WEF competitors help me out

[DarkBayHunter]

I normally show in Ocala but this year I will be closer to WEF so I’m thinking of showing there for a month or 6 weeks. My trainer, however, will be in Ocala so I would have to train wth a new trainer at WEF. I know it’s not very easy to find somewhere to have a lesson on the HITS show grounds. Is WEF any better? Where can you lesson? How do ticketed warm-ups work at WEF? At HITS ticketed warm-ups are sometimes crazy but they do try to restrict the number of people in there at once. I read the schooling description from last year’s circuit and it looks like there are multiple rings with courses set at different heights as well as a $20 ring. Is this correct?

The trainer I’m thinking of riding with stables on the show grounds so I don’t have the luxury of an offsite ring.

Also are the earlier weeks in January quieter than later in the circuit or is it pretty packed the whole time?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[MHM]

It’s a bit lighter at the start of the season. The $20 ring is always a good option. I’ve been off the grounds for many years, so I don’t know how hard it is to find room to ride. At the height of the season, the whole place is pretty busy.

[StormyDay]

I can’t even remember if they let us hack for free or if we had to pay. What a great memory I have :sadsmile:
January didn’t seem any less crowded, but IMO the courses are a bit easier and I believe the first week isn’t A rated? Hopefully someone with better memory will pipe up!

[chunky_munky]

Most trainers at WEF have their own farms. You can lesson there.

[Nickelodian]

I only did 3 weeks and then 4 weeks in 2014 and 2015, so I don’t know that you’d call me an expert…

We stabled offsite the first year and onsite the second. Onsite, I never had a problem finding a place to ride. Warm up rings before and after the show, hacking in the ring before the show, ticketed schooling before the show starts. As mentioned before 20 dollar ring is an excellent option for a lesson any time. It’s a basic full course set up and limited number of horses at any given time. 20 bucks to use each time (thus 20 dollar ring). Also if you walk the opposite direction of the show there are a couple of fields I played around in, and I often headed out on the bridle trails that others use to get to the show. No limits on riding there, and lovely hack with lovely scenery.

Four weeks is all I’d want to ever do onsite, unless maybe you have a paddock out back. If the weather is bad the stalls are…really bad. And of course no place to get them out.

[DarkBayHunter]

[QUOTE=Nickelodian;8844645]
I only did 3 weeks and then 4 weeks in 2014 and 2015, so I don’t know that you’d call me an expert…

We stabled offsite the first year and onsite the second. Onsite, I never had a problem finding a place to ride. Warm up rings before and after the show, hacking in the ring before the show, ticketed schooling before the show starts. As mentioned before 20 dollar ring is an excellent option for a lesson any time. It’s a basic full course set up and limited number of horses at any given time. 20 bucks to use each time (thus 20 dollar ring). Also if you walk the opposite direction of the show there are a couple of fields I played around in, and I often headed out on the bridle trails that others use to get to the show. No limits on riding there, and lovely hack with lovely scenery.

Four weeks is all I’d want to ever do onsite, unless maybe you have a paddock out back. If the weather is bad the stalls are…really bad. And of course no place to get them out.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for this. The trainer I’m considering has a paddock out back. I think a month will be enough for my horse as well regardless of the paddock. I had heard that the $20 ring could be crazy and overcrowded but it seems everyone is saying that they do restrict it down. How many people at once is typical? 4 or 6? Or more? I know the ticketed warm-ups can be treacherous at HITS when I’m in there with pony kids zooming around and I’m trying to listen to my trainer. Diagonal lines seem to be the most likely places to collide.

[DarkBayHunter]

[QUOTE=chunky munky;8844329]
Most trainers at WEF have their own farms. You can lesson there.[/QUOTE]

Not the trainer I’m considering

[chunky_munky]

Then if thats the case and you have nowhere else to take lessons, you might want to consider one that does. Pretty hard to do lessons in the show grounds environment. Just my opinion. Hacking? Sure. Warm up? Sure. But real riding lessons on the grounds are tough.

[DarkBayHunter]

[QUOTE=chunky munky;8844740]
Then if thats the case and you have nowhere else to take lessons, you might want to consider one that does. Pretty hard to do lessons in the show grounds environment. Just my opinion. Hacking? Sure. Warm up? Sure. But real riding lessons on the grounds are tough.[/QUOTE]

Yes I will consider that. Just have a good feeling that this person would work well with me and my sensitive horse. In theory I don’t really need to have formal lessons at the horse show… I could just warm-up and show and get feedback that way but I’d just like to get the most out of the experience. It is critical to me that if I let a trainer ride and show my horse during the week that it’s the right match. I owe my mare that so that’s more important than whether I can have lessons or not.

[DarkBayHunter]

Any suggestions on Hunter trainers to consider? My horse is a sensitive mare and needs someone who rides that type well. I’m not interested in anyone who over-preps, over-medicates or is unethical in anyway. This is for fun for me. I’ll do 2’6" - 3’ hunters on the weekend and she can do the 3’3" or 3’6" performance hunters during the week.

[Dorito]

You might consider Jennifer Berol Bliss.

[DarkBayHunter]

[QUOTE=Dorito;8846716]
You might consider Jennifer Berol Bliss.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Dorito.

[longtimelurker]

[QUOTE=Dorito;8846716]
You might consider Jennifer Berol Bliss.[/QUOTE]

Came here to make the same suggestion! Your horse sounds just like the type she rides best.

[LessSugarMoreSpice]

[QUOTE=DarkBayHunter;8844791]
Any suggestions on Hunter trainers to consider? My horse is a sensitive mare and needs someone who rides that type well. I’m not interested in anyone who over-preps, over-medicates or is unethical in anyway. This is for fun for me. I’ll do 2’6" - 3’ hunters on the weekend and she can do the 3’3" or 3’6" performance hunters during the week.[/QUOTE]

Wef is in my backyard and as much as the show has really let me down the last few years, I still always end up showing there. My horses are boarded within hacking distance, but we get stall onsite as well for the convenience factor. As a junior, we also travelled to wef, so I have been around this show since littlewood.

Ki-Juan Minors is who I use, I’m telling you, he will be the next big hunter rider. He is fabulous!
I have also used Penny Lombardo in the past.

I don’t know of Jen Bliss taking on too many clients, she has several of her own that she shows.

As for the $20 ring, well Nickelodian must have had good luck :), bc I have seen more crashes there than I care to remember. It gets extremely crowded, the best time to go is in the afternoon.

I agree with CM, full on lessoning can be difficult on site.

There are plenty of other arenas though for just hacking. The footing is far and away the best in the $20 ring!

Please feel free to message me and I can go into more detail