I have a horse whose been doing well in the starter divison at horse trials and I’d like to move him up to BN. He needs confidence more than anything. Since the winter season is just beginning in Area III, can anyone recommend some soft-ish, easy BN courses?
Definitely Poplar.
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Second the suggestion of Poplar Place Farm though I don’t think the one at Chattahoochee Hills is particularly difficult either but it is a tad more challenging than Poplar.
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Just walked the new Grand Oaks BN course today - unlike most Central Florida venues it has significant changes in height and the fences looked to be near maximum. Don’t think it’s “soft” (we’ll find out how it rides tomorrow after the first runs) but it will be a great addition to Area III. Check out the CrossCountry map & photos here:
https://app.crosscountryapp.com/the-…base=satellite
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I thought the BN at Rocking Horse was appropriate & very inviting last year.
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That course looks like fun! How did it go?
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…two combinations at BN is no longer legal, per the descriptions of Levels of Horse Trials in Appendix 1 which was updated 2017, I think. Janet? (fwiw, I don’t agree with some of the new criteria but rules are rules)
"1. Beginner Novice—The Beginner Novice level is designed to introduce green horses and riders to Horse Trials, combining dressage, cross-country and Beginner jumping tests. It is for competitors and horses that have already had experience in schooling competitions in all three disciplines. The entire experience should be safe, inviting and educational to build con dence and a desire to progress. Competitors should be prepared to do a walk, trot and canter dressage test with 20-meter gures and a halt. The cross-country shall include simple, straightforward obstacles, solid in appearance, with true ground lines. The course should start with the simplest of jumps, such as a log with brush ground line, and gradually progress to bigger logs, coops and small tables with a sloping face, and other natural and inviting obstacles. Water crossings, if included, should be simple and inviting in nature with consideration for an alternate jump next to it (a simple log), when possible, which could provide an option to those not ready to cross water. There must be no jumps before or after a water crossing within six strides before and four strides after. A small step up but not down may be included. Ditches, if included, must be natural in appearance with a generous take off log along with consideration for an optional jump alongside the ditch for those not ready to jump a ditch. The track of the course must be devoid of sharp turns, be inviting in nature, and encourage horses and riders to learn to gallop across country in rhythm with con dence. The course may include one combination of 2 or 3 strides in a straight line. The jumping course should be inviting and straightforward, preferably with lines of six strides or more and may include only one double of two strides which may include only one oxer. "
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…and I’m not certain but suspect that the half coffin at fence 6 isn’t legal as this is now specifically introduced in the Novice description.
" Combinations may include: obstacles on a two stride line, and an obstacle after a ditch at no less than two strides. " (again, I don’t necessarily agree with this, but Rules)
Wow…thanks for copying the rules here. Agree that the course should start simple and get progressively more difficult. Based on those rules, the half coffin is definitely not legal. It says in the design guidelines (revised Feb 2017) that coffins are not appropriate for BN, and only half coffins are allowed at N.
Not area III but I did Windridge for our first BN on my last guy and really liked it. I think the Starter was almost at the same level as the BN there. I was just aiming for a good experience at the time. I don’t know where you live in Area III but it could also be a lot closer as well
I have never gone to Poplar and can’ compare unfortunately for the course. What I would say not to do however, would be Fence. That one is pushing the limits for BN.
My friend did BN at River Glen last year as well and while she did great and loved the venue, she started off kinda nervous when they threw in water, ditch, and bank all at the begging of the course. Probably not a good vote for a soft go.
I don’t mean to bring up all the bad options but I figured better to know.
We did the Starter at Windridge (and won!)- agree that it was a bit beefy as far as starter goes. I live in NC, so Area II, but the HTs are over here until the spring and I’d like to take advantage of season opening courses through the winter.
We actually just did our first BN at Full Gallop (totally last second entry) and while definitely not the softest BN in the world, it turned out to be a great experience. Thanks for the heads up about FENCE and River Glen. It’s good to know what NOT to enter right away as well!
Just want to note something here. Has this sport gone so off the rails that a person actually has to ask to find a “soft” BN track?!
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I would agree with this (it’s questionable for a first N too) as the water comes up really quickly and the way it’s positioned, it’s difficult for the horse to get a good look at it and understand what it is.
Yeah… I moved from GA to TX and was shocked at how much bigger and more difficult the BN courses are here, on average. Poplar’s BN is like the Starter course at Texas Rose.
Being from the west coast I can say the events I did were consistently bigger for the levels, however, the ability to do different shows as you progress is wonderful. Your horse might not be ready for a maxed out ride but if you know the course is softer, than you and him can gain confidence as you go. That’s part of why living over here is so wonderful to show actually.
Well, if you look at the guidelines @groom posted above, the BN courses I’ve seen around here (which admittedly aren’t too many, thus the OP) don’t follow them, i.e. options for ditch/water/bank, starting with simple, easy jumps and getting progressively difficult, and combinations in a straight line. My horse is great once he gets rolling, but most of the BN courses I’ve seen start off with a bang and the jumps just get more and more weird looking. For those reasons, I started him in the intro/starter divisions.
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So, my question is: Did anyone speak to the Rider Rep or TD about the level creep at Grand Oaks? If not, then why not? These things will never get changed, until folks begin to speak up. Shoot. They still might not get changed, if the CD’s and TD’s just do not care.
I can’t find an Omnibus listing for Grand Oaks (which seems odd), so does anyone know who the TD & POGJ were?
Looks like it was a schooling show: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto…26339251223719
Here is contact info from USEA: http://useventing.com/news/grand-oaks-schooling-dressage-show-jumping-and-horse-trials-show
And yikes…of 24 BN competitors, 15 had XC jump penalties, 5 were eliminated. http://www.evententries.com/livescoring/399.html
