Opinions please on making a venue for sj competing/training

[showjumper96]

Hi all, the show jumping yard where I work want to covert one of their paddocks into a show jumping field with very smart show jumps, a small bank, show jumping water-jump. We aim to make it very smart with flowers by fences and spooky fillers with white fencing around the edge to make it very special. We would like to host local competitions and offer it for people to rent out or to be taught by one of the professional show jumpers at the yard. Firstly, we would like to know how we go about hosting competitions/hiring it out, do we need particular insurance? What heights shall we hold the shows at 1' - 3'6? What prices would you be willing to pay for an unaffiliated competition show jumping? Would you consider taking part in a league e.g top three with most placings in each class at the end of the summer? Would you rather pay more for better rosettes/sashes/small trophy more money winnings or less for just a basic rosette/ less money winnings? Any opinions/advice would be greatly appreciated, we aim to make it a very special place but open for all abilities and very friendly. Thank you, showjumper96

 

[NoCollection]

On the legalities side, you would need to consider insurance and planning permission. On the practical side, there is no point in having a lovely arena if you haven't got a reasonable warm-up and lorry park - do you have space for these? You would need to look at your local shows to see whether there would ever be a sufficient market to pay back the investment. All your questions about leagues, heights and prizes can only be answered by your local competitors - perhaps get out to some of your local SJ shows and chat with them?

 

[Goldenstar]

If it's to be on grass you will have to invest a lot of time and effort on keeping the going right .

 

[showjumper96]

thank you very much for your replies, we already have a large arena about 40 x 60 for use if the ground is slippy or for use in winter and for a warm-up area, there is ample room for parking also. We are going to make the ground springy by putting lots of manure down to start and putting down grass seed to make the grass perfect. We are in rolling the field this week and have all the access to harrows, rollers etc. That's a great idea, i'll talk to some people when we next compete. Thank you very much, any more considerations/ideas are very welcome

 

[Meandtheboys]

access is usually the biggest issue ( large lorries and passing each other) and volume of traffic - impact to local residents needs to be considered

 

[Goldenstar]

You will have to keep it mown to just the right height .

 

[showjumper96]

great thanks everyone, definitely good things to keep in mind, thank you very much

 

[Theocat]

Toilets? Catering? Viewing areas for spectators?

 

[missy99]

Would personally rather pay less for more basic rosettes etc, might encourage a wider audience at the beginning, you could always change it later if you get a good name for yourself and it becomes a well known competing area!

 

[kassieg]

Do you have a warm up?

I recently went to a show looked amazing on fb lots of publicity seemed v . popular etc it was terrible !! There was no warm up so we were expected to go into the ring all warm up then wait outside for our turn... so not appropriate !
The toilet was a portaloo which is fine if clean & functioning this wasnt in any way

You need to make people want to come back
I won't go into the space they called a lorry park!!
Personally I would rather pay a bit less & not get a trophy or anything but I use unaff shows to school babies round

 

[Theocat]

Would personally rather pay less for more basic rosettes etc, might encourage a wider audience at the beginning, you could always change it later if you get a good name for yourself and it becomes a well known competing area!

Agree with this, plus it always feels ridiculous getting a twenty tier rosette with a three foot tail for clear round some little shows use the posh rosettes and sashes as a selling point but I'm really not fussed about them - I'd rather have a cheaper entry fee, or pay the same but get better service.

 

[MungoMadness]

Personally with rosettes I think the quality of the rosette should reflect the standard of the event. I.e. Little cheapie a for clear round or a big standard class, then something nicer for any qualifiers, and something really nice for championship type things!

 

[blitznbobs]

If you have a fixed fence ( eg a bank) most insurances require you to have a paramedic on site for adults and a doctor if there are children - this is not cheap so it may be worth foregoing the bank. Just a thought.

 

[LittleRooketRider]

For most of my classes I pay a fiver and anything above £10 I avoid...unless its a qualifier
if its just unafilliated then the water jump really won't be necessary...lets face it how many people have actually ever jumped one at local level?

not fussed by anything fancy for rossettes but a decent rossette is always nice as opposed to a bit of cardboard stuck to a single strip of ribbon.

grass probably not any good in winter...however in summer some form of irrrigation/watering to keep the going good-soft is always a bonus.

 

[DuckToller]

See what your niche market is likely to be - if you are surrounded by large, international style venues that cater for affiliated riders, then you might find more of a demand for low key unaffiliated, and vice versa.

If you do decide to cater for the lower levels then don't make it too spooky! Much better to get people round so they want to come back than have so many horror fillers that half your entrants fall off or get eliminated and go home in tears. Seen it too often!

 

[Adopter]

Do you have a local riding club or pony club branch you could offer the facilities to, that way you would bring in potential customers and get known. Don't overlook the importance of your public liability insurance, or need to check with local planning officers.

 

[showjumper96]

think we will aim it at lower level as there are more people competing at that level, also think we will have a cheaper entry fee and cheaper rosettes, we have a lovely school which is going to be extended even bigger soon which will be perfect for warming up/if grass is wet/slippery etc. We already have loos and everything on site and would hire catering van if show was popular. I think we'd build the bank/water jump anyhow as we're a professional show jumping yard and when we jump derbys the horses need the experience and we would use the field for our horses aswell. We wouldn't put them in to normal classes and depending on what sort of customers we attract we can adapt classes to suit all. For small classes we wouldn't put fillers in, only at the side. Just trying to get feedback from a wide range of people as most of us at the yard haven't jumped unaffil in a while, hopefully should be really nice and trying to keep it relaxed and friendly. Thanks for all your replies, very grateful x