Venues

T

Taboo1968

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 May 2004
Messages
3,727
Location
The Moon
Visit site
After reading a post about a horse not liking a certain venue, it prompted me to post this!

Which venues do you really like and why?

Which venues dont you like and why?

When replying can you also mention which discipline you participate in!

I'll start the ball rolling....

Dressage (all the time)

Total favourite of all time is The College Equestrian centre, Keysoe, Beds. superb facilities, lovely surfaces, ample parking on hard standing, stables available for hire, lovely friendly staff and dont forget the superb cafe/restuarant!!!

followed by Manor farm in cambridgeshire.... again superb facilities, and surfaces, ample parking, lovely friendly staff again and superb cooks!!

Now for the ones I dont like

Moulton College.... superb facilities and surfaces, but tends to be be a bit disorganised and the canteen shuts too early! ( you cant tell I'm food orientated can you?)
laugh.gif
 
I really like Bluegate Hall Farm - the people are so friendly and the food is yummy.
Also like Manor Farm but thats a little too far for me to go as a regular venue.
Like Towerlands but they don't appear to be running any dressage now so not sure what is going on there.
I don't like a couple of venues in my area, one cos the journey there is all roundabouts and Patrick doesn't seem to like them (although I have no problems with the actual venue itself) and the other cos the place is disorganised and the staff are all extremely rude, oh and the warmup could always do with a really good harrow. However I'm not going to mention that one by name on here but I'm sure people local to me can guess.
 
Favourites:
Stoneleigh - went there for Trailblazers in SJ and dressage, arenas were lovely, fences good and colourful, warmup nice (if a little packed), show well organised and restaurant served v.nice food.

Hickstead - jumped in outdoor surface, lovely surface, decent size warm up (and shopping was fantastic!)

Show jumping:
Love Towerlands indoors/outdoors - lovely surface, nice size warm up and well organised shows (cafe is not cheap though)

Norton Heath outdoors - nice surface, lovely big arena, good coloured fences (and cafe/bar is nice!)

Dressage:
Norton Heath outdoors - see above

Brook Farm Training Centre - lovely nice, large indoor warm up and arena. Cafe is friendly and serves lovely food.

Dislikes:

Longwood - horrid warmup, cr@p parking and dusty hard indoor arena
 
I BE, BD and BSJA....

Favourite venues are.....Towerlands-Good surface, cafe and parking. Norton Heath (summer) & Bluegate I love for BD good surfaces, especially their outdoors.

Mattingley & great witchingham are my fave BE events, usually lovely ground, spacious warm ups, friendly people etc

Worst places are Longwood, rubbish surface, outdoor arena like a ploughed field!
crazy.gif
No fillers in jumps etc.
Also not a great fan of Norton Heath for BSJA (winter) very small arena, warm up indoor is tiny and surface isnt great in there.
 
I think one of the biggest factors for me is the people. If they're grumpy and unhelpful it puts me right off, whereas if they are nice and friendly it makes me more inclined to forgive other little problems. At the end of the day competitors are paying (a lot) for a service, we're clients, and despite the impression some people give it's actually free to smile...

Posturing over, sorry: I do like Patchetts, it's really close to me and there's always something to go to. My only bug-bear is the indoor warm-up. I've been to Manor Farm and Keysoe once each, BSJA both times, and was impressed at each, especially with the people at Manor Farm. Addington's facilities are amazing, apart from the car-park that always gets rammed, but they charge the highest entry fees and are positively unhelpful. When I was in the SW I often went to West Wilts, which I always found a little lacking in atmosphere, Equisense was always good (although the flints in the car-park hurt if you fall off on them
blush.gif
), and Exeter EC was nice.
 

Haha, totally agree with you about the canteen at Moulton, its poo there and theres not even any vending machines to get a drink!
mad.gif


I Show Jump (all the time) My fav place has prob got to be Addington, its brilliant, the new surfaces brilliant (and my horse goes really well on it!
tongue.gif
) The canteen is nice and the toilets dont stink half as much as the ones at Keysoe!

I do like Keysoe though (aprt from the the loo's that is!) Its my local and love going there and their all day breakfasts are the best, loadsa greece Mmm.

