Oldencraig

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mrsh2010

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Please can someone advise what it is like to compete at?

I'm trying to find a local venue for Area Festivals. It's a good 70miles for me from Oxfordshire. So wondering whether it's worth it. Especially on a Friday with the M25
 
I think Oldencraig is the closest, all the others are miles :-( I was looking too as missed close date for WW. Would have gone to oldencraig but we are away thatweekend.
 
There was a problem a few years ago with the swans causing a lot of spooking. Don't know if they are still there.
 
It's an ok venue - the warm up can be a tad tight if it's a busy event, and there are (were!) some flappy flags but the indoor is nice and everything is well maintained. I know it's a long way but why not go to a clinic or something first to see how your horse likes it?
 
Or you could just let the horse get some exposure to more atmosphere and use it as education for the future. When you reach the Nationals you will look back and think, 'thank heavens the horse has seen plenty'.

I would be the worlds worst for thinking of obstacles and problems for horses, but have now learnt that exposure is a good thing for competitive horses, or even happy hackers I suppose !
 
I'm going to olcencraig area festivals as can't get to any others. It wouldn't be my first choice as warmup is small and surface deep. The outdoor international arena is lovely though. (providing it doesn't rain as it does get puddly) there are flapping flags but it's good practice for the bigger shows. If you can't cope with them then Hartpury would be a nightmare! Haven't seen any swans causing probs there.
 
The warm up can get very deep and isn't as large as some other venues. In the past for AF they have parked in the front field, but they were earlier in the year (at normal shows they have lorries parked tightly in the car park between the warm up and the international outdoor, and trailers in a car park round the back). The carpark (particularly where the trailers park) is very stoney. They do have a rule for normal competitions that no horses are to be tied on the side (and when you see how tight they need to squeeze them in there is no room for them to be tied on the side) but I don't think this applies if they use the field for parking in (so then you can tie up to get the horse ready/untacked)

I don't know if the AF are self stewarding or not, the outdoor arena isn't quite visible from the warm up so when self stewarding you need to be watching for when the one before you goes down. However once you are across the car park there is a track down to the arena which you can stand on/walk small circles if you are there early.
The indoor is nice, there is a cafe along one side - and that can spook horses when people suddenly get on to their seat at E (though I don't think they could fit a second judge, unless they put them in a box in the cafe) so assume they will use that only for warm ups.

I think the swan issue was a few years ago at regionals and in a different arena (near the trailer parking arena, not the indoor or international) - but I guess if they are as over subscribed as some AFs have been they might use that arena for some tests. Can't comment on the surface in there but assume its ok, they use that mostly for their own horses/liveries/riding lessons.

The cafe is quite good and the tack shop is nice, the loos are very good.
 
Agree on the points above re: the warm up etc. It's a nice enough venue though and generally well kept (I don't particularly like the stoney carpark). My horse always preferred Oldencraig to 'nice friendly' Pachesham.
 
mrsh2010 said:
Please can someone advise what it is like to compete at?

I'm trying to find a local venue for Area Festivals. It's a good 70miles for me from Oxfordshire. So wondering whether it's worth it. Especially on a Friday with the M25
Click to expand...

We're going to Brook Farm in Essex for our AF. Not sure where abouts you are in Oxon (we're in the South of the county) but it's not actually too far with the M40 and M25.
 
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