Where have all the 'hunter trials' gone?

[Switchthehorse]

Is it me? 10 - 15 years ago there were endless hunter trials (in season) almost every weekend in the berks/bucks/oxon/surrey area. I have a green 'baby' when it comes to xc and want to take her for a pootle round a few small hunter trials for experience come march/april/may time and can't find any venues that seem to even think about doing them apart from pachesham... can anyone make any recommendations? I am thinking 50cm - 90cm max - starting with 50!!

 

[ecrozier]

Rosehill near Henley - we are doing an eventer trial there in march (shortened sj course followed immediately by slightly shortened XC starting at 2'3). Then high Wycombe RC do a hunter trial there in April usually.

 

[PaddyMonty]

Have you had a search around on here
https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=xcpics@hotmail.co.uk&ctz=Europe/London

 

[Poo Picker]

May be wotrh contacting local pony clubs as in our area they all seem to run "open" hunter trials

 

[ShowJumperBeckii]

Addington have 'indoor XC' not really a ht but still some sort of xc?

 

[arizonahoney]

Mid Surrey Pony Club?
Fair Oak?
Munstead are hosting a couple of HT's for when you get onto the bigger fences...
And -> http://www.tweseldown.co.uk/unaffiliated-horse-trials/

 

[Doncella]

May be wotrh contacting local pony clubs as in our area they all seem to run "open" hunter trials

That's my ploy as well, so many HT courses have gone under in the last 10 years in Wales I have to travel to the borders.

 

[Switchthehorse]

Thanks all, and interesting re rose cottage - used to compete there in my teens

Have gone down the PC route before for SJ, the only problem being i am often the only person over 12 competing - and normally the only one to fall off!!?

 

[arizonahoney]

Have gone down the PC route before for SJ, the only problem being i am often the only person over 12 competing - and normally the only one to fall off!!?

Nonsense! I am definitely over 12 and I sometimes fall off too

 

[Thistle]

I find that the hunter trial season tends to be in the autumn before real hunting starts

 

[AandK]

I think there are still plenty on, you just have to look in the right places to find them. local PC websites, local RC websites, venue websites, tack shop schedules.. Hunts often run hunter trials too, but these seem to be more at the start of the hunt season in the Autumn.

Good luck

 

[Laafet]

Round here there are plenty of good old fashioned hunter trials, usually hunt or PC run. They seem to run from August until Oct, then again from March to May.

 

[duckling]

Have you had a search around on here
https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=xcpics@hotmail.co.uk&ctz=Europe/London

Thanks for posting it

I spent a while updating it earlier and I would actually say you're in one of the best areas for hunter trials OP! Just off the top of my head from looking at the schedules, have you tried Vicarage Farm, Bury Farm, Ebbisham, Bellingdon End, Swalcliffe, Hill Farm, Primrosehill, MKEC, Elmwood, Rosehill, Great Westwood, Blue Anchor, Angel Farm, Warren Barn or Snowball Farm?

I can personally vouch for the courses at Warren Barn and Blue Anchor - it was a while ago I competed there but they were lovely places.

I have some course photos from smaller courses in your area here:
www.facebook.com/unaffiliatedxccoursephotos

 

[siani]

Ive taken my baby to mid surrey PC around the ebbisham course which was good. We were ment to to the PC field course a couple of weekends ago but it was horrid wet weather plus they had put a nasty 2 step bouce drop each measuring 2'9" in the 2'6" class!

Ive just put a post on here asking about vicarage farm nr sunbury- consensus seems to be its good for a younger and they have a few dates coming up (inc this weekend ) at various heights.