better? My horse is my only horse and I think a lot of him. The friend I walked the course with decided that night not to risk her horse and I was very much in two minds myself. I know the organisers and appreciate they put an awful lot of work in but probably because of the horrendously wet winter we have had up here they will not have been able to prepare as they might have planned to. This is my fundamental worry about this venue that it is just not suited to an early season event. I know we can never guarantee the weather but were it to be later in the season I bet more ground preparation could have been done. I disagree with the people that say Cumwhinton worse worse as fundamentally although a quagmire it was still good flat pasture underneath. However I accept that we all have different horses that like different ground. I once had a horse whose favourite ground was like concrete so when others were not jumping their horses mine was in his element (and was the soundest of horses till he died aged 23).

I think the organisers were brave to go ahead. I know the dressage arena problem caused by a spring erupting mid week was obviously something beyond their control!! However the warm up area was way too small to support 6 arenas, not sure if that was impacted by the Spring. I think the SJ surface was very dead due to not having been down long enough and there WERE eliminations both days if you look on bdwp rather than just repeat hearsay and had I realised before I jumped may not have been keen to risk that personally. The XC I thought the jumps were great, nicely presented and bold it was quite simply the ground between them that worried me. I did complete the course and as I was early on the going was not too bad and I think I managed to miss most of the holes and ruts. Happily I have a sound horse at the end of it but I know if I did not I would be really kicking myself so does that mean I made the right choice or I was lucky? A friend was not as lucky as she woke up to a very lame horse on Sunday :(

I have only seen one other BE XC course where I considered the underlying ground to be worse so on that count I have to say I was very disappointed and it was below what I have come to expect as "BE standard". Would I go back - I doubt it. Think I would sit out another year as a spectator and see how it improved as I think the site in itself is not ideal for a BE event.
 
Well my Post was just my opinion aswell..so we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

Just seems like some people on here will find just about anything to moan about.. I mean there might just be a slight sticky/deeper/muddy/rutty/uneven patch at a take off point round Badminton so I will expect to see you will withdraw there awell..
 
eventingnovice said:
Well my Post was just my opinion aswell..so we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

Just seems like some people on here will find just about anything to moan about.. I mean there might just be a slight sticky/deeper/muddy/rutty/uneven patch at a take off point round Badminton so I will expect to see you will withdraw there awell..
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:eek::eek::eek:You are now just getting rude :mad::mad::mad:. If you had put in the amount of time, work and money into producing a horse as I have to get to the Champioinships I doubt you would take any extra risks so close to the event, and I saw Eden as an unnecessary risk with the ground it that condition.

If I feel the ground is unsuitable to run my horse on I withdraw. I would rather finish the day with a sound horse as there is always another competition. FWIW a friend of mine who is an equine vet was competing in the BE100 at Eden and she WD her horse before XC as she felt the ground was 'asking for an injury'.
 
charlimouse said:
:eek::eek::eek:You are now just getting rude :mad::mad::mad:. If you had put in the amount of time, work and money into producing a horse as I have to get to the Champioinships I doubt you would take any extra risks so close to the event, and I saw Eden as an unnecessary risk with the ground it that condition.

If I feel the ground is unsuitable to run my horse on I withdraw. I would rather finish the day with a sound horse as there is always another competition. FWIW a friend of mine who is an equine vet was competing in the BE100 at Eden and she WD her horse before XC as she felt the ground was 'asking for an injury'.
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Have to agree had I had a horse qualified for Badminton in 10 days time I would certainly not have risked going XC there either!!
 
Its all very well saying 'Man Up, it's xc', but at the end of the day its the OP's problem if she ends up with a horse with a pulled tendon.
It would be a shame to lose the event, but I would withdraw if I really wasn't happy as it's my horse and I will get the vet fee's, not BE.
 
dominobrown said:
Its all very well saying 'Man Up, it's xc', but at the end of the day its the OP's problem if she ends up with a horse with a pulled tendon.
It would be a shame to lose the event, but I would withdraw if I really wasn't happy as it's my horse and I will get the vet fee's, not BE.
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Precisely!! I heard some people saying they would lose £60 quid plus if they withdrew so that was their reason for running. However one vet visit if you ended up with a lame horse would be more!!:confused:

I ran my horse and I still don't know if I made the right decision. I am certainly not so arrogant to say if I was prepared to risk it and run then everyone else should have :eek: Each of us has to live with the decision we make at the end of the day.

