Having competed and volunteered at Bicton Arena, I thought it would be good to share some of my insight on the BE100 3 Day competition to help those of you who may be thinking of entering next season!

At the Rider Briefing, which is usually held on the evening before competition starts, the optimum times and distances are given for Phase A, B and C so that you have plenty of time to work out your paces and minute markers before starting.

The first two days consist of the Dressage phase which is held in the 20x60m grass arena.

Cross country day is made up of Phase A, B, C and D which seems like a lot but its great fun!

Phase A – Road and tracks: No need to warm up for it (hurrah!) this is your warm-up for Phase B.  Phase A is around 15-20mins long and approximately 2-3km. When you finish, you have one minute to get ready for Phase B.

Phase B – The steeplechase: My favourite! At Bicton there are around four fences to jump at 1m. The distances and optimum time will be given at the briefing.

Phase C – Road and tracks:   If you can ask your helper to be at the start/finish, they can check you still have boots and shoes on the horse!  Phase C is approximately between 5-6km, approximately 30 – 35 minutes.

When riding up to your 10-minute box – it is useful to trot towards your ‘box’ this will help the vets to assess your horse’s soundness.   Once in the 10-minute box your helper, can check over your horse, tack and replace anything needed. You will have a couple of minutes before your XC start time to practise over warm up fences.

Top tip – have your equipment in the 10 -minute start box before you start Phase A – bucket/sponge, spare tack, shoes (studs in shoes), a drink for you etc so that it’s ready for you to grab when you get there.

Phase D – Cross country:  The fun part!  This course is around six minutes long, which is a real test of you and your horse’s stamina. Helen West, Bicton Arena’s Manager and Course Designer, usually builds well thought out, challenging courses which are really good fun to ride whilst giving you plenty of questions.

The final day and providing everything has gone well, you have the trot up before starting the showjumping phase. Dress up and plait, be as smart as you can (there is a prize for this!). The trot up is in front of a vet and steward to show your horse is sound and ready for the showjumping. As soon as the trot up is completed you will receive your times. This phase is held in reverse order, the top 10 jump last and as you can expect, the course will be up to height.

My top tip – preparation, preparation, and more preparation!

I do a six-week fitness program for myself and Castle in readiness for the BE100 3 Day.

Bicton is an undulating course set in beautiful parkland, so make sure your horse is super fit for the duration of your stay.

The main thing is to enjoy yourself at a truly spectacular venue!

Rain did not dampen spirits at the last British Eventing competition of the season at Bicton Arena. The October Horse Trials welcomed in excess of 700 horses on site for a jam packed schedule which saw amateurs and professionals from all over the country make the trip to Budleigh Salterton.

The schedule featured the hotly contested Goodbye Flys BE100 3Day competition, a crowd favourite with amateur riders that undertake a long format competition over three days that includes roads and tracks and a steeplechase, a format that no longer exists in modern day eventing. Katy Mousdale won Section F with her own horse Conclusive on her first trip to Bicton, “Everyone is so helpful, the officials and volunteers are all there to help you. It’s a stunning venue and the team have worked so hard on the ground, we’re so lucky to come here, especially in this year like this.” Charlie Piper, a Polden Hills Pony Club member, won the Open section with Zadok D, she commented, “Bicton is a great venue, everything is really well run and I’ve enjoyed being here, there’s not really a better way to finish off the year!”

Winner of the Rathbones CCI3*-L class was New Zealand eventing stalwart Andrew Nicholson, it was the first time Bicton Arena has hosted the International class.  Andrew commented, “Bicton has got some of the best terrain in the world for cross country riding. Yesterday, even with the rain, the ground still felt good to ride on. It’s a great place for a CCI3*-L, it’s got it all here.”

Helen West, Bicton Arena Manager, commented, “Whilst riders have missed out on a lot of the season this year, it was great to be able to finish on a high and put on a show for everyone to enjoy. It’s now full steam ahead to 2021, we’re already looking forward to welcoming competitors and hopefully spectators back through the gates.”

Full results can be found here.

[Andrew Nicholson & Monbeg Exclusive, Winner of the Rathbones CCI3*-L –  Credit: Jayphotos.co.uk]

It has been a busy nine weeks for us here at Abbie Burbidge Eventing, since the last blog we have had top 10 placings with all the horses. It all started with TJ coming first and second in his debut British Dressage outing in July.  After that, we made a trip to Bicton’s August British Showjumping weekend where Castle Fantastic won his class (Dodson & Horrell Amateur round).

