Flora Lea - how much rain did you get?

[hrg]

Just wondering if anyone knows how wet it is down there. it can get so muddy and deep in spots and I dont want to run the young horses in the muck. Any info would be apprieciated.

thx

[DDoodle]

I will be going out there to deliver XC maps in about 30 minutes so I will check and let you know. I can tell you we had just a drizzle last night so it will probably be good footing. Not raining at all right now. Let you know later.

[DDoodle]

The footing is holding up great. We are fortunate that we have sand under the soil so it drains quickly. We have had little rain today so I would say the conditions should be good. Hope you come out - the courses look GREAT!

[Arcadien]

20 minutes south here, it's been much less rain than expected (most of it stayed out to sea and is taking aim on Rhode Island), and should be just scattered showers from here on. Should be okay!

Arcadien

[hrg]

thanks very much for the info.

hopefully the storms stay away tonite.

[myboyludy]

just left there... all we got was mist all day. footing looks great on xc and sj!

[CookiePony]

hrg-- have fun with the young'uns!! :D

[Caroline Weber]

So, how did you do?

The XC and SJ footing held up pretty well - the dressage, not so much.

[hrg]

didnt go... been there too many times in the slop and it is hard on the young ones. poor folks, they try so hard and it always seems to be bad weather. at least when I am entered anyway! the dressage warmup it tough when it is dry, let alone after some rain.

hope everyone had a good run.

[Caroline Weber]

the dressage warmup it tough when it is dry, let alone after some rain.

I only had an hour between dressage and XC, so I opted to put studs in before dressage so I didn't have to rush later - and boy, was I glad! Dressage warm-up was pretty awful, and the ring itself was an uneven pit of sucking sand/mud. I pretty much could only do damage control since my guy is one of those TBs who easily gets very crooked and unbalanced - I just spent the test trying to keep him out of the deep spots and on his feet - resulting in a very lovely 46.5.

The footing for XC was actually not that bad! I had a really good run until I found out when they posted scores that I got TE'd for jumping the prelim hanging log instead of the training one - even when I walked the course, that uber-dark green looked black! To me, it was also more of a training question so it didn't jump out at me as being too hard. Since they didn't pull me off the course, I had no idea, and got to finish the course - I threw some actual prelim fences into the mix and he was great. I know the trakehner and the Weldon's wall got a lot of people - maybe because the Trak was downhill and in the woods, and you couldn't get quite straight to the Weldon's unless you did the prelim ditch in front of it (I opted for that more direct route).

Luckily, since I had a safe run XC, the TD told me to go ahead and do stadium. The footing for stadium really surprised me - it was pretty darn good! The course also seemed very thoughtfully designed to me - it flowed much more nicely than some of the courses I've ridden recently.

So all in all, yesterday was a learning experience for me! I'm probably going to be paranoid about the color of the signs on the jumps now. :lol:

[retreadeventer]

Yes, I think we heard of your mixup, sorry! However, if you would help me support my proposed rule change....my theory is that because of older, sometimes-nearsighted Baby Boomer adult riders, (of which I am one) the colors are hard to see.

I would like jump numbers to be changed to reflect SHAPES and not just colors. For instance...shields or? for BN.....diamonds for novice....round circles for training....squares for preliminary....V's for intermediate with open side up, v for advanced with open side down/\ like an A. Paint them any color you want, but the shapes would easily be discernable by the mounted rider moving at 400mpm or greater rather than trust color....and most organizers could easily retrofit most numbers with templates somebody handy and clever could make and we could post online as pdf's....just my little idea I guess.

Jumps like those uphill logs would easily be seen--if there were a triangle number on it even if it was dark green you would know it's not the training fence on approach. You're not the only one, someone else did it and circled around and jumped the correct T one and was not eliminated.

I am just happy I got around on XC and got over the Weldon's Wall! Woohoo! But I rode stupid in Stadium and dropped a rail on the black and white oxer out of the corner, my bad. Still after last weeks' disaster at Marlborough I am happy. And footing was just fine, I put studs in before getting on and had no trouble and he's a picky little horse when it comes to slipping! Come to think of it he slipped in stadium on that turn - perhaps that was why were were not balanced and forward enough.

[Caroline Weber]

Retread - from what I heard from the secretary, someone else not only jumped the wrong one, but jumped it with the fence judge SITTING ON THE FENCE! In my case, I saw the fence judge sitting a little too much in front of it, circled, and called out for her to maybe move a bit. At least I didn't jump her!

I was also thinking of ways to change it - however, instead of shapes, how about adding letters? For example, fence ten on the novice course, marked "N-10", or fence 5A on an Advanced course, "A-5A". That I could handle!

[retreadeventer]

I thought of that, however, there is not enough room on the signs to add a lot of letters and numbers; unless you make them quite small -- and that again defeats the purpose, I want to be able to pick out my fence from across a field and a shape is much easier to recognize.
For instance, it's proven that the hexagonal stop sign is a widely recognized shape that most people instantly associate with the act of stopping. You don't have to see what it says to know what it means. If we had shapes that we could count on from event to event, it would be the same shape we would be looking for on cross-country, no matter whether it was Flora Lea or Galway Downs.

[Flying Hippotamus]

When I was walking my course (BN) I remember thinking why do they have so many options at Training level. LOL Then when I was at a place where the lighting must have been different and I could see one was green. Then I read even you couldn't tell the difference. But I was thinking that training numbers are on a black background. So I looked it up. The rulebook (EV139) says Prelim white on green background, Training - white on black background and Novice - black on white background. It does say or as designated by organizer on the map.

