Scottish Eventers- training and course advice please!

FigJam

FigJam

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2005
Messages
5,716
Location
West Lothian, Scotland
teamhopalong.blogspot.com
Hi there,

As mentioned the other day, I am looking to take on my first BE intro (or 90!) event next year. I have been meaning to do this for the last two years, but my mare keeps skiving off over the summer with injuries!
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So fingers crossed over the winter she will not do herself any harm and will be fit and ready to go in the spring.
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I have never done any XC on her but she is a SJ machine, literally point and shoot and in her head is a racehorse, so I figured combining galloping with jumping shouldn't be too hard?!
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So, when spring appears, I'm hoping to get some XC training for us both which is my first question- who/where is good for this? I am based near South Queensferry, so lothian/fife area is best.

Scond question, if all goes to plan, what would be a really nice intro to do as our first event? Hopetoun is closest- I could hack there quicker than driving in I reckon! Oatridge is also close but is really hilly.
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Wouldn't want to have to drive much further than and hour and a half away from Edinburgh.

Also, can any locals recommend good unaff ODEs or know where to look out for them?

Thanks- will get saving my pennies now!!!
 
I am in the same boat as you Figjam
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Moving my new horse Tara to Scotland in December and I am trying to plan things to do.

I am west coast though - just North of Glasgow.
Haven't done any x country at all on her and only a few SJ comps so I want to find some training too.

I think I am going to start with the training event BE80 at Strathallen in August and then do BE90 at Scone, Tunberry and Gleneagles.

It's either that or go straight for an Intro earlier in the year - depends how much x-country schooling I can find first!
 
Strathearn eventing at Methven near Perth do XC training.
Also the first unaff hunter trial of the year is usually Montrave run by the local pony club I think and is usually on 1st April. All the pony and riding clubs do ODE and hunter trials and there are classes for adults normally.
 
I would say Sarah Houlden of strathearn eventing, perth would be some1 to get lessons with if you encounter issues as she really knows her stuff. She also has a fab range of jumps and I would also highly recommend going along to her jumpcross events as they will help you cross over to crosscountry from SJ and they are great training as the jumps fall down and are very techincal. I found they have helped me and my horse greatly and i have had lessons there.

Lindors is somewhere else i have heard good things about but I am not sure if you can hire an instructor as well... ? not sure.
 
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I think you should all come up and do the unaff 3DE at Burgie
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haha yes... what's a 5 hour drive between friends
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I am in the same boat as you Figjam
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Moving my new horse Tara to Scotland in December and I am trying to plan things to do.

I am west coast though - just North of Glasgow.
Haven't done any x country at all on her and only a few SJ comps so I want to find some training too.

I think I am going to start with the training event BE80 at Strathallen in August and then do BE90 at Scone, Tunberry and Gleneagles.

It's either that or go straight for an Intro earlier in the year - depends how much x-country schooling I can find first!

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Nice to hear from someone in a similar situation, I'll need to keep an eye out for updates from you! Have to admit, my first thought was the same as your's- hold out for one of the training events and then do an intro later on in the year, but I really fancy having a go at Hopetoun as it's my local.
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I think Montrave run a few HTs through the season, don't they? Will definitely keep an ear out for schedules, but don't think I'll aim for the 1st April one, need some training first! I think Dalmeny hosts an unaff ODE, which is open to adults too? It's very local to me.
 