My least fav place is prob MKEC, although they dont do BSJA seniors there, Ill go if I really want to go some where and theres absolutly nothing else on.
 
I BE and BSJA in winter.

Tall Trees - Great arenas, efficent organisation and good surfaces has to be my favorite probably.

Colraine - New this year great indoor school and big outdoor warm up. Well organised (I help so has to be!) and very friendly

Exeter EC - Very friendly and good courses but won't go as surfaces indoors and out are very poor.

the Grange - Never done well there and not a favorite. Nice big indoor arena but very small warm up which can be lethel hence don't jump there.

BE wise I love the bigger events that are well organised such as Gatcombe.
 
oh good topic ok

Norton Heath i like they are well run the cafe is good (and the bar) have that lovely outdoor arena but they do get really busy (like 60 in a class) and yes the indoor warm up is a bit poo but never had a problem

Towerlands is Fab especially now they have a bigger arm up indoors and the new outdoor surface !!! but its quite far away

Pycombe is great now they have there new outdoor surface

Hickstead is ok but as we saw this year they had to use the big warm up arena (used to be grass) as a ring im so glad i wasnt competing !! but its more for the social event to be honest

Patchetts - great facilities but hate the fact they dont have a gate between warm up andarena as i nearly ended up going out of it !!

Longwood - horrible surface - wouldnt relaly go there unless i had to

Eaglesfield - horrible place all my horses hate jumping there they muck out into there indoor school and the warm up is ridiculous !!

bluebarn - I like it as my horses do havent been there for a few years and heard its gone downhill though

Duckhurst - well what can i say but they are organised and nice people and have an indoor warm up

Limes farm - love it but miles away and always used to win there for some reason - need to go back now they have there new outdoor arena !!

Felbridge - nice family run show and well organised - good drainage system and one of the only places left you can jump on grass !!!

I think thats it for BSJA

now BD !

Oldencraig - decent people and good warm up !! my horse hates the indoor arena though

Stilebridge - nicely run place with ok arena's !! small parking area
 
fave bsja venue is probs sands farm because my horse leaves fences up there lol...and covered warm up, friendly people, also like royal leisure, and outdoors windsor park and pyecombe. merrist wood has a great surface and is very close but always packed and i never do great there. events i like are mattingly and munstead as very well run ooo and also tweseldown because of the sandy going.
 
Yey this post has come around due to the fact my horse is an a*rse!
tongue.gif
wink.gif


Ok so i compete BSJA. My fav venue is Myerscough, and the new equestrian centre at Aintree Racecourse. Both have nice big and light indoors, with big collecting rings.

Hate... hmmm think ive covered that one in the post underneath!!
smirk.gif
 
BSJA:

Like:

Towerlands - the facilities are great, really nice place probably my favourite indoors. It is nice there outdoors if your in the main ring but in ring 2 they are really stingy on fillers.

Norton Heath - best cafe and tack shop. Outdoor arena nice but can get a bit deep. Indoors isn't as nice. Shows are always well run.

Royal Leisure - like it indoors and out. Good courses, friendly people and edible food.

Pycombe - Not the same since they put the surface down. Before their main ring was my favourite outside venue. Now it is just another place. Hated jumping in the back ring though, so the surface does have it's upside.

Duckhurst - I will always defend Duckhurst - the warm up leaves much to be desired but the people are friendly and you always know what you're going to get course wise. Most horses I know go well there.

Hickstead is special because of the atmosphere and social side. The prices are extortionate though and it is hard to get placed (unless you're jumping newcomers - then there is so many in it they have to place to about 75 so if you get round you should get a rosette). Also it is either boiling hot all week and everything ends up covered in dust or it pours with rain all week and you are constantly wet and muddy - there never seems to be an in between!

Dislike:

Limes - Hate it there, outdoors is ok but won't go there indoors. There isn't really anything wrong with it and it's probably nicer than some places but I don't think I've ever had a good day there.

Longwood - won't go there unless I have to - It's so dusty! And I don't think they've painted their jumps for about 10 years.

Eaglesfield - don't think they run BSJA anymore but my horses never went well there.
 