Interestingly you will see the class with the most withdrawals was the 100 Open on the Sunday which would include some of the more experienced riders and horses - so from that do we deduce they must be the biggest "wusses" or that they maybe have that bit more experience of when to run and when to save your horse for another day?:rolleyes:
 
Charliemouse - you made the right decision for your horse. From your description I wouldn't have risked my mare over that x country either. Well done for walking away, even at great cost to you. Good luck for the Championships.
 
Totally understand your decision Charliemouse - not worth the risk when so close to what, for me is a once in a lifetime!!! I'm sure you'll have many more chances given your comparable youth!!!! I just took mine to a xc at Osberton this weekend (the ground was great - sorry!) and did a very sedate round trying to get her to listen!!! but am probably lacking the SJ and stressage practise we really need but there you go. Got my tickets today!!! so we're nearly there. Good luck to you and it would be great to meet up as we're from nearly the same part of the world! Have you anywhere you can go for a quick XC school to make up for it (pm me if you want me to give you the number of the chap at Osberton who may let you have a school round - it isn't officially a schooling venue)
 
It was the right decision for you on the day. I for one certainly would have WD if the ground was that. Let alone running up to Badminton! Best of luck! :D
 
Cyclops said:
Totally understand your decision Charliemouse - not worth the risk when so close to what, for me is a once in a lifetime!!! I'm sure you'll have many more chances given your comparable youth!!!! I just took mine to a xc at Osberton this weekend (the ground was great - sorry!) and did a very sedate round trying to get her to listen!!! but am probably lacking the SJ and stressage practise we really need but there you go. Got my tickets today!!! so we're nearly there. Good luck to you and it would be great to meet up as we're from nearly the same part of the world! Have you anywhere you can go for a quick XC school to make up for it (pm me if you want me to give you the number of the chap at Osberton who may let you have a school round - it isn't officially a schooling venue)
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I seem to be definatly lacking in the stressage department aswell, going from the scores I got for my last 3 dressage tests :o! Oh well, I just want to go and enjoy myself, and have a nice ride round Badminton Park :)! Would be great to meet up. My friend who was supposed to be coming with me , called me the other day to say she wouldn't be able to make it, so I feel a bit like i'm going to be Billy-no-mates! Having said that I have managed to rope good ole' Dad to come down with me, so I don't have to drive down all on my own!, but he can't stay long unfortunatly.
 
eventingnovice said:
Well my Post was just my opinion aswell..so we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

Just seems like some people on here will find just about anything to moan about.. I mean there might just be a slight sticky/deeper/muddy/rutty/uneven patch at a take off point round Badminton so I will expect to see you will withdraw there awell..
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i wasn't at eden but i find your attitude really rude :( my horse means a lot to me as he is my only one ,i also have to work very hard to get him to events in way of affording the fuel entry fees etc etc

now i would be incredibly P****d off , had i driven all the way to eden spending over £50 on fuel and over £80 on entries to find i could not run because the ground was unsuitable :(
not to mention missing a days work to be able to afford all this wasted time :(
i would be kicking up an incredible stink at BE now if i felt as strongly as CM does about the ground conditions as i assume you loose your entry fee choosing to withdraw

i do understand how much work is put into running an event and how disapointing ,heartbreaking even it wound have been for them to cancel but sounds to me they were not quite ready and haven't made a very good 1st impression
 
Sorry your friend can't make it - I'm there with one friend but do come over with your Dad to join us - we may be middle aged but can be quite god fun!! (friend may also drop out yet!!!) I'm in the 100 so can be around to if you need any help for your SJ and XC as I will have finished by then. What number are you? Are you staying on for the "proper" event?!
 
Thanks so much for that! I am number 320 so dressage is on Wednesday. Planning on arriving Tuesday late afternoon/early evening. I am planning on staying on for the 'proper' event as who am I to turn down a free ticket!!!!!!!!!! Are you staying on aswell? If you want a hand at anytime just give me a yell. I can PM you my details if you want, as I like meeting new people and putting names to faces!
 
Funny!!! I'm number 220!!! dressage lunchtime on Wednesday but not going to get down there till Wed morning I don't think - planning on staying at friends south of Leicester Tuesday night. I'm staying for the posh dressage on Friday then heading back to the frozen north on Friday afternoon - will pm you my mobile number
 
charlimouse, at the end of the day whose business is it whether you run your horse or not - other than you've put it on the world wide web, obviously :rolleyes: - but good for you for making the decision that you felt was right. Yes, it's galling to have paid that much money but I'm sure you, and anyone else who wasn't happy with their day, will vote with their feet next time and the event won't be as well supported.
 
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