One Day Events - Pros and Cons

[Rnichols]

So I’m planning out my horses show season, and it looks like our first event is going to be a one day. I’m wondering - what is your all’s opinions of one day events? I’ve asked several people at my barn and didn’t hear good things about it. But the negative opinions were mostly on the venue - t’s hot and dusty, but super baby friendly. Honestly, though, all events in my area are hot and dusty June - September/October even. For example we are going XC schooling this weekend and it will be 100 and 106, respectively. Bring on the electorlytes!

Nobody has really provided me any insight as to the event all happening in one day, though. We will likely be doing intro (maybe BN, just depends on the next 2 months). It’s roughly a 2 hour haul (almost min. driving distance for us). We would likely drive up the day before. Stabling is still the same price as a 3 day, which is currently my only grumble. I’m open to hearing all pros and cons of doing a one day as a horses first event =).

[Training_Cupid]

I’m just doing intro, but I’m for one days. 1) cost savings; don’t have to stay overnight (save hotel and stall fee), or can come in and school the day before; 2) only have to deal with nerves one day!; 3) the horse isn’t as fresh for XC.

I think it may be physically too much for a lot of horses once you get past the lowest levels, but they are perfect for newer horses or riders!

[Highflyer]

They are the norm in this area up through Intermediate. They are significantly cheaper, less time consuming, and easier on the horse if you don’t have to go overnight.

[tbchick84]

@Training Cupid

I’m just doing intro, but I’m for one days. 1) cost savings; don’t have to stay overnight (save hotel and stall fee), or can come in and school the day before; 2) only have to deal with nerves one day!; 3) the horse isn’t as fresh for XC.

I think it may be physically too much for a lot of horses once you get past the lowest levels, but they are perfect for newer horses or riders!

You can school the XC course day prior where you are? Most courses close about 3 weeks before the show in my area.

I’ve only done one day events, so I have nothing to compare it to. I like it all being in one day. Good time management is a must, but as long as you give yourself that, I love doing it all in a few short hours and heading home. At most shows, you ride down to the XC start area as soon as you finish stadium, so be prepared for that. If you only see an hour or so between your dressage and stadium, walk your courses before you warm up for dressage.

[Training_Cupid]

@tbchick84 Yes many one days around here allow you to school the day before! You don’t know the actual course (the jumps don’t have flags or numbers) but you can go around. Though they can add some fill/decorations before the event - I was nervous my first time out with my green then-4 year old that he would stop to look since the jump looked different the day before but luckily it wasn’t a problem!

For the big 3 day events they do close the course a few weeks before.

[Zarita]

I did the one day event at woodland in May, that was my first one day and i liked it! But I was pretty tired by the end of the day! I had dressage super early in the morning so we stabled overnight, I guess I could have woken up at like 3am to trailer up but that didn’t sound super appealing if your talking about woodland I thought it was a nice event overall and pretty low key, they offered schooling sj and dressage I think the day before. Xc wasn’t too hot or dusty in may, and my horse felt warmed up and locked on to the jumps since we went directly from sj to xc. Overall I really liked it and didn’t feel as rushed as I thought I would. Plus nice to pay less for the entry!

[Willesdon]

The majority of UK events are ‘one day’ (even if in reality most run the competition over 2 or 3 days to cope with the number of competitors). It is possible to do all three elements, on time, and to be home at a reasonable hour. The horses are not noticeably tired, perhaps because they don’t have the stress of a stay away from home: it is just a fun day out. It is cheaper, more time efficient and allows family members to see each other over the weekend!

[Divine_Comedy]

I have a love/hate relationship with one days. For me, a lot of it has to do with the fact that I live an hour from the barn already and I often ride first thing in the morning in the divisions I’m in.

Pros:

1. I save a fortune not having to stable or pay for a hotel on a regular basis.

2. The convenience of being in and out in one day is huge. I love that if the event is on Saturday, it doesn’t kill my whole weekend. If the event is Sunday though, I usually spend all Saturday prepping.

3. I think for T and below (and honestly, even P for my older horse, who is an experienced A horse and thinks P is too easy), its great for nerves, both equine and human, to be so busy you don’t really have time to think beyond what your courses and test are.

