Preparing for BE Novice!

H

Hollyhorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 January 2007
Messages
367
Location
Gloucestershire
Visit site
Hi,
I bought my present eventer as a 4 rising 5 year old in Feb 07. He was very green and we had some initial problems but he came on really quickly so I took him eventing in the summer doing a a few intros and a handful of pre-novices. Pleased on the whole as he was getting better and better and the only problem we encountered was his 'hotness', finding a bit that worked and the fact he couldnt seem to do all 3 phases well on the same day - something always had to slip!
I've now registered him BD and BSJA and he is changing dramatically. Been doing novice and elementaries and been well placed with mid-high 60%'s. BSJA-wise we've been doing british novices and discoveries (with many full up 1.10m jumps might I add!) and usually double clears, winning or top placings.
My plan is to upgrade him to Novice level eventing toward the end of this (2008) BE season. I feel that we're on track - I'm hoping to do some BSJA 1.05m classes before easter and then try some 1.10m/newcomers at the start of the summer. I shall start the season with 1/2 intros and then get pre-novicing. So I guess I'm really asking if people agree with me and if anyone has any further tips/advice/suggestions on how I can make sure he's really ready to make the jump to Novice?
Many thanks!
smile.gif
 
I'd say once he was consistenly doing clears at PN then he could go up to novice. So like you say, maybe do 1 intro to start then 2/3 PN's and see how he's going. With my current horse, he only did 2 intro's then 3 PN's before going novice. But I was also doing open level unaffiliated alongside. Like you say, as long as you're also happily jumping Newcomers BSJA before your first one then you should be fine, although TBH I very rarely see novice BE SJ very up to height! Otherwise, if you can practice round a few Novice tracks then that'd be very useful too!
wink.gif
 
Sounds like a good plan IMO if you're jumping 1.05's happily then Novice will be fine, having had lessons with various jumpers/eventers all agree that if you're happy round a newcomers at a good show centre (as in well built and good fences) then you're more set for intermediate than novice! Especially with their jump off heights!

Practice your skinnies and combination fences well and if he's consistent at PN you'l be away!
 
Sounds fine - I moved up to Novice last season and have been doing discovery and 1.05 opens in prep for this season. I may squeeze in a newcomers but probably won't!

Don't forget you also have the option of PNP this year to make the step up - Novice dressage, SJ between PN and N and PN XC.

I jumped a 1.10 open before doing my first Novice and TBH have never seen anything BE even remotely close to that height - it's all much smaller!
 
Thank you, great advice and very interesting and I will def look into PNP as sounds like a great idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks BSJA courses are big - in every discovery I've done several of the jump-off fences are full up 1.10m (which he never looks twice at
smile.gif
) and I walked the 1.10 amateur class at my last comp just for interest to see what it involved n one of the jump-off fences was 1.25m! BE says that Novice is all 1.10 with 2 fences at 1.15 or something - would you agree with that?
 
BSJA is far bigger than BE! The only BE SJ course I've jumped which was consistently 1.10 with 2 at 1.15 was Charlton Park - and that doesn't run any more!

I think of BE as 'small' 1.10, and BSJA as 'from 1.10 upwards'!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top