Preparing for 1st ever BE90

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Neptune

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So how would you prepare for your 1st event?

I have chosen my date and venue at the end of September and already feeling a little confused! I am off to walk the course this coming weekend as they are running their 1st of the season at the venue so will get some ideas of the questions that will be asked.

But I am feeling somewhat swamped as to how to actually prepare for it. At the end of the day it is a dressage test / Show jump round and a cross country run. So as longs as we are pretty competent in all three of those phases at the
Level / heights that are required at the event then we are all good, surely? Or am I seriously missing something?!

Fitness wise he is ridden 5-6 times a week mixture of schooling and hacking. Hacking does need to start to be done at a faster pace than I currently do which hopefully will be easier now the mud is going. So will be actioned as soon as possible. Do I need to add any other specific fitness regime in or is this enough to run at 90 level?

I was planning on schooling round the course 3-4 weeks before hand as well to make sure we are both comfortable with the area. Now, how else do I plan my diary leading up to it? Starting from now until the end of September gives me 26 weeks, how to plan? Just continue with each phase individually perfecting and/or improving each? How much XC schooling / jumping would you do each week to prepare? Really need help setting a plan in action!

The little bits you forget about are also worrying me. How do I know when/if I need to use Studs. How do I even use them? Medical Arm bands are they still required or are they not? Where do I get one from? So much different types of equipment, my mind boggles!

Any help advice you can give would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks :)
 
First off...stop panicking! It is a lot to think about, but you don't need to over think it. I'm guessing you're planning on doing Munstead? I'm there competing on Saturday and fence judging on Sunday. Try and watch a few people jumping round the 90 (orange numbers), you can find out when they'll be running from www.bdwp.co.uk. As long as your horse can keep up a decent pace canter for about 5 mins you should be fine. How much work this takes depends on the horse. I have one (TB) that can manage that and more from just hacking 5 times a week, and one that needs a fittening plan akin to running the Grand National! There are usually plenty of clinics run at BE venues, or a lot of them you can school round outside of the times they are closed for the event. If you are going to Munstead, have a look at their website, as i know there are quite a few clinics organised there.
Medical arm bands aren't compulsory any more, but may be a good idea if you have any medical issues (I am diabetic so will continue to wear mine).
Studs are personal preference, see how your horse copes with different types of ground with or without studs. If you will be competing on a ticket, it is often a good idea to offer a day's help in case of a ballot. It will mean you are less likely to be balloted out if they are over subscribed. Horses/riders on day tickets are the first to be kicked out in this case. Anyone volunteering will generally get preferenceif they can manage it.
Keep an eye out on here, as there are a lot of eventers, and a pretty friendly lot! I have found i always know someone at whatever events i am going to, or there are always plenty of people with advice and experience from the particular venue i am going to.
Mostly....enjoy!!
 
I started BE last year and found everyone to be so lovely and helpful. I started with the 80T as found the guided course walks useful and the trainers there to help in the warm-up on the day great. There is a good guide on the BE website for getting started in eventing and also one for each discipline you can read.

I have a checklist for what to pack for me, my horse and the lorry and also a timing plan (I am that organised!). I can email them to you if you want.

I absolutely loved last season and can't wait to get started again this year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
 
fabscd - Yes, would be planning for Munstead at the end of Sept. Good to know in regards to helping them out and no ballot. Have fenced judged there previously so hopefully that would stand for something as well :)

LFD - Yes, wasn't sure if to start with a BE80 1st, primarily for the course walks etc. Guess it is all vital information for a 1st timer! Something to think about from now till then. If you could email me your checklist that would be fantastic. Will PM you my address. Thank you :)
 
Neptune said:
fabscd - Yes, would be planning for Munstead at the end of Sept. Good to know in regards to helping them out and no ballot. Have fenced judged there previously so hopefully that would stand for something as well :)

LFD - Yes, wasn't sure if to start with a BE80 1st, primarily for the course walks etc. Guess it is all vital information for a 1st timer! Something to think about from now till then. If you could email me your checklist that would be fantastic. Will PM you my address. Thank you :)
Click to expand...

I'll email it over to you now :-) but don't laugh!
 
It sounds like you're doing enough for your horse to be fit enough for an 80/90- you don't want them super fit as this can cause more trouble than it's worth. In terms of prep go for some cross country lessons at different places- BE do organised training which I would definitely recommend. Do a few local comps doing dressage/show jumping so that your horse is used to parties. In terms of studding get used to doing it before when you're training - always under stud if you're unsure- Supastuds do super dressage studs which are my go to stud for most phases during the summer.
More than anything just enjoy it! Eventing is the most fun you can have on a horse!
 
Everyone has given you great advice. By the time it rolls around you will be plenty prepared! I have my first one of this year in a couple of weeks. Off for my first xc school next week, it's a good job she's a pretty solid xc horse, lol!

Take your horse out plenty of times between now and then - have a look at some combined training and showcross, they are good practise. Look up the BE training and other clinics on offer at venues in your area. I dont know if you want to do any events before that one, but you can probably find some unaffiliated ones that run over BE tracks that you could either do, or go and watch.

I always have a look at course photos from previous years (there are a few pages on the web that have lots to look at, if you google it) and make sure you have plenty of practise at any tricky types of fences that have come up at previous events. If there is anything that worries you, practise.

I always stud, but as rosesandhorses said, under stud if you are not sure. supastuds have a great leaflet that you can usually pick up at any trade stands that sell them that explains what type of stud you should use for what conditions and why. I know what studs my horse seems to like, and she hates being over studded, so definitely go schooling in them to give your horse a chance to get a feel for them (and a stud girth, to protect his belly!)
 
Check rule book on how many weeks before hand you are actually are allowed to school around the venue, and then check with the venue when it's closed for event preparation!
 
Thanks LFD. Received the email. Not a bad idea to be so organized. Takes some of the stress out of it!

Will check out the Supastuds you mention. They should have some info on their website to look through.

Course photos have been checked through several times already, lol. Been trying to get ideas of different combinations and to check out the ditches at each course... one part that does need a bit of work!

Wench - I didn't realise there were rules in regards to schooling round the course prior to competition. Can I get the rule book from the BE website?

Anything else I need to remember and/or know about?

Thanks all :)
 
Yes you can download rule book for BE website.

Other points to bear in mind - brush fences can be up to 20cm higher than the height of the course on xc, so BE 90 xc brush fences can be 1m10, and get you head around the feeding/anti doping rules!
 
I find You Tube much more helpful than course pics- you lose concept of size and striding on pics but videos are great and most people get filmed over the more tricky parts. E.g. If you type in Munstead BE90 in you'll get loads of vids! The other thing I would recommend is getting used to jumping at slight angles- BE90 tends to have a combination on a slight angle of 2/3 strides that always rides better angled than trying to get straight.
My major recommendation for the day is to be as organised as you can- most times will be fairly quick after each other- I usually have all my kit ready in order that I need it and before I go to my dressage I set up my XC water bucket with sweat scrapers and water boots etc as you won't believe how quickly the time flies once you start. A lot of people use different boots for sj to xc but I use the same and boot/tape before I go to show jumping and then in between I only have to change myself and not the horse. This means you have more time to take it all in before you go xc. I also leave my water bucket outside my horse box when I go xc as I always beat my helpers back to the box. Hope this helps! You'll soon get into the swing of it!
 
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