4. Not having to take any vacation days from work!

Cons:

1. I have a lot of trouble finding time to walk the courses. In this area, the events don’t open their courses to walk until 3 pm on Friday, so if I have an early Saturday ride time, I have to find time to walk the course, ride, bathe, and braid the night before. It’s not terribly beneficial to take a day off from work to accomplish all of that early and still get home for an early bed time since the courses open so late; I end up fighting Friday afternoon traffic to get home after I walk the course. I also only really have time to walk the course once, which is fine for me up through Prelim but might not be for a lot of other people.

2. It’s really tough to compete more than one horse at a one day on the same day unless you have groom help. It’s possible if times are accommodating, but not easy.

3. I generally feel unfocused and rushed for the jumping portions, as I am trying to keep both courses in my head simultaneously and trying to remember things like keeping my shoulders up over the fences is the first thing that gets discarded from my brain.

4. If you switch tack between stadium and cross country, you might need a helping hand. One of my horses (the baby) I just use all the same tack (snaffle, xc boots). But the other horse really needs a bit change between SJ and XC and is careless enough over poles that I only SJ him in open fronts, which means I have to switch to XC boots.

5. Getting up crazy early to make an 8 am ride time. I stick to very local shows unless I know the schedule will have me at the show venue later in the day. I’ve decided to skip shows based on the fact that I would need to get up at 3 am to make it for a one day Intermediate and known that fatigue might make me do something dumb like skip a fence. I’ve made more mistakes that cause TEs (skipping an SJ fence, jumping wrong XC fence) at one days because I’m simply not focused due to fatigue or heat.

[LadyB]

Here in Ontario, that’s all we do.

Some times over two days, but lower divisions one day and higher divisions the second day.

I like it, you don’t lose your weekend, you don’t spend a boat load of money on extra expenses. It’s really all we know up here.

I find 2-3 day events drag, you do one or two phases in one day, I find your horse is stalled a lot or you’re having to ride a lot, and a lot of time just wandering around. With a one day its boom boom boom. Done. Horses handle it well IMO. Its really no different then a full lesson if you think about it. Just broken up, depending on your horse and their warm up needs.

Course walks, I try to do 2, will get there super early or go the day before if I need to or are able to, but not always an option. Many of us are up before the sun to get to the event, that’s just how it is.

As for schooling the event the day before, that’s a big nope. Our courses close 2 weeks before.

[beowulf]

I never knew there were cons to one-day events!

I love them. I love the ones over 2 days too but often I find I have too much time on my hands. I like being busy! My horse does too. My old gelding LOVED the two-day/3-day events because it was the only time he got a nice fluffy stall (24/7 horse) - he would just snozz the day away. He loffed his stall time. Not many horses do. The big drawback I have for 2-day/3-days is that they spend a lot of time in the stall.

One day events are pretty ubiquitous here. From a spectator and volunteer standpoint I much, much prefer one-days. Two days are okay but that’s a lot of hours to ask a volunteer and as a show organizer it’s much easier to get volunteers for one-day short stints.

My tips for mastering the one-day event:

1. Walk the course the day before. Most one day events here, the course will open up at 12PM for walking the day before XC. I will walk it twice the day before and then once when I get to the event. If you can’t walk the day before, set up to leave a half-an-hour early so you can walk it first thing after you check in.
2. Prep the day before: clean horse, all tack, organize trailer, pull everything out that needs to be put on the horse first thing in the morning, etc. I’m a quick braider (22 minutes, exactly) so I braid the morning of as long as my class is not at the bum-crack of dawn.
3. Bring a friend to help with studs, tacking up, holding, etc. Ply them with Dunkins breakfast and booze later (or now!).
4. Condense your warddrobe. Some people change every phase - not me - I’ll wear the same stuff I wore for dressage XC, minus a change in top sometimes. Saves you so much time.Same goes for horse wardrobe. Other than the saddle, my stuff is the same all 3 phases.

The cons, I guess, is that you’re pressed for time. If you’re good at time management, and have a helper, it should be a breeze.

[Mango20]

Generally, I think a one-day is all “pro” and no “con”, and are the way it’s normally done around here.

[merrygoround]

[h=2]“One Day Events - Pros and Cons”[/h] Initially, in eventing, all Horse Trials were one day events. It was only when the number of competitors increased beyond what could be accommodated on one day, that the HT stretched to two. This increased costs, as stabling and hotels be-came necessary.

