Fox-Pitt clinic at Hickstead

[Lots of Gift Bags]

Wouldn't this be amazing? Clinic with WFP in the main arena at Hickstead? If I were riding/jumping at the moment I'd consider it. Except. £500! Yes. Five. Hundred. Pounds.
So who would do this and can you really ever gain that much value?

 

[Roxylola]

I pay more than a lot of folk I know for my training, and I dont object to knowing that some of that is cost of facilities etc. But I'd have to be pretty amazing to think my training was worth that much. I'll go up to £2 per minute at a push but that's my absolute maximum

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

I hadn't formulated my value for money model Roxy, but that sounds sensible to me. I always used to be very happy to pay for good training but this just seemed to be a ridiculous amount to me.

 

[HashRouge]

Is it for a couple of days or is that just the cost of one session?!

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

Is it for a couple of days or is that just the cost of one session?!

One session ?

 

[teapot]

How long is the session?!

ETS: is this the one that's in the main sj ring? Wonder how much it is to hire, if so?

 

[HashRouge]

One session ?

Good grief!!

Mind you, I've lived and worked within about 15 mins of Hickstead for the last four years and if you're going to offer something like that it's a good place to do it. Lots of wealthy horsey folks round this neck of the woods...

But still, £500 for one session is . Do you think he's feeling the pinch with Covid?

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

How long is the session?!

I'm not sure. Got to be max 2 hours hasn't it?

 

[hobo]

I have just looked it up you get breakfast, talk, photogragh's and a shared session so it is more of a whole experience rather than just a lesson.

I guess if I could jump more than 12" I could pop along and do a private lesson with him for just £150 as he is only up the road!

 

[teapot]

Is it this one? Ok so you get a bit more than just a lesson but...

https://2thebarn.com/bookings/info/...nchbiuI0fcv46S6Zb39oWtX9XBdxvc3x9uotOjU7DZkrM

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

I have just looked it up you get breakfast, talk, photogragh's and a shared session so it is more of a whole experience rather than just a lesson.

I guess if I could jump more than 12" I could pop along and do a private lesson with him for just £150 as he is only up the road!

That wasn't clear from the advert I saw, still £500 is steep imo.

 

[Mule]

Id rather the private lesson that hobo mentioned. I'd imagine you'd learn more so it would be better value for money.

 

[teapot]

There are better people with better teaching reps around for non three figures for a lesson...

 

[milliepops]

The Ts & Cs are interesting... all horses should be insured ?

No it wouldn't be for me. It sounds more like an "experience" day but tbh they'd have to make it bloody good to be worth that ?

 

[Mule]

The Ts & Cs are interesting... all horses should be insured ?

No it wouldn't be for me. It sounds more like an "experience" day but tbh they'd have to make it bloody good to be worth that ?

I wonder why the bit about all horses should be insured is in the t&cs?

 

[Kahlua]

I can definitely see why someone may want to do this, but I’ve always thought if I had that sort of money spare I prefer to do a boot camp with my own coach and add in a few extra lessons that week or for a few weeks in a row ?

 

[Bradsmum]

Perhaps the gift bag you receive from his sponsors includes a Jeep

 

[ycbm]

How else does an ordinary mortal get to jump in the Hickstead Derby arena and have lunch with an Olympic Idol? I think it would make a great present for fairly wealthy people.
.

 

[Grassy]

I think the hire of the International Arena runs into several thousand pounds, I’m sure I read that somewhere, so this will push the price up

 

[Roxylola]

Oh I'm sure this is very true about the arena hire etc. On a personal level I cant afford anything like this and I'm not good enough to say I'll put it on my card and it will be worth it.
However if I had the spare cash for it, it sounds like a fab experience - much more than just a lesson.

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

I think that's the thing, being able to ride on the hallowed ground that's the International Arena. It would be a fab experience and I'd definitely consider it if I was riding/jumping. I don't think I'd get value out of the clinic as such, but it would be a day of a lifetime!

 

[teapot]

I think the hire of the International Arena runs into several thousand pounds, I’m sure I read that somewhere, so this will push the price up

They opened up hire to the general public earlier in the year, trying to find the post about it.

 

[Bernster]

OH and I were discussing this morning. I think equestrianism is unusual, it’s a great leveller in many ways and top flight competitors are much more accessible than in lots of other sports. This seems to me to be like usain bolt teaching you to run, or Michael Jordan giving you a basketball lesson. Yes it’s a chunk of cash, but it’s an amazing experience. Not for me and my 70cms bit if you can afford it, I can see why people would go for it as a special occasion.

 

[greenbean10]

Echo others that yes it's expensive but if I had the money and I could pay the same for all that and a lesson with Scott Brash in the main Hickstead arena I'd do it! I can see why people will if they have the money to spend and probably for very wealthy people £500 is the same as £50 for me!

 

[humblepie]

Hard to believe as couldn’t even jump a cross pole now but I jumped in the international arena on a little ex racehorse in her second year of show jumping. The British Novice championship went there the first year they ran it - 24 years ago yesterday in fact ?. As you say if you look at what people pay for a track day experience in a super car or with their own motor bike it is probably comparable.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

As others have said sounds more like an experience than just a training session. I used to have lessons in the dressage arenas then was allowed to ride around the grounds but not in the main arena but have ridden all the way around it. These days there are lots of other events and training a available at Hickstead so it’s not as elite or out of reach as it used to be. I do have a video of my younger horse doing a 4 year old class in the main Arena in his previous life. Me - I’m not a natural jumper

 

[Orangehorse]

And you have to get your horse there and stand in the lorry the rest of the time, unless there is a stable.

 

[alexomahony]

Same as many others - WFP is one of my riding idols and if I had the money to spare and was closer I'd absolutely jump at this opportunity. It's very expensive, but what an experience.

 

[Red-1]

And you have to get your horse there and stand in the lorry the rest of the time, unless there is a stable.

With it being WFP, I presume the day is aimed at eventers? I know when I was eventing, I could be 3 hours between dressage and SJ, and another hour before XC, plus time standing while I booked in.

If the lorry is big enough, insulated, water and hay available, then experienced competition horses won't come to any harm. They arrive, wait until you have had breakfast and watched the masterclass, then they get off and do some work, then back on for lunch, chat, videos and presents. Not much different to waiting for prizegivings.

Mr Red hated it when I was placed. Having to wait hours for a prize giving. Having said that, he was even more mad when we would wait for hours, then someone would pip me at the last minute

If I had a suitable horse and the cash (and lived closer) I would love it as a social day.

For actual training I would go to his place though.

 

[DressageCob]

I paid £150 I think for my WFP lesson at Somerford a few years ago. Lovely guy, great photo of him stood next to my pony, but I get far more out of my lessons with my riding school instructors. I don't know if it was that we were boring to teach, he was having an off day or (as with some people) he's a better rider than teacher. I wouldn't do it again, but it was an experience anyway.