See the cross-country course the British Olympic longlisted horses will tackle at Bicton *H&H Plus*
Check out photos of every fence on the CCI4*-S cross-country course at Bicton Horse Trials…
The Bicton Horse Trials cross-country course for the CCI4*-S, supported by Chedington, consists of 22 numbered fences.
The course is designed by Helen West, with help from Mark Phillips.
Seven of the horses on Britain’s Olympic eventing longlist will compete in this class and so will tackle this track on Sunday (13 June).
The Chedington CCI4*-S course is marked with purple numbers, with the Chedington CCI4*-L using blue numbers.
Bicton Horse Trials cross-country course CCI4*-S fence by fence
Fence 1: Chedington Flowerbed
Fence 2: Langaller Stud Brush Oxer
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Fence 3: Equine Health Centre Parallel
Fence 4a: W. H. Bond Sawbenches
Fence 4b: W. H. Bond Sawbenches
Fence 5: Clinton Brush ‘C’
Fence 6: Skinny Wedge
Fence 7a: Stump to Fallen Corner
Riders curve left-handed after this fence, probably on four strides, to the b element, which can be glimpsed behind the tree.
Fence 7b: Stump to Fallen Corner
Fence 8: Wagons
Fence 9ab: Beaver Log to Brush Palisade into Water
Fences 10 and 11: Offset Brushes
There is one stride between these two angled brushes.
Fence 12: T on Mound
Fence 13ab: Chedington Complex
The view over fence 13a to the corner at fence 13b.
This corner is the direct route.
The alternative fence 13b involves turning right-handed to a brush corner and then taking a long loop round to return to the onward track.
Fence 14: Tall n Narrow
Fence 15: Pig Arc Rolls
Riders can choose whether to jump on the left-hand or right-hand side.
Fence 16abcd: Course Designer’s Conundrum
The most direct route is to jump the rail in (fence 16a), then the ditch (fence 16bc) and then the left-hand corner (fence 16d).
The long route involves passing the whole complex and looping back round to jump the ditch in reverse (fence 16a), then jumping a rail (fence 16b) and then the ditch (fence 16c) and on to the right-hand corner (fence 16d). There is considerably more space between elements on this route and the fences are on a straight line.
Fences 17 and 18ab: HTSG Open Oxer and Brush Dilemma
This fence has been renumbered since the course pictures were taken –it was initially 17abc and is now 18ab.
The view over fence 17 to fence 18a – there will probably be four strides between these two elements.
The view over fence 18a to fence 18b – there will probably be three strides between elements a and b.
Fence 19ab: Jewson Pond
The fence numbers in the latter part of the course have changed since these pictures were taken due to the re-numbering of fence 17 and 18ab.
Fence 20: Blackberry Farmhouse
The fence numbers in the latter part of the course have changed since these pictures were taken due to the re-numbering of fence 17 and 18ab.
Fence 21: Woodland Leap
The fence numbers in the latter part of the course have changed since these pictures were taken due to the re-numbering of fence 17 and 18ab.
Fence 22: NAF Finale
The fence numbers in the latter part of the course have changed since these pictures were taken due to the re-numbering of fence 17 and 18ab.
Pictures by Pippa Roome
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.