Sunshine Tour or staying away at a show anyone?

[claracanter]

Massively excited as me and my boy have qualified for the Sunshine Tour Arena Eventing at Hickstead in September. I have never been to a stay away show( yes I know it's months away) but it seems like there will be loads to take, hay, shavings, etc.etc.. I have a trailer and I hate camping. Anyone have any advice for staying away at a show or actually done the Sunshine Tour at Hickstead?

 

[PorkChop]

Well done, very exciting

I haven't stabled at Hickstead but have stabled away loads of times. Your car will be packed full!

We sleep in the back of the Land Rover because I can't stand sleeping in a tent.

I take spares of everything, a rug for every occasion, a wee camping stove for boiling water for a cuppa. I also always take a couple of jerry cans of water from home incase the horses don't want to drink the strange water.

I take a big tub trug for skipping out into, and some basic tools incase they are not provided or being used.

If I am only taking one horse I put stuff in a massive wheelable crate that I secure on the spare side of the trailer.

 

[Bernster]

Congratulations! I went last year and loved it. Never done anything like that before. I posted a thread on and got loads of useful tips, if you search on Google you may find it, am not v good at linking threads in here.

Best tips I got was to take a portable wheelbarrow or similar. I got a tub trug which was brilliant.

Also, I don't do camping either so I stayed in the locally premier inn! Took my lorry so I needed to get a cab the first night but after that my friend joined so I had a lift. There's an even close one, travel lodge I think, which is walking distance.

Was a fab few days, I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[spike123]

I went a couple of years ago and enjoyed it but the organisation that year was not great, however I gather last year it was loads better. From what i remember we took our own hay but brought a couple of bales of shavings there. Some of the stables were quite wet but it was a pretty wet september and a fair few lorries were needing to be towed off that year. Food etc is expensive so ideally take your own if you can. We used a tub trug to muck out into as was less to have to take with us. We camped but it was cold in the night even with multiple layers so make sure you take sufficient warm clothing as though it was a winters night. It's all on a hill so you will be surprised how much walking you have to do up and down. We were lucky enough to be in the main field near the stabling but some of the campers were several fields away so can be a very long walk up and down.

 

[claracanter]

Great tips. Some really useful information, thanks. I was wondering if I'd have room for a wheelbarrow so a tub trug is an ideal solution. I will investigate Travel Lodge and Premier Inn.

 

[Shay]

There is a nearby hotel if you really can't face camping. But do make sure you leave contact details on a laminated sheet securely attached to your stable door.

 

[Pie's mum]

My top camping tip is if you use an air bed they are like sleeping on a block of ice! Strongly recommend putting an old quilt over it before you put sleeping bags on it. Also a hot water bottle is a must for me!

 

[claracanter]

thanks for the top tips Shay and Pie's mum.