I like Aldham Mill and frys both because they are quiet venues which my horse likes. The warm up is never too busy and the surfaces are really good, the food is also great. There is quite a distance between the warm up and the test arenas at both these venues but the atmosphere makes up for it.
I also like Richmond but the thing that puts me off is the warm up. Its always really busy. Last time I went they had 3 classes running and everyone was warming up in a 20x60 arena. To top it all off there was a stallion warming up that made noises like a dinosaur.
I would rather go to a quieter venues with poorer facilities, but my horse does have a phobia of other horses coming too close.
 
I (and my horses) absolutely love Aintree, also like Osbaldeston and Myerscough.
Aintree is 15minutes from me and I will really have to make a concious effort to go to other venues, as it does benefit the horse to see different surroundings.
I would be hard pushed to find one I hate .....Oooh hang on!
Bold Heath, the owner is so rude and unhelpful and there appears to be one rule for the liveries and another for anyone else! Shame as its not a bad place and again very local to me!
 
I BD and BSJA

I like:

Addington- great surfaces, cafe, big indoor warmup and arena etc

Hand EC- Great indoor/outdoor arena, although the indoor warmup can be small and the cafe is awfull..

Summerhouse- Can be a bit spooky but I love the food there and its good for getting horses used to warming up and banners etc.. and they build good SJ courses.

Hartpury- Cant fault it!

Patchetts- LOVE the food!! yum yum!
tongue.gif


Solihull- like bsja there as they build well and the warmup is a good size but not so keen on BD there
I dislike:

Blewbury- muddy slow cafe, dark arena/hard grass in the summer.

Exeter- Scary people! Warmup is a bog, indoor arena has awful surface and the lorry park is very muddy.

West Wilts- same as tigers eye.. I found it had no atmosphere

Forest of Dean EC- spooky indoor arena!!
 
I agree, Bluegate Hall is run by nice people and the surfaces are good. Always liked Fenning Farm when Amanda ran it (even though the drive was lethal) as she was always sooo pleased to see everyone and was very helpful when I was doing my BD practice judging. Haven't been there since new people have taken over, but plan to go.
 
Addington -
aways was good but even better now- fantasitc surfaces, good cafe, great resturant (fantastic sponsors' buffet lunches)
improved lorry park, clean loos, canlt wait to see the enw stable block.

Keysoe- better surface now BUT it always seems colder and windier up there - good stabling..but I do sometimes worry about the security on to the road.

Fenning Farm, hope the new people improve the entrance, at a crawl pace it makes the lorry rear skirts ground on the tarmac.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I really like Bluegate Hall Farm - the people are so friendly and the food is yummy.

[/ QUOTE ]

tongue.gif
The chap who runs the stall is a butcher and makes all his own burgers, sausages, etc. With a choice of rolls, baps, buns, bread, it gets my vote as the best in the area (and believe me, I've sampled them all
wink.gif
)
 
[ QUOTE ]
Now for the ones I dont like

Moulton College.... superb facilities and surfaces, but tends to be be a bit disorganised and the canteen shuts too early! ( you cant tell I'm food orientated can you?)
laugh.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Things have changed. I used to be their biggest critic (my local) but it is much improved now. Canteen stays open and comps (both BD and SJ) much more organised.
smile.gif
Even the un-aff SJ now uses a BSJA course builder
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I really like Bluegate Hall Farm - the people are so friendly and the food is yummy.

[/ QUOTE ]

tongue.gif
The chap who runs the stall is a butcher and makes all his own burgers, sausages, etc. With a choice of rolls, baps, buns, bread, it gets my vote as the best in the area (and believe me, I've sampled them all
wink.gif
)

[/ QUOTE ]
No wonder they taste better, he is such a lovely guy too.
grin.gif
 
Timefaulter - I'm afraid I still have to disagree about Moulton.... The last time I competed there, was a VERY HOT day and the canteen closed at 3pm..... and in temperatures of 27+ riders wanted a cold drink and couldn't get one!!!

I forgot to add on my like list Sheepgate, Lincs - absolutely fab arenas and the tack shop from heaven!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top