Help! where to attempt first Novice? :)

C

chrisheath11

Member
Joined
9 April 2011
Messages
18
Visit site
Im looking to move up to Novice at the beginning of next season, we've had some great DC's at BE100 and i really feel we're ready to give a Novice a shot. However, i dont have a clue where to start! I am based on border of Hertfordshire/Essex and generally travel up to 3 hours to an event. Looking for a nice straight forward track to have a go on, my nerves couldnt handle anything too scary ;) at the moment im thinking of either: Little Downham, Aston Le Walls, Goring Heath, Burnham Market or Purston. any comments on the suitability of the above would be great, or other suggestions! thanks!! :)
 
The early at Aston is nice, the August a little harder. Went to Little Downham Novice last autumn and it was BIG. Goring was pretty big too this autumn, slightly less so in spring. Never been to Burnham but heard that it's lovely, and Purston is on my top bunch list (along with Highclere, Withington, Longleat (sadly no more :(). Hope this helps :)
 
Can't really help much as we havent actually done that many BE's due to horse injuries etc, but I did the Novice at Purston (2) a few weeks ago, and thought it was a beefy and fairly technical track.
 
Burnham is probably not a first novice ;)
Oasby is nice, a good step up for all levels IIRC.
I hear Aston is also a good one.
 
Goring 2 Novice was the trickiest this year we thought, definitely not a first Novice but maybe the earlier one was more straightforward. Rosie would probably say LD or Purston.
 
Thanks so much for your help! I'm at little downham today doing the PN so might have a peek at the novice to get an idea :) and have narrowed it down to LD and purston
 
Hi,
I would definitely suggest Oasby, for a few reasons including the going is always good whatever the weather (having competed there in sleet/pouring rain, blazing sunshine!), pretty much a flat course and good to spectate. Incredibly helpful organisers and very accommodating. Course is not as "meaty" perhaps as Witchingham or Burnham but still true to a novice track.
Can be very windy there so take extra warmth! Aston another one to consider.

Good luck! If you go to Oasby let me know as normally up there.
 
Thank you very much, that's very interesting for me having never competed at oasby before, I will definitely look into it! And I was at Aston 2 this year and had a look at the novice whilst walking my course and it all looked ok apart from a huge tricans
 
I think BM is a biggie! Little D is big (I did it today and it has GROWN) but it's not too technical - and probably not as big as some of them. However, LD 1 is in June, so not start of the season! I'm struggling a bit to think of "soft and fluffy" courses early on in the season, as the likes of Witchingham and SoE (which are early on and are in your area) are quite gnarly, I have heard. Hum. Good luck!
 
HotToTrot said:
Yeah, i did the pre-novice there today (which was lovely) and in my 3 hour break between stressage and SJ (!!!) i had a look round the novice... i though it seemed very fair, like you said not too technical but it was big!! there appears to be such a jump between PN and N, the pre novices are very easy for us but the Novice looked huge!! :)
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top