Eventing & horse tack shops - a marriage made in heaven

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If you are new to Eventing or you are a seasoned veteran, the thrill of going to spectate at an international Event is simply unsurpassable. Whether it is the three disciplines of dressage, showjumping or cross country you are interested in, or perhaps it is the vast array or horse tack shops and country clothing stalls that float your equestrian boat; either way it is important to use your time there effectively.

The pinnacle of Three Day Eventing is the FEI 4Star competition. Only 4 such events in the world exist; these are Badminton & Burghley in England as well as the Rolex Kentucky in America and Adelaide in Australia. Owing that these competitions are the pinnacle of the equestrian sport of Eventing, they also attract the largest amount of spectators. In fact, Badminton alone attracts over 250,000 visitors.

With spectator numbers being so high, the first thing you have to ensure is that you get prepared the night before. Have the car packed, the water bottles filled up and your wellies, walking boots and wax jacket at the ready - this is a must as you can never predict the weather, especially at a British event.

On the morning of the event it is advisable to leave as early as you can, as the last thing you want to be doing is get stuck in a long traffic jam with all the other spectators and end up missing half the show - and �sometimes more importantly, miss that shopping spree opportunity. If you do get held up, events such as Badminton have a designated radio station that you can tune into and listen to all the latest news, results and equi-gossip.

Once you have arrived, paid and parked, it is very advisable to make a note to yourself to remind you where you car is situated. Believe me, it is incredibly easy at the end of the day to come back to the car park and not know where your car is situated. Quite often people will put flags or certain signs on the roof of their cars to make them easier to find.

So now youre there, youve decided on our country footwear choice, youve brought a spare jumper in case it gets cold and you have a Barbour jacket in the rucksack in case the heavens open. The next point of call would be to get a programme of events and a list of competitors and times. These can usually be found near the entrances - if not they will be at the secretarys office.

Once the times and, if you will, the �order of play have been acquired, it is then quite preferable to get a tea or coffee, peruse the competitor list to decide who and what you want to watch and maybe even indulge in a bacon and egg sandwich.

Depending on what day you go, whether it is a dressage day, show jumping or cross country day, these factors and your own personal preference have to be taken into consideration so as to ascertain your plan of campaign for the day. For example if you are there to visit the many horse tack, country clothing and field sport shops, and are not too interested in watching the horses (which a surprisingly number arent), then you can choose your shopping time to fit around when it is going to be least busy.

With regards to the timing; on the dressage day the shops will be least busy when the competitors are completing their tests. There will be a number of breaks during the day for the judges to rest and it is then that a lot of the people will come out to shop. When this does happen it is often nice to walk the cross country course so you can see the jumps and will then be able to relate to them when you are viewing it on TV the following day. Similar to this, on the cross country and show jumping days it is best to pick and choose your shopping time to coincide when people are riding.

If you have never been to an international Three Day Event before, the vastness is quite something to behold. Rows and rows of shops, selling every conceivable equestrian and field sports wear, including horse tack; saddles, bridles and riding boots, hats, wellies and wax jackets. It really is a one stop shoppers paradise and a lot of people come to these big equestrian events as there is everything for horse and rider condensed into one spot.

On the other hand, if you are there to watch especially on the cross country day, then it is advisable to walk the course early and pick your desired spot. The water jumps are often the most popular, and as such they can get very crowded and are almost impossible to get a good viewing position later on in the day. If on the other hand you like to watch a few horses at each jump, then make sure you are not carrying too much stuff that you will be over burdened and injure yourself. A sturdy pair of walking boots or Wellingtons are definitely advised.

Once your shopped and horsed out, you can either decide to �beat the traffic and leave half hour or so before the last horse completes their round or sit back, have a drink of your choice and picnic till the day draws to a close and the crowds have dispersed.

Either way come rain or shine, shopping or spectating, the thrill of a 3 day Event and the opportunities for tack shopping is simply unsurpassed.

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