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I think you should all come up and do the unaff 3DE at Burgie
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I would LOVE to have a bash at that but;

1 - It's miles away and I just have a little trailer!
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2 - My pony has been diagnosed as a "wonky donkey" since this year's pelvis injury and so, although I have had it proven that she's not in pain and it is a mechanical unlevelness with a vet's discharge note, she'd never pass a trot up.
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Jump cross sounds fab, I'm definitely going to give it a go! I've heard that Sarah really knows her stuff but takes no prisoners! Not sure what on earth she'd make of me!!
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I've been riding for years, but have only just in the last two years had my own horse and only in the last few months had my own transport, so I'm really a novice when it comes to getting out and doing stuff. I've never competed ever!
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You could aim for the intro at Oatridge in June, it must be near you and the xc is v straight forward, the sj is in the indoor arena, so you can go and have a practice there on any wed. night as well. It is a little hilly but not too bad and having a first run in June gives you loads of time for xc training and hunter trials etc. Oatridge would set you up for Hopetoun where the sj will prob. be a bit trickier and the xc is a bit more testing usually.
The Dalmeny event is in July, run by L&S PC.
 
Oatridge = a LITTLE bit hilly?! Have you seen the hill from the mushroom complex down to the water?!
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I'm such a wuss! I can just see my mare bowling down that hill at a million miles an hour!!

I would quite like to do it as it is very local and my mare is very familiar with the indoor arena as we do RC stuff there regularly. Would you say it's definitely a better first time event than Hopetoun? I don't even know if I'll be able to afford to do two so close together anyway!
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I have been away over the weekend of Hopetoun the last two years, but when I went three years ago, the intro looked quite nice. Although it always looks nicer when you're not riding it!
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Thanks Scotsmare, I recognise her name. I definitely need an instructor to hand the first time I attempt some XC just to make sure I'm approaching everything correctly. Plus, having an instructor there with me always makes me feel more confident as I figure they wouldn't ask me to do something they didn't think I could do.
 
Yes, I reckon that oatridge is def. the easier option, the sj and xc were straightforward and didn't cause many problems at all last year.
Hopetoun is a bit more technical and the water also catches a few out, quite a bit to look at there. Hopetoun sj is always influential as well.
One down side to Oatridge is it can be hard if it's dry weather, Hopetoun's old turf and stands up better.
 
Hmmm... will maybe have a rethink then! It's just that big long downhill run towards and after the mushrooms that worries me! I'll see how I'm feeling after a couple of schooling sessions in the spring- will make cantering down hills one of my goals to work on!
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If you get the opportunity to have any training sessions with David Gatherer grab the chance with both hands! He's definately well worth travelling to. In the past couple of years he's done sessions over the Brechin and Scone courses the day after the BE ODE which I've been to as well as other courses.
 
I have actually managed to get myself on the mailing list for some local-ish clinics that David does thanks to a lovely fellow HHOer!
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Can't make it this month and prob not next, but hoping that I can squuze into a session in Jan maybe.

How do you find out about the training day after BE events? Is it through the event organisers? SEA? A.N.Other?! I think if memory serves me right he did one this year after Oatridge actually... will need to ask next time I chat to my pals at SNEC!
 
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How do you find out about the training day after BE events? Is it through the event organisers? SEA? A.N.Other?! I think if memory serves me right he did one this year after Oatridge actually... will need to ask next time I chat to my pals at SNEC!

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I found out about them via the Brechin Castle and Scone websites. Thinking about it he also did after Wee Burgie too.
 
Oatridge is a great first time intro - and don't worry about the hill. We took a youngster there as a first time in 08 and my daughter just trotted down the hill and still made the time. Some people worried about the indoor SJ, but if you have been training indoors there it is a doddle.
Definitely do it before you do Hopetoun, which is straightforward x-c, but for some reason the SJ causes more trouble! Hope that is some help!
 
Thanks punk!

She should be fine with indoor SJ (esp as we have plenty opportunity to practice as they have the Wed night schooling sessions with a 95cm class) and we are able to go to Andrew Hamilton lessons through the RC!).

Is the SJ at Hopetoun on the big/technical side or is it just funny ground? Like I said before, not been to watch in a few years so can't really remember! It was right in the middle of everything when I watched in 2006, so maybe it's the distractions?

I reckon SJ would be our strongest phase though as my mare is an absolute machine and all I have to do is point her at the fences and try to keep her from firing at them too fast!
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