Unfortunately, I did not have a horse ready for the Bicton’s British Eventing Horse Trials in July so instead I volunteered for the day.  It was interesting watching how the different professionals warm up their horses and nice talking to a few of them like Tim Price, Padraig McCarthy, David Doel and Andrew Nicholson to name a few. I will definitely volunteer again at the October Horse Trials!

TJ has started his eventing career and despite the heat he placed ninth on his debut. At his next event we had to compete in opposite weather, but despite the pouring rain he put in a really good performance for sixth which is a pleasing start to his career.

Bluebird went to his first British Showjumping show where he was just pipped at the post to come second. He has also competed in Combined Training and was placed third and sixth, so great all round!

Castle was back out doing some Combined Training where he won his class on a dressage score of 28.3.  Then we went out jumping and he was on winning form in the Discovery – I am sure he wanted to show the youngsters how it was done!

But the real star has been TJ with his “twinkle toes” dressage outings where he has managed to keep a winning streak at three different BD events! TJ went eventing mid-September doing his last BE90 course where he put in a particularly good performance over a technical track to finish sixth.

Looking ahead to October, we are just as busy with competitions lined up for all three horses.

Hopefully, we will be allowed to still compete even with the increase in the R rating.

With more than 60 classes over four days of top-class competition, Helen West, Bicton Arena Manager and her team welcomed more than 800 horses to the September Spectacular Showjumping Show (10-13 Sept) at the elite venue based in Budleigh Salterton. A calendar highlight for many competitors, the show was a key fixture for those hoping to qualify for the rearranged Indoor Championships due to take place at Aintree Equestrian Centre at the beginning of October.

Helen commented, “It’s been a fantastic weekend of competition, even with the Covid-19 regulations, the atmosphere has been buzzing and it’s been great to see so many riders back doing what they love. We used the enforced break during lockdown to install a new drainage system in the TopSpec Main Arena, which will enable us to be resilient as we possibly can be where the good old British weather is concerned. It was a massive team effort to get the arena ready for this competition in a relatively short space of time, and I am thrilled with how well the footing rode and the huge number of compliments we have received from riders.”

From 80cms classes right through to a 1.40m Grand Prix, there was something for everyone. Key wins came from Wraxall based Adrian Whiteway and Anytime II in the 1.40m Mitchell & Webber Senior 1.40m Grand Prix. Chloe Reynolds made it a one-two in the K J Reynolds Five Year Old Championships with Kiss By Balia and Cascadella, a class sponsored by her father’s company and Ben Clark won the Devon Duvets 1.05m Open Championship with Billy Boycie, claiming the title for a second year in the row.

Adrian Whiteway commented, “I love Bicton Arena, it’s my favourite venue in the country. The weekend was run so well by Helen, Beccy and the team considering all the regulations they had to put into place. I had a good weekend with some of my new and young horses but obviously it was great to win the Grand Prix on Anytime II.”

Full results can be found on the Bicton Arena website here.

Whoopee!! We have the green light to go Eventing!!

Since my last blog, I have been increasing fitness (both horses and mine) in readiness for our first one day event of the year!

After abandoned events and cancellations at the beginning of the season, I am pleased to be preparing for my first competition back.  After lengthy discussions, we are going to save Castle this year in readiness for the rescheduled Science Supplements Cup at Badminton next year. Although he is now back in work, seeing HIS lorry leave a few times without him always leaves him a little miffed!

TJ and Blue have been busy getting ready for their debuts. They have been to cross country schooling the past couple of weeks, proving bold and willing at all combinations that were asked of them. This was followed by a busy weekend show jumping! We went to Bicton to with TJ at their BS three-day show, TJ did a lovely steady double clear in the 90cm. We are very lucky to have Bicton as a local show, who provide and meet the required standards so easily, probably with a lot of hard work and thought! Bicton had a one-way system in place, with designated pole pickers in the new NAF Five Star Arena. The stewards were busy with the Western Counties and Bond Timber arenas making sure both arenas were flowing throughout the day.

