No BS at Merrist Wood this winter :(

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suzi

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Been trying to find out their dates so I have them in my diary with no joy.

Just emailed them to find that no affiliated SJ is running their this winter.

I am gutted....it's so local to me and easy to get to I was looking forward to the winter SJ there as I really struggle to balance work and competing over the winter so it's great to go somewhere local......

Any other suggestions???
 
We're in the same boat - MW is about 20 minutes from us so I was gutted when they said they weren't doing BS. We did offer to run BS shows but they had already used the dates. We are planning to do Crofton, Patchetts, Wellington and maybe some 2 day shows at Keyso, Addington etc.
 
The word on the street is that the warm up arena isn't up to scratch.

I'm 2 min from there and equally annoyed as had hoped this winter would be spent jumping, not sure I'd do the unaff they have planned having heard of the concerns over the outdoor surface.

Next nearest I believe is Pachesham. Rose cottage is a bit of a trek but it looks nice there. Crofton looks fab but so far away... Yateley if you'll jump on grass?
 
I was told that it was because they didn't make any money out of the BS shows, unafil they won't have to pay BS anything. Not sure what is wrong with the outdoor surface, it was fine when we jumped on it last year, considering Blewbury run BS shows & you have to warm up in a sand filled shed or on a bog (never again) I can't think that is the reason. Patchetts, Crofton, Addington, Wellington, West Wilts, Summerhouse would all be in reach. Yateley has finished till next March now.
 
merlinsquest said:
I was told that it was because they didn't make any money out of the BS shows, unafil they won't have to pay BS anything. Not sure what is wrong with the outdoor surface, it was fine when we jumped on it last year, considering Blewbury run BS shows & you have to warm up in a sand filled shed or on a bog (never again) I can't think that is the reason. Patchetts, Crofton, Addington, Wellington, West Wilts, Summerhouse would all be in reach. Yateley has finished till next March now.
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Ok, Crofton is not out of the question at all.

Will look up Patchetts, Addington etc....

I thought Wellington just did Club shows?

And Yateley I was very unimpressed with as I have twice turned up there to find out that they have decided not to run the show...
 
Luci07 said:
Royal leiisure? They run every week and into the evenings. Vicarage farm? As well as Pachesham and Samds Farm
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Royal Leisure is 1 3/4 hours but I have been there....

Pachesham I don't think run over the winter? and are Sands still doing BS??

Am currently looking at the BS website for ideas.

Am just a bit gutted as I'm likely to be working weekends as will be so busy so MW would have been ideal to fit everything in to one day!
 
As a venue that also runs BS and unaff SJ I agree that it's most likely a financial decision.

The cost of a BS course builder (approx £150), 2 BS judges (£50 each), hiring the timing and the prize money means we often run at a loss. A huge part of the problem has been that the BS refuses to co-ordinate the calendar so entries are diluted by other local venues running on the same day. They have made some changes recently to the date application process so we'll see if anything improves.
 
Wellington runs BS on Mondays, the warm up is a bit small & can get "interesting", don't think Pachesham run over the winter. Felbridge is also a possibility, but not sure if they run over the winter either. Also there is Bury Farm & Quainton Stud...
 
RobinHood said:
As a venue that also runs BS and unaff SJ I agree that it's most likely a financial decision.

The cost of a BS course builder (approx £150), 2 BS judges (£50 each), hiring the timing and the prize money means we often run at a loss. A huge part of the problem has been that the BS refuses to co-ordinate the calendar so entries are diluted by other local venues running on the same day. They have made some changes recently to the date application process so we'll see if anything improves.
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I wondered why there were often some rather odd date clashes...sometimes over the summer I had loads of options within an hours to an hour and a half at the height I want to do....other times there was nothing...
 
No BS jumping listed in Sparsholt schedule - if you look at the website of the people who I think used to run the shows at both Merrist Wood and Sparsholt (Real Shows) they cancelled all shows from June 2012 onwards. I think I might have to get used to having to travel to Crofton - bit of a shame as I am stabled 1/2 mile from Merrist Wood :( . Some homework on BS website and google map needed I think.
 
I think tony Pearson and hayley bates from rose cottage have taken on the dates that real shows would have run at BCA.

Gutted to lose mw, and felbridge pachesham and yately don't run through winter, nor does vicarage.

Sands farm does but god help you if you go when the billy stud arrives with around 20 horses, and monopolises everything from the car park to numbers board and warm up.
 
MCTM said:
No BS jumping listed in Sparsholt schedule - if you look at the website of the people who I think used to run the shows at both Merrist Wood and Sparsholt (Real Shows) they cancelled all shows from June 2012 onwards. I think I might have to get used to having to travel to Crofton - bit of a shame as I am stabled 1/2 mile from Merrist Wood :( . Some homework on BS website and google map needed I think.
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That's because the woman who ran the Real Shows bogged off with all their money! Dont think we'll be seeing them run again! They ran at BCA and Sparsholt, not Merrist Wood though. Ella-Louise Webb ran the MW ones and no idea why they've stopped them. I'll ask Duncan next Sat when I go dressage writing there again.
 
star said:
That's because the woman who ran the Real Shows bogged off with all their money! Dont think we'll be seeing them run again! They ran at BCA and Sparsholt, not Merrist Wood though. Ella-Louise Webb ran the MW ones and no idea why they've stopped them. I'll ask Duncan next Sat when I go dressage writing there again.
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Sorry, dont know where you heard this but that is categorically absolutely not true, and I would suggest you think twice before making false accusations like that in public, especially when the horse world is as small as it is!
 
The BSJA shows that used to be run locally to me ( like Sparsholt and Hoplands ) were crying out for entries . Hardly anyone turned up to their shows . Of course Hoplands is now defunct but you can't blame them for giving up doing BSJA if they don't have the support . Every BS show I've been to ( only been to a few, but places like Yateley) there is only a handful of people there .

It must be financially crippling for those of you who now have to travel further afield.
 
Felbridge does quite a lot over the winter, i am about 3 miles north of guildford near where the A3 joins the M25, so not too far from you OP. Felbridge takes me an hour from home, and Royal leisure about 1.20ish depending on route and traffic. Sands farm seem to have a bit, Pachesham some but not loads, suppose Patchetts is probably a bit further for you, it would be an hour or so for me.
 
fabscd said:
Felbridge does quite a lot over the winter, i am about 3 miles north of guildford near where the A3 joins the M25, so not too far from you OP. Felbridge takes me an hour from home, and Royal leisure about 1.20ish depending on route and traffic. Sands farm seem to have a bit, Pachesham some but not loads, suppose Patchetts is probably a bit further for you, it would be an hour or so for me.
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Ok, I am probably 25 mins south of you so Felbridge may not be as far as I had thought.

Which way do you go? A3 then M25?
 
suzi said:
Ok, I am probably 25 mins south of you so Felbridge may not be as far as I had thought.

Which way do you go? A3 then M25?
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Yes, i normally go A3, M25, M23, come off M23 at the junction past Gatwick and it is 5-10 mins in a straight line from there. Takes me dead on an hour, i am probably 10 mins from M25 J10
 
Last show for Pyecombe outdoors this season is next Saturday, 13th. Then we go unaffiliated throught the winter, still outdoors on all weather.
We are 5 minutes further along A23 past Hickstead.

The official line from BS re Merrist wood is that the college pulled all equestrian funding so they couldn't afford to run BS shows anymore.
 
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