Ickworth ODE- anyone been?

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Gingey

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What did you think? Of the cross country in particular? Never been but am contemplating it as first ODE of the year (beginning of May) once we've got a couple more hunter trials out of the way.

Thanks :)
 
Is Ickworth in Suffolk? If so then I went years ago, it was a lovely course but I remember the dressage was a bit spooky as it was in a walled garden!

Parking is on a hill, and the course itself is hilly but nothing terrifying - showjumping was fine too.

If it's not Ickworth in Suffolk then ignore me :-D
 
Its moved from the deer park now and is on Kings Meadow (right round the back of Ickworth House).

Weve done the ODE and have the following to say !!

1)beware horse flies !! there are MILLIONS there !! a real pain in the behind
2)the dressage arenas are on flat ground but the finish of the XC runs right behind them, meaning the horses approach through the trees right behind you !!
3)the showjumping is in a small roped off area and is very tight with bright shiny plastic jumps
4) the XC is very up to height with water, corners, ditches and drops. The ground is hard and (IMHO) very overgrazed for most of the summer so beware.

All of that said, its VERY friendly and if its an early introduction to ODES you want, its a great place to start.
 
Ah, I see! Doesn't sound like a nice, stress-free intro to the season, for a horse who is awful with flies and is easily distracted in dressage! :o Any you'd suggest instead that might happen to be running any time around the beginning of May/end of April??

Thanks

and yes tractor, one in Suffolk is correct! :cool:
 
We have been to Ickworth many times.

The PC that run it are very friendly and helpful :)

The event is very nice, in a super Parkland, National Trust setting. It is up to height, as you would expect from a PC event. The course has a good range of jumps and questions for each level.
I would say, keep an eye on the weather. It can get very hard in dry spells, and if you don't like to run on firm ground, beware.

Otherwise I would say it is a very nice event and well worth a trip :)
 
Right location, just they've moved the course!! Ignore me :-D

Not sure if there's any ODE's there this year, but Downhouse just off the A12 at Chelmsford is very nice for a young horse - nothing terrifying or that big. It'd probably be the Essex Union running things there.
 
I did it last year and agree about the flies in the dressage - nightmare!

I really like Isleham, run by Soham pc, for ODEs too, and any unaff odes round BE courses tend to be well run in my experience :-)

Would avoid Potton like the plague
 
I entered this but withdrew last year. The ground was like concrete & there was little grass cover....but then last year we did have a very dry spring.
I didn't particularly like the XC course either, it seemed to have some tricky stuff in it.
 
Forest Edge is no more than 45 mins on from Ickworth and do a lovely ODE. Indoor for the stressage, outdoor good grass arena for the SJ and then out xc round a fair course thats nice for a first or second run.

Great facilities too !!

Or try the UNaff ODEs that run at Poplar or Keysoe. Good/prepared going over BE standard courses.
 
Thanks so much everyone this is really useful.

tractor, thanks, never heard of Downhouse before, one to bear in mind for the future

Princess P, would really like to do one at Isleham but as far as I can see there aren't any on at that time? :( Agree re Potton but will go there if I'm desperate!!

glamourpuss, unfortunately I plan to be hunter trialling Mon 9th and Sun 15th so feel squeezing an ODE in the middle might be a bit much! But again, Gt Witchingham is definitely somewhere I want to event at ASAP

mrussell, looks and sounds LOVELY, next ODE is Sat 19th though and given my first exam is only a couple of weeks after that I think I'd be cutting it a bit fine. :( Love Poplar (gutted I missed the March ODE there this yr) and Keysoe, but again, none on round end of April/beginning of May time :( (although I'm not actually sure where to find details of Poplar events as the website doesn't seem up to date, anyone know which PCs/RCs generally use it for comps?...other than I want to say Easton Harriers..? Can't remember who runs the March interschools one)

Looks like i may be ending up at Ickworth, will probably keep an eye on the weather, enter as close to closing date as possible if ground's not already too hard, and bring flyspray for the dressage and superglue for the jumping! :o

Thanks everyone
 
Ickworth usually fills so you may have a challenge personally i dont mind the ground there and they do arevate, I would be running but am away that weekend this year :-( however it can be on the firmer side but my horse prefers this I certainly think its a good education and upto height. I have lots of pics so pm me and email address if you want to see some
 
Check out the Calendar in my signature if you want to find more events near you :) In the notes section on www.facebook.com/unaffiliatedxccoursephotos , there is instructions as to how to search by county/venue.

Also, if anyone could please get course photos from Ickworth (or any other unaff xc event they go to, for that matter) I would be very grateful :D My directory is v lacking in the Essex / Suffolk area!
 
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