HOYS V OLYMPIA

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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So just being nosey:-

1. Which one do you class first overall and why?

2. When do you think you will go again ?

3. Do you think they will run this year ?

4. Best experience

5. Worst experience

6. Which one do you rate for shopping ?
 
I would always go for Olympia personally. It's a much bigger journey for me to london than the NEC but it feels such a party atmosphere, it's always been a really integral part of xmas for me.
I really enjoyed the shopping there last year - no amazing bargains etc but lots of horsey stuff for all budgets
 
I've been to both a few times. I much prefer Olympia - the venue as a whole is much nicer. I went to HOYS last year and was really disappointed with the lack of stands - it was pretty much empty.
 
I think that is what several people said about HOYS last year, which is a big shame. Slightly different though as HOYS is all about the horses, people have spent all year qualifying to take part in the finals and the shopping is just incidental, well it used to be many, many years ago, although the move to the NEC gave them more space for stands.

Olympia is more of a end of year Christmas event. I went a few years ago and there were some very high class and expensive stands like Italian boots, furniture, definitely for the London market.
 
1. HOYS as more into showing.
2. Supposed to be going to HOYS this year.
3. Olympia might, but I think HOYS are being deluded if they think they can. All major summer shows are already cancelled and they will struggle to put together enough qualifiers even if there's any possibility of a late summer restart. And secondly, the NEC is being used as a NHS Nightingale for at least the next five months.
4. Used to enjoy both until around 3-4 years ago. Always a nice atmosphere at Olympia.
5. Last year at HOYS .. aside from the competition, the whole experience is being geared less and less towards actual horsey people. And the cost of hotels around the NEC is becoming ridiculous.
6. The shopping at HOYS isn't great now for reasons as above, and like everything else, people buy online now.
 
HOY's. Proudest equine moments of my life. Producing, qualifying and being the only amateur in the final hunter line up.

No idea about shopping as only visit was a panic dash to buy a spur strap after breaking one.

Negative is the walk from lorry park to arena and the abysmal food, oh, and the 4am queue to declare and get through the vet.
 
I have only been to olympia. I went on my todd specifically to see Valegro and i was happily surprised by getting to meet Carl too! I enjoyed it all but on my own it was not quite as good as it could have been i suppose but then im not really one for big crowds and shopping was a no go as i only had hand luggage lol I paired up with a young woman on the way home though because the bus had been cancelled and we were both solo and didn't fancy traversing unknown london streets/late night tubes alone! Cant remember her name, but i was very glad of her company.
 
I like Olympia I book two nights early in a hotel so its cheap, I go for the dressage but when the kids were at home booked a Travelodge, one room for all of us. One day a West End matinee, and the main shops, lunch or dinner somewhere nice and then an evening performance on the second night. Eating on a budget take sandwiches, or I eat in the members or restaurant.
I hate going home after the evening performance. My top tip, do not stay at the Hilton.
Been to HOYS and it just does not give me the same buzz.
 
I’ve only been to HoYs.

it’s really easy to get to if you fly down, and lots of hotels close by.

It was my first time last year so I can’t compare the shopping to previous years. I came back with a good haul. I found the stands a bit ‘Same-y’. Classes were good fun to watch, especially the pony club games and jumping. I enjoyed the showing part but only because I’m into showing and know what to look for. My poor husband was very bored at the showing classes but found the pony club and jumping fun to get in to. Food was expensive for the standard but that’s what you get at these shows. I would like to do Olympia but a bit close to Christmas for us with work and kids. I’ve thought about YourHorse live too. I personally doubt that HoYS will go ahead this year- isn’t the Birmingham Nec a stand-by hospital?
 
I’ve done each once, Olympia was so much more fun, the classes and entertainment just flowed and were wonderful. Not very interested in shopping tbh... by the time I’ve bought tickets, food, accommodation, train ticket or diesel I’m skint!
 
I think the same - highly unlikely that HOYS takes place, all the qualifiers are cancelled.
Olympia - outside chance only.

2020 - the year that never was.
 
I have been to both. I prefer Olympia as I love the Christmas feeling. But I stopped going a couple of years ago as thought it was getting very expensive.
 
I have only been to HOYS. It is close for me, and it cost next to nothing to get in last year! We went on the Sunday afternoon / evening. Easy to get there / park / get out at the end of the night. The horses / riders were fantastic and we saw some of the big names there too.

Food? Nice but pricey. shopping? Awful. Full of horseboxes and everything that is completely irrelevant to horses. I literally had to prise myself away from a guy trying to sell me a corkscrew - because apparently my life would not be complete without one.....:rolleyes:
 
I’ve never been to HOYS, I generally think of it as more showing focused (rightly or wrongly) and therefore have absolutely no interest in going.

Olympia for me is the start of Christmas so I go most years, although not really for the shopping - which appears to mostly be blingy tat or high high end expensive stuff.
 
I've been to both, Hoys more often than Olympia as it's a good bit closer. It's a good few years since I've been to either though.
I'm a showing person so loved all of that at Hoys. But it's difficult to beat the Christmas buzz of Olympia.
 
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