WARNING - ANYONE GOING TO BURGHLEY TOMORROW

[sunflower]

It is muddy. Very, very muddy. In fact muddy doesn't even come close. If you are thinking of taking dogs I would really think again - we saw an awful lot of very wet, shivery, unhappy dogs and they are banned from many of the tradestands because of the mud. Did I mention the mud? There is a lot of it. Liquid mud, ankle deep (minus the rather large amount now in Puppy's mother's car, on our boots, jeans, coats - how the hell it splashed that far we have no idea). Pushchairs may also struggle. White jeans are really not a good idea and the Dubarrys and shorts / short skirts look really doesn't work this year - if it ever did!
Did I mention it is a bit muddy? I really won't be surprised if they have to tow cars out tomorrow.

 

[_April_]

PMSL

so you are saying it is muddy?

 

[only_me]

what exactly is the type of mud?

PMSL

 

[merlinsquest]

Do you need to take wellies????

Or a boat????

 

[sunflower]

What gives you that idea

I think Puppy has some pictures she might post later.

 

[Serephin]

Burghley is just up the road from me, and we were going to go tomorrow - might just watch it on tv instead, cos the hubby has refused to go if its raining - but how will I get my shopping fix??

 

[Ezme]

She is understating it. I was there today, I will be there tomorrow. Although mum said about going home even though we've travelled the width of the country! Saying that I survied that worse day at badminton about 10years ago!

 

[jewel]

PMSL

 

[sunflower]

An Ark might be useful. Or waders - especially if you are as short as we are

 

[TicTac]

lol Get the feeling it is a little squidgy underfoot. Will save my money for Olympia which is INDOORS!

 

[CastleMouse]

Oh dear!

 

[Nickijem]

I've decided not to go after all. It will be the first time I've missed Burghley for about 10 years but I know the last time it was really muddy, about 8 years ago, it wasn't much fun and there were hardly any horses getting all the way round so by the time we had walked to the second half of the course we didn't see any horses.
Therefore a tip for anyone walking the course tomorrow, start at the finish and walk back, that way by the time the course is so churned up no horses get to the end - you will be nearer the start - if you get me!

 

[sunflower]

You might actually need stilts if you want to go shopping. We had grandstand seats and only ventured out to buy coffee in the breaks and do a bit of shopping on the way out and we are all absolutely covered in mud.

 

[Flame_]

How the hell is it still running? Half the riders were crying off at Henbury the other week when we hadn't had nearly as much rain. Also wouldn't be surprised if health and safety pull it if its bad around the tradestands, they did Lowther Country Fair.

 

[teapot]

Mud? In this weather? Really sunflower you do post the most stupid of threads

And it's only going to get worse... tv, sofa, endless supplies of food & drink and a laptop are the order of the day for tomorrow

 

[MarinaBay]

Sounds like Burghley is going to be like Glastonbury! I am going tomorrow.... so what shall i wear?!

 

[kerilli]

I went today, and am going again on Sunday. It is squidgy liquid mud about 4"+ deep all through the tradestands. wet miserable shivery dogs everywhere, yes. not nice at all for the poor loves.
Waterproofs and wellies are essential, obviously!
My friend's withdrawing, her horse isn't absolutely 100% and in those conditions you'd really want them to be firing on all cylinders. I won't be surprised if there's quite a few withdrawals, it's a very serious course, even with good ground.
Lovely tradestands though, best i've ever seen at Burghley, more interesting things than usual i thought!
Anyone else going on Sunday?

 

[MarinaBay]

Oh oh is the parking bad as is in muddy?! I am taking OH car as mine is being fixed... this could be ad news. I'll be in the members parking....

 

[SirenaXVI]

It's muddy alright, was there today and even in my friends 4x4 it was slippy - and that was at 10am!!!

Am working there tomorrow and am really worried that I will not be able to get my Zafira out

Will not be surprised if a fair few of the riders don't run.

 

[sunflower]

We saw a bit of the XC course today and were wondering how many would withdraw before tomorrow. There's only so much they can do to improve the take-off / landing. Some of the horses were slipping in the dressage so I dread to think what the cross country course will look like by the end of the day.

 

[Acolyte]

Oh well this decides it for me - I was just going to post to find out if anyone else had been put off! I am so mad, I havent been to Burghley for years and was really looking forward to it but no way that I can not take the dogs and I dont have a 4x4 any more and wouldnt want little Percy Peugeot stuck in the mud

 

[nijinsky]

I too have decided not to go, first time in ages but it won't be very pleasant, cold, wet, I too believe there will be a few withdrawals, think I may as well watch it on tv, and do a bit of online shopping for therapy

 

[teapot]

No doubt though that Mary will give us the chance of a demonstration on how best to "ride on ground that's been churned up by 40 horses before her".

 

[weevil]

[ QUOTE ]
No doubt though that Mary will give us the chance of a demonstration on how best to "ride on ground that's been churned up by 40 horses before her".

[/ QUOTE ]
She did a pretty good demonstration of that in the dressage today

 

[Governor]

Going on Sunday.

With a Polo 1.2L. Am I going to get very stuck?! Might take some cardboard or something to put the wheels on!

 

[Puppy]

I *really* hope that lots of the riders - those without a shot, or on less experienced/suitable horses withdraw.

It may mean less value for money, but I would rather see all home safe and sound. There will be no room for reckless riding tomorrow

Although we ended up having a *relatively* dry dry home, I am only a matter of miles away and it it bucketing it down here now

I can only imagine what tomorrow will be like

 

[Puppy]

[ QUOTE ]
Going on Sunday.

With a Polo 1.2L. Am I going to get very stuck?! Might take some cardboard or something to put the wheels on!

[/ QUOTE ]

I am not taking the car tomorrow - NO way!!. I could hardly safely steer my Mother's 1.3 fiesta safely out the field. Really thought, despite crawling along I was going to lose it into a fence post...

 

[sunflower]

Just to give you an idea of the horses were doing to the ground, this is William Fox-Pitt on Tamarillo

 

[Puppy]

[ QUOTE ]
Just to give you an idea of the horses were doing to the ground, this is William Fox-Pitt on Tamarillo

[/ QUOTE ]

And there's a lightweight horse who coped with it well. Some of the others were slipping all over the place

Even with some supersized studs to be seen from a mile off....

 

[MistletoeMegan]

I went today and DrSunflower does not convey how much mud there was.

I left early so that I could get my little grannymobile out of the car park and it was an effort, I skidded sideways across the runny gloopy mud