Most amazing competition venues?

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avthechav

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Following the Abbey dressage thread I'm feeling all warm and fluffy :p and instead of my usual winge about bad things I wanted to start a thread about the best places that you have been- here are mine

Dressage: Abbey Dressage- lovely staff, chiilled atmosphere
SJ: Allenshill/ Summerhouse- professional, nice arenas
XC: Lyneham Heath- doesnt even come close to anywhere that I have ever been...just AMAZING!

Any more?:D
 
Dressage: I love Burrows Court, the people are friendly and the arenas fantastic. Abbey is second as they have a nice indoor.
SJ: Badgworth, the people are very friendly and the chips are yummy!
XC: No idea really and I've only ever done unaff stuff.
 
...oh yes, defo need to take into account the quailty of chips- and I always feel really harddone by if I have managed to actually get placed and the rosette is rubbish!
 
Love Blackwater Farm (Gt. Witchingham in Norfolk) for XC. Have grown up going there with various ponies and there is something for everyone- right from 2' to BE Intermediate! Especially since he has all the CIC classes now- so much to practise over and lots of events.

Forest Edge (Norfolk again)- lush arena with a good cafe (know my priorities...!)
 
The food at Home Farm in Chelt is the best! Gracelands also has quite nice food. :)

I love Summerhouse for show jumping- nice big arena and very well built courses. Hartbury is lovely as well as is Kings Equestrian.

I haven't done much xc but love Hilltop. Its a lovely well built course (and also very safe.)
 
This post just kind of proves how everyone one has different opinions about places. One of the centres listed I find really disorganised, the courses very badly built if you jump on non BSJA days (think back bars on spreads several holes lower than the front and the distances all wrong) and they take the micky with the entry fees.
 
Personally, I'm only bovvered for the following (as the "groom"):-
- Clean/decent toilets/showers with reliable water (hot would be nice:p) for humans and horses
- Decent parking - preferably not at a 90 degree angle
- Decent boxes that aren't knee deep in mud
- More than one loo for errrrrrr......everyone
- Electricity for a three day event - yep.......over three days.....
- XC course where you're confident that if your horse makes an error - it won't always be life threatening :o
 
dieseldog said:
This post just kind of proves how everyone one has different opinions about places. One of the centres listed I find really disorganised, the courses very badly built if you jump on non BSJA days (think back bars on spreads several holes lower than the front and the distances all wrong) and they take the micky with the entry fees.
Click to expand...

unfortunately having amazing facilities doesn't always mean that shows are run well :(
i have issues with one course builder - he faffs about during course changes and, while i agree that the course should be as close to perfect as possible, the amount of time he spends makes the day very, very long
 
Aintree and Myerscough, both fab arenas, always found Aintree well organised and run, water easily available hot or cold, fab toilets, lovely surface, nice courses, cheesy chips is good but the rest isnt great.... Love it there even if it is a bit like being in a goldfish bowl lol. Myerscough, lovely big arena, decent tracks, fab surface. Shame they dont do more BS shows. Also very Church Farm, nice arena, good tracks, excellent food! I love the atmosphere at both Church Farm and Aintree, very helpful, friendly and kind. (Andrew Milling is hilarious sometimes...)

So in a kind of Order:
Aintee (Just perfect)
Church Farm (Good food, facilities and atmosphere)
Myerscough (Excellent arena, surface size etc)
 
Kingswood is fab especially for BD champs. They have live video link online, you can see movement by movement scores, instant results...BD could really learn something from them when they do the Nationals.
 
oooh nice post :D i'm north west and my fav venues are:

sykehouse in doncaster for SJ- nice surfaces, very friendly people, good atmosphere and awesome cafe/food :D

Richmond in north yorks- bit of a trek for me but love it here, especially good for baby horses as lots of space/ arenas (and again, good food!)

Eland Lodge- again a trek but lovely people, lots of good facilities, awesome shop

my fave BE venue is probably Kelsall as very friendly and has a nice course thats always ridden well. i like the facilities at somerford park but don't find it very friendly/welcoming sometimes
 
Yea I love Sykehouse too!(the bar/cafe refurb was a great idea!!) & also Port Royal for their tons of shows, range of shows & organisation although its very pricey!
 
Im in scotland and I go to ingliston, snec, kingsbarn and rowallan.
Ingliston is my favourite, its just amazing and the people are really nice. The chips have gone downhill recently though!
Snec and Kingsbarn are both really friendly and organised.
Rowallan I dont really like though. Arena is too big (if that makes any sense- the jumps are really far apart), people are a bit cliquey and the warmup is horrendous. It has the best food though! You just cant win.
 
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