For minis in the area you should check out the FVSA mini event series. It is a well run show that is an excellent place to get some miles, especially as a test run for a move up. Their XC course is not as big and galloping as a true HT of course, but they have a good variety of fences that would not be at all out of place at a recognized show.
Betsyk: Sounds like a great plan and I can certainly execute it!
eventerchick517: FVSA is an option I forgot about, but nearby and very do-able!
We’re easily jumping 2’11"- 3’ stadium courses at home that incorporate a few coops, logs, roll tops. Horsey is great about water, banks and ditches though we only have access to them when we travel off property. I don’t plan to event above N since my main focus is still dressage, but these HTs have been a blast. Really made showing fun vs stressy. The eventer crowd is so much friendlier and fun than the DQs. Who knows, maybe by next season I may be a total convert 
Thanks everyone!!
I am almost fanatical about Otter Creek, so that as it is…
While not “easy” - I do think that if you could get over and school the novice at Otter, you would find it Ok. It may not be a course to go in “cold” for a move up, but what’s nice is they have some similar fences at BN, you get over those, and then Novice doesn’t seem so bad :o)
[QUOTE=akor;8856926]
From an older ammy perspective, who did one training in Area IV at what had been a true move up and that year WAS not for xc, or more importantly stadium, fences there were ALL maxxed out, as was XC, with fences from a venue that is maxxed out typically (but we went clear jump, with time on xc) and has “been around” Area IV,
with hesitation as I know not you nor your horse, if Silverwood seemed “maxxed out” - I cannot fathom that you would be happy moving up anywhere in Area IV, recognized that is. (by moving up meaning stretch a bit, but not quite go “all in” - not that you are not capable of “ever” moving up :o))
I may sound mean, I really don’t mean that…just being brutally honest.
I went N at Silverwood this year and had a blast, I by no means would say it was EASY, not that stuck on myself :o), but I am a bit of a wuss if I have never been somewhere and so was a bit more interested at things walking the course than riding. It was a BLAST though, and flowed, and I wanted to go back, but life circumstances got in the way.
To me, Silverwood is the move up place “left” …whatever that is worth.[/QUOTE]
This. TBH, comparing Silverwood to several N courses in CA, their course was very, very inviting and beginner/move up friendly. The sizes were extremely fair. The layout is awkward as all get out. There is a coop to an up bank that is really not planned out well. It’s not a difficult question but the route makes it seem more so. You come out of a small tree lines trail and have to turn right, avoid a tree, then turn left for the coop to the bank, then IMMEDIATELY turn either right or left (on grass) or you run into a wall of hedges. Not the best course design I’ve ever seen. Yes, that’s brutally honest. The summer event we had a run out there because it was just so awkward. The fall event I wisened up and trotted it and we had no problems.
The “hanging log” the OP references is definitely a bit out of place on the BN course. I consider it a Trakhener as well. Placed in between two trees is what makes it harder. I could easily see that on the N course though. Overall the N course doesn’t ask very difficult questions. There are good ground lines, and with the exception of the zig zag line, horses get a pretty good look at all the jumps. They don’t sneak up on you while you’re on course.
I made it to Barrington this week to try the Novice course. Three of the fences were missing, but we jumped everything else. My horse did stop at the trakehner-ish jump, went over on the second try. The white and green cabin that looked really wide on foot didn’t look so big on horseback and that jumped well.
I think if I get the time off work I may move up at FRVPC.