Am I remembering this wrong or were the colors reversed? I thought I remembered seeing green on white background. The background color would be harder to mix up. Maybe put that on the event evaluation. What color did they use for novice? could they just swap their novice and training numbers to make it more obvious?
Sorry retread, unless you want to come and make new numbers for our courses I wouldn't support your change. No one has ever come to us and said they couldn't tell the difference in our numbers, but I will start listening for that as a problem.

[scubed]

of course, since it doesn't say what green, we could vote for neon lime green like this green

[myboyludy]

The numbers have been the same for a LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG time at flora lea. Its never been a problem. A lot of shows I go to from fla to maui jim have the same dark shade of green for the prelim numbers. And yes I too have had problems seeing which number they are but, and not to sound too catty(sorry if it does), but it is your job as the rider when you walk the course to walk YOUR course and remember which fences are yours. And yes we did have someone jump the prelim fence in the training divison with the judge sitting on it. That should have been a clue..LOL!

[Flying Hippotamus]

The numbers have been the same for a LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG time at flora lea. Its never been a problem. A lot of shows I go to from fla to maui jim have the same dark shade of green for the prelim numbers. And yes I too have had problems seeing which number they are but, and not to sound too catty(sorry if it does), but it is your job as the rider when you walk the course to walk YOUR course and remember which fences are yours. And yes we did have someone jump the prelim fence in the training divison with the judge sitting on it. That should have been a clue..LOL!

I agree with rider responsibility. I was just making some suggestions to solve a potential problem. Which it is obvious there was one if people are going off course and jumping the fence with a fence judge on it. (holy cow!) what happened to that rider did they get DR on anything? Umm... and just because something has been like that for a long time, is not a reason not to change. (does that sentence make sense!?)

[retreadeventer]

Right, FlyHip, I don't mean to specifically target Flora Lea's numbers, of course all courses of all horse trials are numbered alike since the rule book requires the colors -- but not shapes.

In my work, I have to make note of road signs and photograph them, and we've had seminars on sign shape and location. Believe me, a shape is WAY easier for a human with binocular vision to focus on when travelling at speed toward a given spot (like pulling up to a stop sign, or riding up to a fence.) They have known this many years. We are not reinventing the wheel.

And how well I know that most organizers would dig in their heels when it came to a rule change, that however it might promote safety, would still COST $$$. That is why I am going to try to find a way to get this idea perhaps SPONSORED or costs partially underwritten perhaps in order to make it easier for organizers to utilize the new shapes, or something to help $$$wise, should it become a rule. Another idea would be to find an inexpensive way to retrofit existing square numbers with a template that would be sturdy, waterproof, safely attached and not cost a lot. I know it's tough to put on events. Been there, done that.

Here's the deal. We gotta make things better all the time. If it works - if it keeps riders from jumping the wrong fence in a dangerous way - if it keeps people safer -- we gotta give it a whirl, especially if it's a simple easily understood change. Yes it might require more labor, maybe even money. But if it saves one life -- or one horse's needless injury -- or something even as low on the totem pole as someone's happy feelings about competing and not going off course -- then who is to say it wasn't worth trying.

It's not really a case of "don't fix it if it ain't broke". It is a common, easily made mistake on EVERY horse trial course in the country and I personally feel that those of you who criticise a rider for mixing up fences ought to gallop a furlong or so in that person's shoes before you make a comment. I have MANY TIMES gotten training and prelim fences mixed up, and I walk all my courses twice, and most I have competed -- and schooled -- over the same ones for many years and know which are which. And it's still hard at speed FOR ME to tell the difference on a darkly wooded path from dark green and black! Some people see better than others, god bless you and good luck to you, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be riding just because I don't have perfect eagle-eye vision.

[SnwWhteXEventr]

don't forget too whoever went to the event we had a new photographer.. He's at
www.theviewfromhugh.com

[takethestage]

don't forget too whoever went to the event we had a new photographer.. He's at
www.theviewfromhugh.com

Thanks so much! I was wondering who the photographer was, and kicking myself for not finding out at the trial.

[SnwWhteXEventr]

yeah, i wanted to make sure people knew because the guy was really nice and i got a chance to look at the photos and thought he had really good timing...he was sweet he asked us whether people like a profile shot of their horses jumping or if they liked a front shot with the riders face. he really wanted to do what we thought people would want. i think this was his first event being a photographer for, he does all the NJTRA pictures.

[Flying Hippotamus]

I never got to do this before! Here are my pics (they don't seem to be coming up as a link- I'm clueless) I might have to get them. Too bad I did end up with what someone graciously termed "a letter next to our name" thus no stadium pics. I had a good day any way and was pleased with his behavior other than him being a chicken (SCARY DECORATIONS). It was only our second recognized BN. Anyway these pictures make me even happier because we look like real eventers. As in my position is so much improved. My knees are bent, my butt is over the saddle, my legs didn't slide back too far, I'm not looking down and I don't have a weird look on my face. And Viggo looks like he actually jumped not sprang (like a kangaroo).



http://www.theviewfromhugh.exposuremanager.com/p/flora_lea_saturday/flsat051c58


http://www.theviewfromhugh.exposuremanager.com/p/flora_lea_saturday/flsat053c3

[bornfreenowexpensive]

yeah, i wanted to make sure people knew because the guy was really nice and i got a chance to look at the photos and thought he had really good timing...he was sweet he asked us whether people like a profile shot of their horses jumping or if they liked a front shot with the riders face. he really wanted to do what we thought people would want. i think this was his first event being a photographer for, he does all the NJTRA pictures.


He does have very good timing! And that is very hard to do when horses are jumping the smaller fences. Saw some great shots in there.

[PnkPanthr]

i had the pleasure of standing riight next to him while he was taking the pictures. he is a really nice guy and instead of like a lot of photographers, how they hold down the button and take a million pictures, he pushed it once, right when he wanted the picture taken, and they came out beautifully. yay hugh!