Hambledone Novice...

H

H-J

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Has anyone done this?

Did the PN last year which was big and required bold riding but wasnt very technical, looks like from EWW the Novice is the same, am I right?

Was going to run OPN there but its on a friday and its quite a way from me
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so will get stuck in traffic no doubt. The Novice is on the Sat so thinking might just bite the bullet and do the novice, will have 2 more OPN's before then anyway.

Thought on the course and SJing course would be great
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the novice is quite educational to be honest, you get the horses to see a bit of evrything in the novice,, the steps are up and then down them!! and there is two water in the novice but nothing that bold riding shouldnt help. Very educational is the answer and id say medium difficulty for novice.

My rider is meant to be going to lincoln with my horse on saturday ready for gatcombe but the lorry has broke down and so we are completely stuck and now trying desperately to find something for saturday!!!
 
Hambleden SJ is always leary and up to height.

There was a post on here quite recently about the novice which pretty much says the same as you.

Bee is hoping to do the JRN.
 
Leary wont bother him at all (well I would hope not!!)

May give it a shot then, can always enter then swap down if next OPN doesnt go well
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Go for it!! The cross country runs very close to the show jumping ring if i remember correctly, but its a really lovely event! Grounds good, can be tricky time due to having to set up for twists, turns and steps up, steps down etc.

go for it and good luck.
 
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I did my first ever intermediate there last year. I was completely terrified as it was huuuuge. The novice looked plenty big enough for me! I would say all the courses are very up to height-esp the sj!

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See this worries me slightly! I hate SJing!! But going to have to get over it!!
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Also to poster before time doesnt worry me too much as will just be trying to get my clears
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We were out at Isleham and the show jumping was silly for first run, trebles to dog legs with a stile on a strange stride is realy not confidence giving at novice and intermediate level in march!!!!! yes hambleden suits a good bold jumper!!
 
I consider hambledon an easy novice. It's very starightforward imho.

The reason I wont do it is the horrible 1st water complex where you turn literally into the trade stands then turn 90 degrees and there's a hanging log then ramp down into water. SO many horses take their focus off and stop at the log becuase theyre so busy trying to work out where they are. There is an alternative but it isnt much better.
It kills off the flow of the course, after that the track is fine.

The sj is fine- nice big arena although the warm up can be pretty tiny and the ground can get very hard in the sj.
 
I would def say the novice is straightforward xc wise. The sjing is big tho.
Agree with Boss re the water, but I think they have softened this for this year.
 
Cool thanks, have just looked on Photosynergy at the Novice last year and the showjumping looks ok, and for me to be saying that it cant be too bad!
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Admitidely pics always make jumps look small!

Think I will wait and see how lesson goes tomorrow and decide
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I don't think its fair to say that the first water complex is "horrible" as the log into the water is absolutely weeny & barely measures. You are quite right to say that there is a lot going on, but not as much as the silver fox when they are jumping at each other .....

The SJ is always influential
 
I went 2yrs ago and they had a big tent/marquee with no sides on it, right by the water, and you had to ride towards that before doing a 90 degree right hand turn over a log into the water. I saw a lot of horses had a good look at it and fumble into the water. The rest of the course was great, and the second water was a bit meatier:

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I would say that the Novice there is anything but easy and it does ask many technical questions and its not a course where you do your first Novice,you are going in and out of dark and light,the steps are steep and the quarry can be spooky,my horse has done PN,Novice and Intermediate there so i do know that course pretty well.
The bank before the first water is anything but easy,and i have seen quite a few hick ups at Hambeldon,but saying that it is one pf my favourite events but the SJ there is always a nightmare
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No one goes clear
 
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Thats me at Hambleden 2 year ago. I dont think its a hard novice its big but fair. That first water cause problems if you dont ride, its not a big fence and has a long route and anyone determined will get over it. Fab event!
 
i dod the In there a few years ago and the XC was lovely i thoight if not a little annoying that it started novice size and ended up sharing PN fences!! I found the 1st water very nice but then again i was one of the last to go round so no people!!!
 
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