Favourite venues . . .

[ponytrouble]

I've been tasked with writing a list for a friend's blog about the UK's favourite equestrian venues and was keen find out people's opinions. We're South West based, so have Chard, Pontispool, KSEC and Bicton down but am really keen to explore venues further afield. Would love to hear your top choices - and why they're your favourites. Thank you!

 

[Squeak]

Are you wanting training centres or just competition centres?

 

[dorsetladette]

Dorset show ground is a nice smaller (from what I've seen of it) venue. I've been to a few NPS shows there.

Sparshot College seems to be used more and more for events now but I haven't been yet.

Kingston Maurward College have recently had a new cross country course installed - parking isn't great there (small area)

Moreton equestrian centre is nice and really pushing the events side of things.

Are you looking just south west? is there a specific discipline you have in mind?

Hickstead is lovely show ground wise, but stables do need work (deep littering just doesn't work on competition grounds ).

 

[ponytrouble]

Are you wanting training centres or just competition centres?

Hi, both please

 

[ponytrouble]

Dorset show ground is a nice smaller (from what I've seen of it) venue. I've been to a few NPS shows there.

Sparshot College seems to be used more and more for events now but I haven't been yet.

Kingston Maurward College have recently had a new cross country course installed - parking isn't great there (small area)

Moreton equestrian centre is nice and really pushing the events side of things.

Are you looking just south west? is there a specific discipline you have in mind?

Hickstead is lovely show ground wise, but stables do need work (deep littering just doesn't work on competition grounds ).

This is so helpful, thank you. Looking across the country and in all disciplines - thank you!

 

[Ossy2]

Somerford park has to be up there in terms of training and competition facilities

 

[humblepie]

Aintree is amazing because of the lovely arena, history and being a racecourse stable facilities top class. Warm up facilities a bit tight on occasion.

Onley near Rugby. Fab arenas. Can be hard work as lorry normally long way from stabling. Nice food.

Arena UK. Fab arenas. Always rains when I’m there. Nice food. Stabling getter better as more facilities put in

Addington used to love. Not been there since changed hands.

Hickstead. Best place to compete that’s not an indoor centre. Stabling and facilities out back not great but just being at Hickstead makes up for that.

Stoneleigh. Like again because of memories of the Royal Show. Stabling is generally temporary or older permanent. Don’t run their own events but used by various societies.

 

[Fieldlife]

Went to a camp at Radley Green - Essex - amazing facilities, very friendly owners, cant speak off too highly. Lovely arenas - indoors, and multiple huge outdoors, lovely 5 miles of safe grass hacking, lovely stables, etc. Good food.

 

[alexomahony]

Up in Yorkshire/North Lincs, my faves are:

- Epworth - lovely XC cource, great cafe/tack shop and good surfaces in big arenas. Lovely people too and a good mix of affil and UA
- Bishop Burton - for training and competition it's unmatched in East Yorkshire. Wish they did more UA stuff though
- Port Royal - again for training and competition. Friendly, great cafe (the best chips), great arenas and easy parking etc
- Frickley - always a good day at Frickley HT, and you get to drive through Hooten Pagnell which is the most beautiful village

There are lots more that are brilliant, but those are the four that come to mind!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Addington is lovely they used to have the UK Arab international show there.

Bury farm is another nice place they have dressage there and jumping.

Brook farm Essex have dressage, jumping,showing and clinics and stuff for kids.

 

[Roxylola]

What exactly is the information being used for? Feels like potentially lazy journalism to be honest

 

[ponytrouble]

What exactly is the information being used for? Feels like potentially lazy journalism to be honest

I promise it isn't - it's a friend's blog and she's asked me to pull together a series of articles about favourite venues. I'm keen to help her out but only know the few that are near me in the SW. Obviously google can help - but it doesn't give that really personal info, like what the parking is really like and how nice the stabling is. Really appreciative of all answers. Thank you.

 

[humblepie]

My other half decides on the cake star rating. Addington used to top that leader board.

 

[Roxylola]

My other half decides on the cake star rating. Addington used to top that leader board.

Eland lodge scores high for cake. As do somerford and kelsall to be fair.

 

[humblepie]

Eland lodge scores high for cake. As do somerford and kelsall to be fair.

Both a bit far for us to test unfortunately

 

[RachelFerd]

Kelsall has to have the best overall facilities - biggest indoor I've ever ridden in, spacious indoor warm up, outdoor arenas, XC schooling, BE XC courses, gallops, farm ride.

 

[ponytrouble]

This is all so helpful - thank you.

 

[nikkimariet]

Based Leics but I travel quite far and have been to plenty of dressage venues

Manor Grange / people are lovely, surfaces are great.

Kingswood / slick service and good surfaces.

Weston lawns / don’t have a fault really! Dressaged and jumped there too.

Bury / lovely people and great service. Surfaces are at end of life in the indoor/outdoor warm up but were rideable when I was last there.

Addington / I like the surfaces! Both indoor and outdoor. Toilets could be better.

Sheepgate / plenty of arena space and just really like the people.

I’ve also got onley and vale nearby - like these but personally tend to get stuck in a judge rut and I like getting seen by different faces if I can. Fieldhouse is very friendly but the indoor warm up needs some love. Newbold is good but my horse prefers to jump there rather than BD! He hates Pickering but the surfaces are good and people are lovely (he likes jumping outdoors there so maybe it’s just the indoors that offend him). Willow banks is lovelyyyyy and I’d really like to go back soon.

Arena uk I tend to go to for champs and regionals, surfaces are fine but the food and car park could be improved. Hartpury always been good for winters. Bromyard only been once but would go back, lovely people. Car park a moderate lunar landscape but not dreadful. Somerford is fab I wish there were more regular shows there but in all honesty it’s perhaps slightly too far for ‘just’ BD. Beaver hall could do with some TLC, the surfaces were very deep when I was there last BUT they do great cake and it’s pleasant. Moulton I find hard work, the warm up is an odd shape and I’m always called late or early BUT my horse is also a twat there so it doesn’t matter as I shan’t torture them with my appearance again swallowfield is a sweet quiet venue, the indoor is a bit claustrophobic. Allen’s hill the people were lovely and surfaces ok but toilets and no cafe. Moreton Morrell there’s a lot to look at but surfaces are great and the car park has loads of room. Eland lodge I love the shop/cafe I haven’t competed there myself in years but been to help others and seems to tick the right boxes.