Three Day Events were just that, and initially involved Roads and Tracks, Steeplechasing on Endurance Day. Now Three days have stretched into four and five days,even with a short format, but still are referred to as Three Days.

So financially I consider a one day, One Day, a beneficial thing. and absolutely not stressful for a horse.

[Janet]

The only “Cons” I have are related to “going straight from SJ to XC” (changing tack in hurry, rehydrating if it is hot, time to remember course and to “switch gears” mentally).

But if they give you enough time between phases, it is all “Pros” in my opinion

[JP60]

Great timing on the question as I’m going to one this weekend. I have little in the way of Cons though I wish entry fees were less. A 7-7:30 dressage time precludes a drive down in the morning as venues are at least 1.5 to 2 hours away so stabling is still a cost those less. (I sleep in my truck to save money) for me.

I like the idea of finishing shortly after noon and being home in daylight and since I don’t braid I don’t feel rushed. I was thinking about this this morning as I got my ride times, but I had the idea of places holding more one day events and limiting entries so folks have more choices for when they can compete.

This will be the first time we’re doing dressage before 7:30 and I have to haul in from a local farm so no coffee…ugh. I’ll call that a con :(

[Rnichols]

@Zarita

I did the one day event at woodland in May, that was my first one day and i liked it! But I was pretty tired by the end of the day! I had dressage super early in the morning so we stabled overnight, I guess I could have woken up at like 3am to trailer up but that didn’t sound super appealing if your talking about woodland I thought it was a nice event overall and pretty low key, they offered schooling sj and dressage I think the day before. Xc wasn’t too hot or dusty in may, and my horse felt warmed up and locked on to the jumps since we went directly from sj to xc. Overall I really liked it and didn’t feel as rushed as I thought I would. Plus nice to pay less for the entry!

Yes, I’m talking about Woodland! We would also plan to trailer in the night before - we’re located a little over 2 hours away, so it is feasible to trailer in for the day…but like you said not very fun to get up well before the crack of dawn to get there if you have an early ride time. We did a schooling CT at Woodside in April…I was the very first dressage time at 8AM and the girl I hauled with was the very last stadium round at 530. Needless to say it was a long day, and would have been easier to trailer in the day before!

That is good to know about schooling the day before. Dressage always makes me want to throw up a little bit so it would be good for me to ride a test before hand. And I’m glad to hear it wasn’t too hot! I’ve only been there in July and I’ve always felt like I’m in the middle of the Sahara.

[Rnichols]

Wow, thank you all for your responses! It sounds like I was worried over nothing (typical me). Most events in my area are 2 or 3 days (in fact, I think Woodland may be the only one day), so I’m surprised to see it’s pretty much “normal” everywhere else. I actually really like the idea of doing XC right after stadium. You’re all warmed up and ready to go to the fun part! I ride a baby horse so jump tack is all the same currently (with the exception of boots). Also I like the idea of being busy enough to not have time to really think about things. I tend to ride much better when I don’t have a lot of extra time to think about and over analyze things.

@beowulf - your horse looks quite comfy and content in that picture! He’s like “Can we do this every day?” haha.

I’m glad I posted on here because now I’m feeling much better about doing her first event as a one day.

[Training_Cupid]

@Rnichols - Twin has one day events, but they’re not rated. The next one is the halloween show end of October (costumes encouraged).
I’ve heard that Woodland is well run, but the footing is not good. Rocks everywhere, so I’m hesitant to take my sensitive-footed TB.

[Rnichols]

@Training Cupid Twin is a 5+ hour haul from where I am, so it’s not feasible for a one day for me, unfortunately. It’s a beautiful venue though and I’m hoping to take my mare there at least once next season (my coach usually goes 2X a year). I went to Woodland last June to school XC and the footing wasn’t horrible - it had improved since I had first been there. It sounds like @Zarita went to their one day in May and said the footing was decent =).

[Zarita]

I hadn’t been to woodland before, but I had heard there were issues with footing in the past and they’ve been working on it quite a bit. It seemed pretty nice when I was there, nothing that concerned me and I’m on a sensi ottb too

[Training_Cupid]

@Zarita the feedback I got was from the May event, but glad to hear you didn’t feel the same way.