Every heard of SJ at Butlins (for the oldies)

[Double_choc_lab]

http://www.butlinsmemories.com/competitions/showjumping.htm

Whilst thinking about the thread "equine hero" I came across this obviously when SJ was in its heyday. SJ at Butlins. Some good old names there -
Harvey, David Broome, Paddy McMahon. I suppose you'd only get snooker and darts at Butlins now.

 

[HappyHorses:)]

Blimey Butlins was a name puller!

I would pay to see the young trendies jumping at Butlins now

The older ones could enter the knobbely knees comp

 

[miss_bird]

crumbs i would pay for a weekend at butlins if they done that now.

 

[Maesfen]

Crikey, that took me back!

 

[howengold]

I don't remember it but I read Billy Butlins autobiography and he was really in to SJ and there is quite alot about his SJ comps.

 

[Dartmore]

Takes me back too. Bit off thread but I once won a donkey derby at Butlins. I thought I'd galloped really fast but looking at the photo we were only trotting!

 

[myhorsefred]

Oh my gosh that took me back! We went in the mid 80's when I was a child. I nearly drowned in the outdoor pool - I remember my grandfather had to jump in fully clothed to save me!

Sorry, off topic, but what memories of Barry Island!

 

[Woody78]

1972 Bognor Regis - I plead guilty! Gosh that has brought back memories!

I think it has to be the strangest show I ever went to. Walking up to the ring with the horses past all the chalets, all the red coats supervising loads of children who, you would have thought, had never seen a horse before.

The atmosphere was great though, quite unique.

I had no idea they had kept going for so long.

 

[Dartmore]

Mum and I also got stuck in a chair lift and spent several trips going to and fro before they could open the 'door'.

 

[howengold]

I think the only reason it stopped was because although Billy loved it the board saw it as a loss. The finals for the Butlins Top Score Championship were held at HOYS on the same night as the PC games finals.

The book was really interesting and Billy was involved with so many 'challenges' providing prize money no just for show jumping but for chanel swimming, the John O'graots to Landsend walks, car ralleys. He was still sponsering SJ around the country before he died.