PetPlan Area Festival

[Roberto14]

Hi everyone me and my horse qualified for an Area Festival at novice level.

Just received my time-exciting 😊

I do have a few questions
1. There are three judges listed. Why is this?

2. Please can people give me some idea of what it will be like? I'm getting more nervous because I have no idea what to expect.

3. Is there any extra rules I need to know about ?

 

[HufflyPuffly]

1. Three judges is for more scrutiny as it's a championship.

2. Just like a normal comp, but arenas will be dressed with flowers/ banners. You will have a tack check too where the steward will check your bit and spurs.

3. No callers and no whips!

 

[Notimetoride]

I did my first one last year and got terrible stage fright ! It was really formal, and you HAD to be trotting up the centre line bang on your allotted time. Due to a combination of things, we had to retire. Then had the walk of shame leaving the arena. I mean really, who retires at an AF ?? Well me it seems. I was distraught for ages afterwards as had i put my heart and soul into it. We are having another bash this year, but approaching it TOTALLY differently. We are going to a different venue (last years really didnt work for us) and this year, trying to have a far more blase` attitude. Im a leisure rider, so whatever happens it doesnt matter. I know know it is a little more formal than a normal competition, so hopefully wont be quite as shocked this time. My aim for the day is to simply enjoy it, regardless of the outcome. To trot up that final centre line and do my final salute will mean far more to me that any rosette

 

[Tr0uble]

I did my first one last year and got terrible stage fright ! It was really formal, and you HAD to be trotting up the centre line bang on your allotted time. Due to a combination of things, we had to retire. Then had the walk of shame leaving the arena. I mean really, who retires at an AF ?? Well me it seems. I was distraught for ages afterwards as had i put my heart and soul into it. We are having another bash this year, but approaching it TOTALLY differently. We are going to a different venue (last years really didnt work for us) and this year, trying to have a far more blase` attitude. Im a leisure rider, so whatever happens it doesnt matter. I know know it is a little more formal than a normal competition, so hopefully wont be quite as shocked this time. My aim for the day is to simply enjoy it, regardless of the outcome. To trot up that final centre line and do my final salute will mean far more to me that any rosette

I can beat that! Took my 4 YO to her first one (my second) last year - she pulled a winning test out the bag, except I halted her a letter too early and dropped us from 1st place to 3rd!!!! We were literally a fraction of a % behind first place so if I'd not done that we'd have won it comfortably.....so we missed out on going to Hartpury!

 

[ihatework]

I did my first one last year and got terrible stage fright ! It was really formal, and you HAD to be trotting up the centre line bang on your allotted time. Due to a combination of things, we had to retire. Then had the walk of shame leaving the arena. I mean really, who retires at an AF ?? Well me it seems. I was distraught for ages afterwards as had i put my heart and soul into it. We are having another bash this year, but approaching it TOTALLY differently. We are going to a different venue (last years really didnt work for us) and this year, trying to have a far more blase` attitude. Im a leisure rider, so whatever happens it doesnt matter. I know know it is a little more formal than a normal competition, so hopefully wont be quite as shocked this time. My aim for the day is to simply enjoy it, regardless of the outcome. To trot up that final centre line and do my final salute will mean far more to me that any rosette

Don't worry - I got bucked off over X in an area festival once. So not only did I have to do the walk of shame, but I was also covered with waxed sand!!

 

[Leaping]

Hi everyone me and my horse qualified for an Area Festival at novice level.

Just received my time-exciting ��

I do have a few questions
1. There are three judges listed. Why is this?

2. Please can people give me some idea of what it will be like? I'm getting more nervous because I have no idea what to expect.

3. Is there any extra rules I need to know about ?

Three judges listed as there will be 3 judges for every test. One will be at C (you do your halt salute as normal to the judge at C). The location of the other two will depend on the venue and what space they have around the arena but typically you will have one at E or B and the other one on the C short side near to either H or M. I have had it where all 3 have been on the C short side (one at C, one at 'H' and one at 'M').

There will be an arena walk which the venue should list, you can go to any arena walk (if its a local venue and the timing of the one on the day you are competing doesn't work for you , you could go a day earlier). You must have your number on (this is standard BD rule but people forget). The arena walk is just that, depending again on the layout of the venue the arena walk is walking round the outside of the arena or round the inside - this gives your horse a chance to see the additional judges' boxes and any flowers etc they have put out to decorate the arenas.

There should be a tack check steward, some will check your tack as you enter the warm up, some will do it as you go to your test, some will do it as you leave the arena after your test. If your horse is not keen on strangers looking in their mouth (they check the bits) etc then you can request for them to do it after your test (they will also ask to take off any fly hood).

There will be a prize giving, times should be displayed near the results board - again this depends on the venue as to whether its mounted or dismounted, whether they want the top ten or top 6 or top 3. If it is mounted and you don't trust your horse to behave, then you can attend on foot (but be dressed in competition kit and looking as smart as you can).

Results can take a little longer to come out as they are having to add up 3 sheets not just one per competitor.

When you pick up your sheet don't forget to pick up your area festival plaque.

No whips and no callers in your test (you can have your whip in your warm up, if you have a good memory you can carry it round the arena so long as you drop it before you enter at A up the centre line).

Enjoy it, its an achievement to be there, remember lots of other people will also be nervous and be experiencing it for the first time. Take a deep breath and smile with pride as you enter at A to start your test that you are at an area festival on your superstar horse. If you have any questions ask the secretary, the majority of them are lovely and very helpful.

 

[HappyDayz]

Enjoy it! We did our first AF on Saturday, it didn't go to plan (see the picture at the end lol) but we still enjoyed the experience and will hopefully get another sheet this week to have a go at a different venue. I was to pleased to get through the whole test without forgetting anything that I then halted too early and got the buzzer! Everyone was very friendly and at the end of the day we are all there for the same reason! Have fun!

 

[ann-jen]

My first crack at the regionals, my horse was so freaked out by the venue that we were cantering in the free walk lol.... and at one point thought we were going to jump the arena doors :-o

 

[Notimetoride]

Reading these have actually made me feel loads better (and im not the OP - sorry OP). Im clearly not the only one who things go wrong for. Some stories are a little funny too (sorry). Feeling a little less anxious about my return to do my second AF next week

 

[Notimetoride]

My first crack at the regionals, my horse was so freaked out by the venue that we were cantering in the free walk lol.... and at one point thought we were going to jump the arena doors :-o

What did you sheet say ? 'Rather tense'

 

[ann-jen]

What did you sheet say ? 'Rather tense'

One of the judges appreciated the situation and commented 'what a shame she wasn't on side today. Not your day' The other two commented as if that was the way I intended to ride to the test so yes pretty much! I was like.... I worked my backside off to qualify so surely it must be obvious this isn't how she normally goes!
I was mortified at the time as we were late in the day and had huge crowd of people watching our moment of shame lol! Now I just find it hilarious!
I took her back to the same venue this year for the BS senior camp.... a few days jumping in the big arena and she seemed to realise the arena wasn't the horse eating cavern of doom that she thought it was! So hopefully if we ever qualify again we might do something that resembles dressage and not giraffe racing lol