For Fun - Rank your Area's courses from Hardest to Easiest

[Xanthoria]

What if: there were options at the lower levels.

At Ram Tap recently on the Intro course there was a small rise (2’?) with a tiny bank up and down on either side. Only the middle of the rise was flagged, so you could make a squiggly shaped path and go thru the flags while avoiding the banks if you wanted. Nice option.

You could have a tiny ditch as the direct line, and option is to just go around a flag 50 yards away. One section of the water flagged as a direct line, going around the far outside as the option. And of course some places around here allow schooling after the event for a fee so if you’re already there and you’re not too pooped out…

Yes, yes, harder to make loads of new jumps for lower levels, yes, yes.

[Rel6]

I believe Larkin had water as an option last year at BN, and GVRDC had a ditch option a few years ago (in starter actually - it was a very small ditch). Both had an appropriately sized fence you could jump instead of the ditch/water. I wish more venues did that.

[Beam_Me_Up]

IME Seneca Modified is pretty gentle and Seneca Prelim is relatively tougher, largely because of the water, and in the past the Irish bank though they’ve softened that for all.

As for the scope creep, I think one of the consequences is that it makes you start smaller and smaller. 15 years ago I (ammy, average rider) started all my OTTBs at novice, because those courses were pretty straightforward. I’m in Area 2 so easy to school a few times first, but it didn’t take years of training/experience to prepare to go around the logs/coops etc. My latest 5 yo did his first event this fall at a sub-BN level, 2’3, because BN had a half coffin, a faux skinny, etc.

I understand that to get to the N of today, you need to do the BN of today. It just adds demand for lower and lower levels.

[Larbear]

Oooh I’ll have to check your page as well. Curious to see what’s all going on in Ontario. My sister and I used to compete in the Ottawa area. Back in the day when Farm of the Mountain was THE event of the area (well, at least imho ).

[Jealoushe]

I was only there once a long long time ago for Pony Club!

There isn’t a whole lot in Ottawa, but the ones there are reliable.

Ottawa @ Wesley Clover Park
Stevens Creek

That’s it LOL

Oakhurst does schooling events now.

Quebec seems to be growing!

[Larbear]

That’s it? So sad… there used to be so many. Fiddlers Green, the one in Oxford Downs run by the pony club (Elchris? Or something like that). Sunset Farm used to hold one…lol I always used to get lost on that course. Apparently I wasn’t the only one because one other rider went off course and nearly ran me over… and I wasn’t even walking the course!

[Jealoushe]

I did Fiddlers back in the day! Never did Sunset, they were still holding hunter derbies but I believe that farm just sold.

[FLeventer]

I tend to agree with all this. I used to use full gallop, FHP, or rocking horse as my move up courses. That being said sometimes FGF has some questions on their T and P courses that spice it up, but the BN/N is usually very welcoming.

Pine top, especially their Thanksgiving was my training level tester for is this horse ready to go preliminary. Chatt I feel would be in that same league.

Three Lakes was a great move up course. My mare did her first prelim there and the course was really nice and pretty forgiving if mistakes were made. Great move up for training too.

Red Hills, cant believe that its gone, was a course that I’d bring out my brave ponies. No way was I going to run that as my second preliminary especially on a horse that was distracted by atmosphere. The waters there were always top notch.