Stepping up from intro to PN, and easy first PN?

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HairyHatMan

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I guess this has been done before, so apologies in advance!

When would you say is an appropriate time to make the step up to PN? When you're getting placed consistently at intro or doing relatively consistent double clears?

My 6yo, who I've had 6 months has done half a dozen intros with me, and we've both increased in confidence greatly towards the end of the season.

Am thinking of doing 3 or 4 more intros in the spring and then if all goes well looking for a nice PN in the Midlands area (possible Moreton Morrell???).

I'm not as young and brave as I used to be so it's easy to stay in my comfort zone, but I do want to progress!

What do you guys think?

Jo
 
Sounds good. Do a couple more at the beginning of the season and then try a PN. If possible, try and practice round any PN courses first. I did 2 intro's before moving up to PN, but I was doing unaffiliated along with that.

Cant recommend a good first PN for your area but someone on here will likely help!
 
Stafford would be a very good PN debut, but it is early on....depending on eary XC sessions we will prob go PN there, aiming to do intro at Oasby and then PN Stafford and see how we get on.... Prestwold is meant to be very nice, and Draycott had a lovely PN this year and thats May time....?
 
I would say as soon as you like, providing you choose your course carefully.
We didn't find much difference until we went to some events that were considerably more "frighteners" and needed a confident rider.
If you're doing double clears I think you'd be fine, we stayed in PN after moving up because peversely we wanted to win one.. (didn't but came 2nd)
There are lots of pics of various courses on event riders if it's still going?
 
I always aim to have at least 4 good confident clears xc before stepping up from intro to pn. for sj i don't mind if they are having the odd rail as long as they are confident, but again would still like at least 4 confident (but not necesarily clear) rounds before moving up. The further they go up the levels the more runs i aim to give them before upgrading. so once they are at pn level i would like them to have about 6-8 runs before going nov. but each horse is different!!
 
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I always aim to have at least 4 good confident clears xc before stepping up from intro to pn.

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Would that be in a row or overlapping seasons?

Looking at our results, we've done 5. Stickyish but clear Solihull, our first event, eliminated at Winkburn (I ballsed up due to inexperience, had it been a later event I'd have know how to ride it!), then 3 cracking clears at Brooksby, Oasby and Draycott (although given a 20 pens for turning a circle at Brooksby when looking back I should have contested it!).

Broadway's a little too far I think from me, so maybe Prestwold or Draycott (pity they are so close in dates to each other as both less than 30 mins drive from me!).

Shadow has actually done a couple of PNs before, and "got round", including Broadway (though got a technical elimination for jumping the wrong side of a flag) so I know with a good rider she can do it, I just don't want to cause her to lose confidence.

I will go and school over the PN fences at Eland but if I remember rightly that's quite a tough PN?

Thanks folks
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Aston le Walls will have a PN in May, that was my first PN a couple of years ago. Also Draycott was very nice this year, think their PN is in June?
Def do a couple of intros to get back into it and then see how things go, move up to PN when you feel ready, don't put yourself under pressure to do it (I did this and it went slightly pear shaped
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!!), you've got nothing to prove and it is supposed to be fun!!!
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move up to PN when you feel ready, don't put yourself under pressure to do it (I did this and it went slightly pear shaped
blush.gif
!!), you've got nothing to prove and it is supposed to be fun!!!
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That's what I'm thinking, more haste less speed and all that!
 
Suddenly had a thought, do any of the events run un aff HT before their competition say in Spring?
We used them as stepping stones and found doing the PN course without any pressure worked really well as a confidence boost.
If you know you have done the XC once it should be much easier on the day.
 
I agree Stafford in a nice first PN although they had stepped up the PN for last season.
I would try and do a steep intro like stockland lovell before moving up to PN as it makes the transition easier. Stokland lovell is a lovely event but is on the steeper end of competition. Im not very good with geography so dont know how far it is from you.
Good luck for the coming season though!
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SL is a decent treck..
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But agree, that was my first ever BE event and popped around the PN there, lovely event though
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The second stafford last season was a bit harder, but still a lovely fair flowing course
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