PC Champs - Draycott?

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Thistle

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A friend has just phoned on the way home from the Dressage, whilst they were there they walked the XC for tuesday (they are doing the Open) They are extremely concerned about the rutted ground which has now set quite hard.

Has anyone else walked the course yet?

What are your thoughts.
 
Ive not been however a horse i was going down to groom for has now come back home as he his lame
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from jumping in sj champs he was not happy on the ground.
 
I'm afraid Draycott is the one local event that I won't go to. It is a real shame as they are nice people, but the ground is continuously a concern. It is either very very greasy when wet, or rock hard
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Ground often causes concerns at this venue, dont run here anymore because of it. They have made claims re their ground care and how much machinery they have to provide good going but if it is used it doesnt often work.
 
I went to Draycott (1), and while the XC wasn't an issue the SJing was very deep in the warm up and like engine grease on top of concrete in the ring
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. The change of ground from warm up to ring really threw Carthorse.
 
There is no excuse for bad going .Nigel Taylor [ Aston le Walls] provided fabulous going last week in really bad weather and has run again this week. He works hard on his ground , others should do the same and people should complain as if your pony/horse is injured it is a great loss.
I am sure they get paid a lot of money to run these champs
 
One of our open eventers is thinking of pulling out, had her on the phone to me today over the going and what to do etc..... Something about the landing of fence 3 etc but I've not walked it yet.......
 
Funnily enough Peony fence 3 was mentioned. It is a steep downhill/drop landing. Onto what apparently looks like concrete. The organisers were at the fence so friend mentioned it as was told there was no reason to be concerned - it'll ride ok. They said it was compacted dust which had set into cement! Others were also complaining about it.

The part of the course across hay fields is OK but the places wheer the course has run previously is dreadful.

At least friend is there as an indiv so no pressure.

She is concerned though as horse entered at Blair next week.
 
I wont run there again. It is the only event where Goddy pulled himself up as he went round, after starting off fantastically
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Its not great
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The Carthorse, interesting you should say that re. Aston, as our YO was there and said it was pretty hard
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Last year they sited a fence on the hardstanding on the approach to the water in the intro. I stood with a group of people at the fence that were all scratching their head about it - it was incredible. I was just relieved I wasn't entered, if I was I would have found the rider rep!
 
Yes Aston was pretty hard, especially where dressage warm up. Nigel had told us he was preparing to water a few weeks back but then the amount that fell over the RC champs would have ruled that out but the heat and drying wind over the last few days must have had an impact. It was not unacceptably hard, we just had to re-think studding.
 
Aston dries out vey quickly and does get hard, the difference is the many jumps have all weather take offs and landings and the course is kept very smooth and level. The Taylors work very hard with the ground.

Draycott doesn't appear to be so free draining so I guess they are limited as to how well they can prepare the ground.

IMO if you are holding a championships the ground must be well prepared.
 
I ran at Aston, I am seriously protective with Tink and hard ground, seriously wasnt a worry for me, I thought the ground was pretty good really.
 
I walked it yesterday. there is good grass cover over most of the course, it is hard but i would not have said totally solid. Yes the landing to fence 3 does not look great, but it does look like it will loosen, it is compacted dust. But if your horse doen't like drops there are quite a few on the Open course & the pair of arrow heads will be challenging.
 
Aston was hard, but not rutted - and not unreasonably hard IMO either. Was talking to someone who was there on Thursday and he said going was perfect then, but by Sunday it was on the hard side. Do not think Nigel could have done anything - bits were still deep mud (off course) from the RC weekend, and TBH when the hell was he going to find time to water?! I wasn't unhappy with the ground at Aston at all.
 
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