{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}
Trending:

Andrew Nicholson: ‘Are cross-country courses heading in a new direction? *H&H Plus*

*Opinion*
Andrew Nicholson Andrew Nicholson

    • Andrew Nicholson reviews the strong cross-country track at Bicton and warns it may be time for riders to rethink their training and competition plans

    HELEN WEST and her team did a good job at Bicton; the facilities were great, and it was lovely to have spectators. There seemed to be a big crowd – certainly when we’ve been used to no one for the past year and a half.

    As far as the cross-country course was concerned, I can see where Helen and her course-adviser Mark Phillips were coming from. The tracks all season at the lower levels have been strong; there appears to be a concerted effort to make the cross-country more dominant again and make us ride better in that phase.

    However, to me, Bicton’s four-star track was too much for the level. Yes, there were a lot of CCI5* horses there, and it was effectively a final trial for the British Olympic hopefuls. But I thought when I walked it that if you had a proper four-star horse doing its first CCI4*-L, the course was going to be full-on for it, and it proved to be so.

    .

    Andrew’s exclusive column will also be available to read in this Thursday’s H&H magazine, on sale 17 June

    You may also be interested in…

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now