opinions on BE courses...

[weiser]

could people please share their opinions/experience of BE courses at the following venues.im particulary interested in intro, as well as pre novice.i realise some of these dont run intros.what are the events like,the sj and esp xc courses?also which courses are the easiest as it were for intro and prenovice,to see which would be good as a step up to pre novice?
-isleham
-oasby
-poplar park
-gt witchingham
-burnham market
-milton keynes
-prestwold hall
-draycott house
-little downham
-buckminster
-shelford manor
-houghton hall
-melton mowbray

thanks alot for help with this.if anyone has MSN and itd b easier to talk about on there, then please add me on jus_bry@hotmail.co.uk thanks

 

[Thistle]

Isleham is flat and straight forward at PN, quite forgiving as it is first of season on peat

Poplar is OK, more twisty sandy going

Gt Witch has more questions

Burnham Market was OK

Prestwold is lovely!!

Downham (ely ) has a bit of everything, good going

You could try Eland too, a very educational course with quite a few questions

All these at PN

 

[SillyMare]

You must be in the same sort of area as me - your list of 'possibles' is almost the same as mine.

Isleham - no intro, PN course is nice but it does have one or two questions.

Oasby is more straightforward, Intro and PN both nice simple courses (Novice used to cause some problems - I don't know if it still does).

Gt Witchingham - I have only done their summer event which is over a different track to the spring event I thing. Not a first time PN.

Milton Keynes - good course but always has a few questions - probably not a first time intro or PN (although they run hunter trials so you can always go and practice). Ground can be hard and rig-and-furrow in places but the organisers go to great lengths to improve it as much as possible.

Prestwold - good - much better this year than last because they have improved the layout. Sticky fences 2 and 3 so would be difficult on a nappy horse.

Buckminster - lovely - no intro but really nice straightforward PN (good first PN). Runs in July so ground can be hard but plenty of grass cover.

As Thistle says, Eland is nice (but perhaps not a first Intro - one or two questions). Keysoe is very straightforward. Catton is a good event but well up to height.