Riding Club Horse Trials qualifiers

Noodlejaffa

Noodlejaffa

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www.ailsamactaggart.co.uk
Can anyone give me an idea of how scary the Riding Club Open Horse Trials is? I'm debating whether to play safe and go for the Intermediate class, or to push myself and go for the Open.

Area 1 dates have just gone up and for the horse trials qualifier we're getting to go play at the new Scottish National Equestrian Centre at Oatridge. Yipee!
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I went to the champs at open level, it was fine. Id done two novice level BE things before it though which I think is a good idea. The champ coarse was beefy-ish, although not worse than I expected. There was 1 or 2 which were rather huge as they were part of the special open last year, but put in for us this year (like a massive narrow hedge in the woods near the end). There were some questions technically and a few rider frighteners like a log on top of a huge very steep hill you have to canter down to a beefy log with a drop the other side. And there's a god awful very narrow hedge a few strides out of the 1st water which was very harsh and a few riders had problems at it.

As long as you've done a couple of novices and a few open RC things before you go, you should be fine. Personally, if I qualify again next year I will be doing a lot of practice over narrow things!

TBH I thought the intermediate had a few technical things too like 2 fences on a real angle you had to jump with 2 strides in between. Wasnt very big though.

Its really up to you, as to how well your doing if you want to move up a level. If your able to practice round the new course at Oatridge before the qualifiers then definately have a go at the open and see how you go!
 
I think they are slightly easier SJ as only 1m10 rather than 1m15 that BE has. I have plans to do the open this year its around Pontispool so hoping it will be ok!
 
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