What do you look for when working out your BE calendar?

[Diane_Pepper]

I was just wondering at what kind of factors you look for when looking at the BE schedule & deciding where you're going to compete with regards to venue, stabling, XC technicality, flat arenas, SJ on an arena, up to height SJ etc?

Living in Wales, we obviously limit ourselves with regards to venue and how far away it is (limiting the journey to 200miles usually) I bet some people think we're mad!

I also tend to go somewhere where to do SJ on an arena (not many do though!) and I also like difficult XC courses because that's the best bit (IMO

)
I also look for which events are compact as when it's just me & mum competing on the same day we need to be close to the lorry most of the time so we can help each other between phases

 

[I_A_P]

Ti be honest i try to look at ones in my area..or are able to travel to up to 3 hours or so and just stick to them.
Then i will only plana few months ahead- as otherwise you are bound to have some kind of hiccup.
I try to literally just have a rough idea in my mind until its cloer to the date.

 

[kerilli]

umm, close by, whether they do anything with the ground, whether i've enjoyed the courses before, general hearsay.
i don't pay any attention to dressage on a hill, small sj arena, etc etc - it's the same for everyone, and my horses just have to learn to cope with it!

 

[H-J]

I look at ones in my area and the ground mostly, good ground is very important.

But I tend to go to the same events each year anyway with a few new ones, or some old ones dropped each year, dues to not doing the classes I need or something

 

[Diane_Pepper]

[ QUOTE ]

i don't pay any attention to dressage on a hill, small sj arena, etc etc - it's the same for everyone, and my horses just have to learn to cope with it!

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with you about that!
Some people do moan about it, but I don't have a problem as it's the same for everyone anyway, so there's no point making a fuss really

I'm with you about the what they do with the ground too - forgot that one

 

[Bossanova]

Due to increased costs and he4nce a limited amount of starts I can make this year, I have picked out my favourite events- the ones I love to go to due to location, scenery, facilities etc.

 

[Nickymac]

I'm lucky that a lot of our local (within 2 hours) events are early in the season when the ground is normally good, so I plan to do most of those. Hector takes priority (as I'm on a mission with him this season!), followed by HumungaHorse (PAVO qualifiers particularly) and then Lucca (OH's hunter) doing any that HH will be doing.

There are a few places I won't go and I would travel further afield for a really good one like Barbury or, as I used to in the old days, Cornbury (showing my age there!)

 

[wizoz]

I look at all the local events to me and that's it!!

 

[kerilli]

Oh, Cornbury was great. so was Savernake - such lovely courses in lovely settings. such a shame we've lost them.

 

[Thistle]

travelling distance, generally up to 2 hours, bit more for special events.

 

[KatB]

Class at my level

Seriously events within a decent distance with good ground conditions. I wont run on hard ground, and ended up W/D froma "bigger" event last year cos the ground was horrendous. Alot of the smaller events round us make a real effort anyway, so be nice to go to.

 

[hotellie]

ones that are in my area and so i dont really get much choice and also ones that have clases that i want to do!

 

[HairyHatMan]

Mainly location, and then dates the events are on. We're quite lucky around here as we have a good selection to choose from.

Having only just started eventing after a couple of years off I'm not up to speed yet on where the ground's likely to be good or not.

 

[irishdraught]

I will travel upto about 3 hours and go to courses I like. There was a new event last year that I wouldn't return to as I didn't like the course or the atmosphere.

I make sure to fit in my favourites and then look to see what else fits in with the days off I have (I work shifts so am not always off on a weekend).

This year I am putting my mare in foal and won't have anything else suitable to ride so I will be taking doing a lot more in the XC control or fence judging.

 

[Sarah_Jane]

I always look for good ground first and then distance to travel. Due tio being in Cornwall a 5 hr journey is not out the way and more if required. I then look for good courses specific to what I'm aiming at i.e. slightly stiffer intermediates and later in the season a relatively straighforward advenced.

 

[SpottedCat]

As I do all the driving as well as riding, I don't want to travel over about 2.5hrs. I then look for course appropriate to the level, like last year I wanted stiff PNs and easy Ns, this year I want stiff Novice tracks. I also look for ground - makes no difference to the horse who is happy whatever, but I see no point in running on lousy ground if there is another event which is better.

I seem to spend a stupid amount of time making sure events fit round people's weddings, and this year my OH cottoned on and in Jan made me sit down, pencil in all the events I was considering and fit holidays round that!!

 

[wallyevent]

I have to where ever I can hitch a lift to in a lorry that my horse will load on to!! I can't plan anything unfortunately! Luckily my friend who I normally go with has similar tastes in events so it's usually ok.
Oh for a windfall... just enough for a nice 2 horse lorry would be fine...