First affiliated event - BE80

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Stenners

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I've finally plucked up the courage to enter my first affiliated event and came off the wait list yesterday! The event is this weekend and I am just doing BE80 and wondering if anyone has any tips/pointers?

I've been thinking about the speed XC and obviously I will have no idea if I'm too fast or too slow! Any advice for sorting out your speed?

I've done lots of unaffiliated events and never really thought about my speed!

Any thoughts or advice welcome!
 
Probably a bit late to set out a distance in a field and practice your speed until you can ride it without checking your watch, I guess you are doing Bovington which tends to be very easy to get inside the time, very flat and short, so set off in a good strong canter, find your rhythm and try and maintain it all the way round, if your horse is generally fast keep it contained a bit to avoid getting round too fast, if generally slower then make sure you keep him in a strong canter and don't let him drop off it, if he steadies at some fences then increase the pace a bit in between to make up any time he has lost.
435mpm is well within the comfort zone for most horses and ponies, they should not feel as if they are in a rush to go at this speed but equally they do need to keep moving.

Good luck it is a nice first event, if you have not been there before make sure you allow plenty of time to get to sj/ xc start as it is a fair walk from the lorry park.
 
well done for plucking up the courage!!! Its great fun i did my first one in july sadly only managed 3 events until horsey broke and is now forever off eventing games :( but new youngster is hopefully the next eventer wannabe, so should be back out next season!

Where are you competing??

As it's your first event personally i wouldnt bother worrying about the xc speed! Just enjoy it! Stay in a nice easy rhythm and the grin on your face as you cross the finish line will be enough! :D Introduce youself to the BE80 coaches in each warm up they can be really useful :)
 
Thank you - yes I'm doing Bovington! I've never been before but heard it's really lovely and a great first time course so fingers crossed! Thanks for the info about the lorry park - I haven't heard that one!

I just want to get round safely that's my aim and obviously 2 complete all 3 phases!
 
Great! I did my first BE80 in July, done two since. I loved the fact that the courses were beautifully built - it's all "proper". I didn't really use the trainers at the first couple as I was a bit too self-conscious, but I did ask her for help to warm up for dressage at the last one and it was really useful. Might as well make the most of the free help! If you want to do that make sure you leave lots of time to get to the work in area so that you have time to catch him/her for 10 minutes or so.

As someone else said, leave lots and lots of time to walk the course and maybe do it twice. One problem I have had is that I have always arrived on the day to walk XC and SJ, and twice now I haven't been able to find a SJ course walking slot so I have had to jump without walking it! So if you can get there the evening before it would avoid that problem. I also walked the wrong SJ once - the 90 instead of the 80. I was all ready to jump the 90, so the 80 was easy peasy after that! The SJ is v small for the 80s.

Don't forget to take the £15 starting fee with you when you collect your number, and you will need to ask the secretary to check and tag your hat. Make sure you have your number bib. Check the rules for dressage tack - don't forget you can't use grakles, gags etc for dressage. Check that your body protector is the correct standard. They tack check in the dressage warm up and before XC.

Speed wise - I have a welsh cob and we have been miles off the time. we seriously need to speed up. However, I am told 435mpm is not too fast! Probably best not to worry about it, go in a good rhythm and then you can work out the right speed to go next time.

Have fun!
 
Oooh, have fun!

As the others say, allow masses of time so you don't have to rush anything. I write a timetable each time we go backtracking to breakfast, plaiting and getting up and it seems to work. And also don't worry about the time first time out, just keep in a comfortable rhythm then you can work out how to adapt for your next outing. As you gain experience it'll get easier.
 
thanks for this guys - really helpful I'm so nervous! I'm going to be pretty late in the day - is that a good or bad thing? I don't go XC until almost 5pm! The course is about an hour away from me - I was thinking of walking it on the day but now after what you guys have said I think I might go down tomorrow afternoon and then walk it again on the day! Do they have set times you can walk the courses from? I never even thought about not being able to walk the SJ course! Would I then walk that the night before also?
 
nor did I stenners. they do seem to schedule in breaks in the SJ running for course walks, but at my last event they were several hours apart and the next one was when I was in for dressage so I couldn't get there. the SJ course should be built and ready to go the night before I would have thought. just make sure you check which one it is if they have several courses set up! obviously if they have a different class on first then the height will be set for that. late times not good for nerves! can you make use of the morning to get some jobs done to distract you?
 
There will be a BE80 course walk with the trainer before the SJ starts, so between 14.20 and 14.40 approx, do check when you arrive as that is what the trainer is there for, do not assume it will be the same for the 80 as it is for the 90/100, it will be set for the 100 the evening before , there should also be at least 1 if not 2 xc course walks, there is no mention on the schedule of the times but it will be posted in the secretaries building, try and go on it if you can fit it in.

Late times do give you plenty of time to prepare, as well as to get more nervous, arrive early and get a feel for the venue, watch some others do all phases and give yourself time to arrive at each without being rushed, if anything concerns you do ask the trainer who should be at the sj warm up and xc start when you are going, they are helpful and happy to answer questions if you have any.
 
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