Phases- CC eventing champs

[Michen]

I absolutely love the idea but also despair at what I feel will be inevitable- tired under prepared horses. I’d go a far to say that at unaff low level a huge number of horses finish completely knackered and clearly not fit to pop around a 70/80/90 xc course alone.

I really hope that those who are qualified (though it looks like there’s a non qualified class alongside) make the effort to get their horses fit. I don’t think I even agree with this sort of thing being run ad hoc like this as it’s so far from the norm now and I really don’t think us low level amateurs generally do the right work to get horses fit enough for it. Hopefully the vet check will do the job!

Looks amazing fun though, jealous of anyone going (with a fit horse!)

 

[milliepops]

Oh that sounds fun, I used to do the N2D and PN3D at Aldon which ran as long format xc. Some of my best memories of eventing ?

I'm a very long time out of the eventing scene. Would people really enter a long format without getting their horses fit enough? Just doing the xc on that day does at least mean the horse doesn't have the 2 other phases to do.

 

[ycbm]

I agree, very few people know how to fitten for that sort of effort now. Many won't realise how much they should be doing at home before a horse is fit enough to take that on.

I wonder why they've done it, long format is never going to come back as a routine thing, it disappeared years ago.
.

 

[Michen]

Oh that sounds fun, I used to do the N2D and PN3D at Aldon which ran as long format xc. Some of my best memories of eventing ?

I'm a very long time out of the eventing scene. Would people really enter a long format without getting their horses fit enough? Just doing the xc on that day does at least mean the horse doesn't have the 2 other phases to do.

Given people seem happy to enter totally unfit horses for three phases- yes I’d say they would. It’s something I’ve noticed seems worse this year than ever before.

People also seem to do these long warm ups for xc, I watch in bemusement sometimes as their already often unfit horses have basically done a 4/5 min canter before they get in the start box!

 

[Michen]

I agree, very few people know how to fitten for that sort of effort now. Many won't realise how much they should be doing at home before a horse is fit enough to take that on.

I wonder why they've done it, long format is never going to come back as a routine thing, it disappeared years ago.
.

Yes I read Mary Kings autobiography recently and it pretty much said that riders felt horses lasted longer and got injured less without long format.

 

[milliepops]

the prep was half of the fun for me. When they brought in the PN3D BE published a guide to help people who had not done the long format sport before. i had groomed at long format 3 days before that so knew a bit what to expect but i think that helped, and my experience then (yonks ago now) was that people were well prepared. Vet gates were thorough and we also had some guidance on the day(s) from BE officials re minute markers etc on the phases. I hope CC would consider something similar.

 

[rara007]

Fingers crossed people put the work in. Driving is heading in the same direction having gone from 5 phase, to 3, to this year 2 with the option of the first phase being arena based and the speed for the roads and tracks having been brought down to 13km/hr IIRC. I think our longest marathon this year was about 17km and the speed on the first phase (up to 8k ish) is barely a trot for a forward horse. To be honest I like the warm up or token 4km on good ground section As. The skill of the final phase is the competition fun for me, not simply how fit can you get a horse (and therefor how much spare time and facilities do you have available).
Off to an arena hire later as our ground is so hard and 40x20 on deepish surface isn’t any good for prep…!

 

[RachelFerd]

I'm surprised they've done this, especially given that so many pros with young horses have used this as an early education thing - they definitely aren't wanting to put those horses through a long format experience just for the sake of a random unaff champs. Odd!

 

[ester]

Any that do run long format do seem to be popular, I think RC champs still is?

 

[teapot]

Any that do run long format do seem to be popular, I think RC champs still is?

Yup they do, though have got rid of Phases A-C this year because of the ground and weather conditions

 

[shortstuff99]

Yes RC champs is long format 3DE for 100 and 100+, 2day format for 90 and no roads and tracks for 80. Although as TPO said cancelled for this year due to ground.

There is also a long format 2DE run each year at Princethorpe so there is still a few around!

 

[Birker2020]

I absolutely love the idea but also despair at what I feel will be inevitable- tired under prepared horses. I’d go a far to say that at unaff low level a huge number of horses finish completely knackered and clearly not fit to pop around a 70/80/90 xc course alone.