The following day we took Blue to another local venue for the 80cm and 90cm showjumping classes. Blue did two double clears despite the scary spectators sitting by the gates in the arena! All event organisers and managers are working extremely hard to get competitions back running in these new and strange times.

Although it may be frustrating for some, “we are all in the same boat” as mum would put it.  Thank you to all organisers, secretaries, stewards, and volunteers for getting us all competing!

After a successful return to competition at the beginning of July, Bicton Arena Manager Helen West and her team are already looking ahead to the October British Eventing Horse Trials, 22 – 25 October, which has welcomed the addition of the CCI3*-L to its schedule.

With classes starting at BE100 and spanning right through to CCI3*S and CCI3*-L, the team will prepare to welcome in the region of 750 competitors to what will be the final British Eventing competition of the 2020 season.

This will mean Bicton Arena International Horse Trials will have the following classes on offer:

• CCI3-L
• CCI3-S
• CCI2-L
• CCI2-S
• BE100 3DE (long format)
• BE100
• Novice

“Although this year has proved to be testing in many ways it feels fitting that we can round off the season in fine style. The schedule of competition accommodates for amateur riders right through to professionals who have further goals in mind. The inclusion of the CCI3*-L provides a vital opportunity for combinations to gain qualifications for the 2021 season and the BE100 3 Day is a highlight for many amateurs who have all missed out this season,” commented Helen West.

The BE100 3 Day offers riders the chance to compete as they would at an international event as the competition takes place over three days with cross country being the last phase. They will also undertake the Steeplechase and Road and Tracks sections as well as a trot up. The unique competition is always a firm favourite amongst the amateur riders finishing the season on a high.

Entries will open 14 September, click here to stay up to date.

A bumper entry for Bicton’s July British Eventing Horse Trials has resulted in an extra day of competition being added to the timetable on Friday 24th July to help minimise the number of competitors being balloted.

All Intermediate sections will run on Sunday 26th July, with a full day of BE100 on Saturday 25th July and Novice & BE90 on Friday 24th July.

All Novices & BE90 are being moved to Friday and regrettably many of the BE90s will have to be balloted. If you are entered in the Novice or the BE90 and cannot compete on the Friday, please email [email protected] by 12 noon tomorrow (Wednesday 15th July) in order to be balloted. Please do NOT get in contact if you can run on Friday. If you are balloted, please note that any stabling you have booked will be refunded.

“We are delighted to have received so many entries, but obviously sad that we will not be able to accommodate all of them, especially the BE90s. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Bicton for what will now be 3 days of competition. We are extremely grateful to our volunteers and fence judges for stepping in yet again and enabling us to offer another day of Sport for the membership” said Bicton Arena Manager Helen West.

After many months of closure the Bicton Arena team are back and ready to open the Rolle Estate gates to British Eventing competitors on 25 and 26 July 2020.

“We can’t wait to welcome competitors back to Bicton in three weeks’ time. It’s going to be a stripped back version of eventing to ensure the safety of our competitors, volunteers and organising team but it will certainly be an encouraging start for all,” said Bicton Arena Manager, Helen West.

Helen and her team have made a focussed effort on the Advanced Intermediate class, kindly sponsored by Rathbones Investment Management, which will take place on the Sunday.  Following rider feedback, the class will be geared towards those who are aiming for Pau in October. Competitors will have the opportunity to ride the CCI5*B (2020) dressage test in the NAF Five Star arena and navigate an enhanced Intermediate test across country.

“We wanted to make as much of an atmosphere as possible for the combinations in the Advanced Intermediate by benefitting from the pro wax surface and riding this specific test. I have also designed the cross country course so that it will give competitors a chance to tackle some technical questions that will be suited to the more experienced combinations.”

The courses for the BE90 and BE100 on Saturday and the Novice and Intermediate classes on Sunday will be flowing and educational, asking appropriate questions at each level and encouraging horses to jump confidently and in a good rhythm.

“Our thanks go to all who have supported us over the past few months including our loyal sponsors, customers and volunteers, it has been a challenging time but we are now pleased to be able to safely run competitions again at Bicton.”

Entries are now open for the two days of British Eventing competition https://bit.ly/38mRRhZ

Take a look at the first edition of magazine Countryside Matters from Clinton Devon Estates – you can take a look here – https://en.calameo.com/read/005138646018079f1a2c4.