POPLAR PLACE FARM
Date: September 16th
Running order of Divisions: CIC 2 Star, CIC 1 Star
Arena: 325 ft x 200ft with rounded end. Grass with three established trees.
Starters/Clear Rounds:
CIC 1 Star – 8/2(25%)
CIC 2 Star – 14/9 (64%)
I am sure that the double at fence 10ab was not as close to the arenas edge as drawn. You do not need to be an architect to draw scaled drawings, nor do you need a computer program to draw your plans to scale. You just need some squared paper, were each square represents 10 feet. With this type of paper you just need to be able to count in multiples of ten.
If your course will fit on paper it will fit in the arena. There is nothing worse than having a plan that looks good on paper and then finding it will not fit in the ring. With the square paper you can plot the arena on it, providing you know its size, which is the first question to ask if you are not familiar with it, by just dividing the length and width by ten and then counting up the squares.
There should be at least a straight approach of 84ft to any jump off the end of the arena. You can get away with 72ft in small arenas when the jumps are below Training height, but then the jump should preferably be a vertical. The striding from the edge of the arena, especially in small ones, is just as important as the striding between jumps and a multiple of 12ft seems to work best.
This course flows nicely around the arena with three doubles in the Two Star and quite a technical line from fence 4 to 6ab with a liverpool oxer at fence 5. For the One Star one part of the double is removed and the liverpool is moved up to fence 6 as a vertical. This gives a very different line to ride, and for the One Star would be less technical.
It is interesting to note that this is one of the highest percentages of clear rounds we have seen in a CIC Two Star since the Event was held at this same venue in the Spring.
Richard Jeffery
USEF Eventing Show Jumping Course Advisor