I really hope that those who are qualified (though it looks like there’s a non qualified class alongside) make the effort to get their horses fit. I don’t think I even agree with this sort of thing being run ad hoc like this as it’s so far from the norm now and I really don’t think us low level amateurs generally do the right work to get horses fit enough for it. Hopefully the vet check will do the job!

Looks amazing fun though, jealous of anyone going (with a fit horse!)



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I used to do the 3DE at Milton Keyes which was under the long format, it used to be great fun and made the day much more interesting although I used to hate the steeplechase as I used to hate going anywhere fast on my last horse and she wasn't that reliable and would put an emergency stop in if she didn't like the look of something!

My partner and best friend were nearly killed the one year, they were stood waiting for me to come of the roads and tracks and were nearly mown down by a horse that had decked its rider on the XC and galloped towards them in panic mode. If my partner hadn't literally thrown my friend and himself to the ground on top of her it would have killed them. They were both very shaken up.

 

[Britestar]

I did the MK 3de twice and Burgie unaff 3de 3 times.

I was well prepared, interval training for months before. Both my ponies were capable of doing 6,6,6 intervals, and bounced through the whole thing. They were also doing 40/50 minutes trot/ canters hacks in between ( not so much schooling!! Lol).
I'm sure plenty of folks will make the effort to be fit enough.

 

[Michen]

I did the MK 3de twice and Burgie unaff 3de 3 times.

I was well prepared, interval training for months before. Both my ponies were capable of doing 6,6,6 intervals, and bounced through the whole thing. They were also doing 40/50 minutes trot/ canters hacks in between ( not so much schooling!! Lol).
I'm sure plenty of folks will make the effort to be fit enough.

But plenty of people don't make the effort to get their horses fit enough for a ODE alone...

 

[TheMule]

They’ve done it because it's fun, a different challenge and presumably people want to have a bit of a stay away experience. Phases A, B and C shorter and slower than the old style long formats people are discussing.
It's not like they've suddenly decided to change it with no notice, people have plenty of time to prepare and get their horses fit.
I don’t really see any issue!

 

[Michen]

They’ve done it because it's fun, a different challenge and presumably people want to have a bit of a stay away experience. Phases A, B and C shorter and slower than the old style long formats people are discussing.
It's not like they've suddenly decided to change it with no notice, people have plenty of time to prepare and get their horses fit.
I don’t really see any issue!

It's not an issue as such and I agree as I said in my post it's an awesome opportunity. It might be because I purposely go for hilly tracks for XC but for whatever reason especially this year I've really noticed very tired horses at the end of XC. If people don't bother getting their horse fit enough for just the XC, I can't see that they are likely to go about it the right way for the other phases is all. I think MP's point about a guide published on fitness for this sort of test for those who haven't done it before is a great idea.

 

[millitiger]

I've been lucky to have qualified at 2 levels for this.
I don't think I will go as its long format.

I don't really want to stay over, it's a long way to travel 2 days in a row and the long format doesn't hold much appeal for me when I'm so careful with his legs the rest of the time.
I agree,, I see lots of horses (and riders) finishing xc blowing hard so would hope they step the work up if they intend to enter the champs.

Perhaps I'm just a grump!

 

[humblepie]

A friend is aiming to qualify, not quite there yet but is already on the fittening regime in the hope that they do qualify. Horse is fit enough to be doing the events he has been doing and she is on a plan to up that fitness.

 

[LEC]

I completely disagree about the fitness. I find IME people do considerably more fitness for it and make a real effort. Long format has always been popular at GR level. Moreton ran one last year and the Bicton end of year 90/100 is fabulous. The RC champs has been changed for this year but the fact they haven’t got rid of long format says a lot about it’s popularity and that they are not seeing under prepared horses.

Pros are not the target audience for cotswold cup champs and they changed the rules after 5* rider Tom Rowland won the 80cm to considerable outcry.

I am heading back to RC champs this year and it’s honestly one of the best weekends away. I don’t bother doing any other RC qualifiers apart from horse trials. I wouldn’t bother going for 80/90 but at 100 it’s worth it. I am also considering getting the horse qualified to go to Bicton just to have a crack for Badminton if this weekend goes ok.