I need your course building/show hosting expertise!

[Cypress Creek Test]

Long story but my barn is *supposedly* allowing us (the boarders) to put together a little in-barn jumper show. The trainers don't want to organize it or round up prizes but they've given us the go ahead to do it, as long as they are not responsible for any planning.

I would love some course ideas!

here are the general details:
-there are two arenas. We would likely use the outdoor, which is roughly 35 x slightly over 60 meters. The indoor is about 25 x ...40? Narrower but longer (the facility was previously a private dressage barn).
-we have about 10 sets of 4 poles that are recently painted. We also have a few sets of planks, but I don't recall the specifics. We have a lot of standards.
-the highest we'd have jumps set is about 2'9 (unless we did a chase me charlie, which we were considering and has been approved).

there's a barn near ours that hosts shows periodically and their courses are almost always disastrous- they just don't have the space for the turns that they try to do.

ideally the course(s) would be set in such a way that it could go multiple directions with minimal adjustment.

I've had a few ideas but would really love some extra thoughts!
thank youuuu
-Tea/Cypress

[BlackOak2]

Chase Me Charlie is great for a jump-off. It could be done as a last event for the day, a kind of show-us-what-you-have type of thing, that presses the horses and the riders in their skills.

I'd suggest, without getting into layouts, a two-three-two is a nice test of jumping ability (two jumps, a three-jump-combo and a two-jump-combo) is a nice set to both ride and watch. Then there's the two-two and three singles (two jumps and a combo in the middle). But I've always been more drawn to the long-set-ups. Doesn't really matter what the other jumps are, but I preferred the long line of four jumps stuffed in there somewhere.

So, my suggestion would be starting with a low oxer... then two singles, or a combo (double) and then a breather with a turn at the end of the fenceline. Coming up the long side, four singles... probably two of them crossbars and that'll probably be the middle two. Last jump could be a small riser (triple bar). Could also then finish with a pair of singles or a single and a last combo (double or triple).

That might be a bit much for a local show. On that note, setting up after that long line could be to come in at a shorter angle. So, instead of a long, slow turn, like the one that you'll ride into the long line from, you'll take the last couple of jumps at a diagonal through the ring, from corner to corner.

Does that make sense?

[Cypress Creek Test]

I'm not sure that we have space for a 4-jump line unless it's like... all bounces, but this is all great information! Thank you!

[BlackOak2]

I'm not sure that we have space for a 4-jump line unless it's like... all bounces, but this is all great information! Thank you!

Ah... well, I'd suggest to give it a go from diagonal to diagonal then. Although the corners might be a bit wonky. Riding it slowly at a trot over groundrails should give you a good idea if it's even feasible. If not, so be it, go with a three-line then. Still can get really interesting three-lines, two standards with an oxer in the middle or two standards with a rise as the third.

Just don't forget (as I'm sure you're eyeing up), that you have both the long lines of the arena as well as both diagonals and you can even squeeze in a single jump along the short lines. Plus, using a jump twice or multiple jumps twice can still work really well, just by bringing the horse in the opposite way, becomes an entirely new jump to them.

[islandhill]

Hey!

I do not have much experience with setting up courses (unless it is a little something I do for my own use), but I have shown in the jumpers and hunters for a long time and I thought I would just give some ideas I have seen a lot. Since the jumps do not really go too high, a good starter course is outside line, diagonal, outside line, diagonal. You see this course a lot in hunters, but in jumpers (especially at lower levels) I have seen it tweaked a lot. They will have that as the foundation for the course then throw in a rollback or a bending line and change up the order. However, just adding those two outside lines and two diagonals really gives you the building blocks to create a harder course for the jumpers. If you wanted to make it a little more advanced you could always remove one of the diagonals for the higher jumps and create a bounce with the diagonal that is still on the course. When I was fence judging last year, I saw this used multiple times at horse trials and I thought it was really cool and also an easy way for the rider to know where they are going and be familiar with the course set up...but this is just an idea!

BlackOak2 also gave some really good advice so please keep us updated on how the show goes and what you decide to do!! Good luck!

[Cypress Creek Test]

Everyone at our barn is schooling at least 2'3 (with 2-3 exceptions being super green horses) with about half schooling 2'9 and above, and we're an eventing barn, so really the aim is for a more challenging course with the option for inside turns (which hunter courses do not have). We do a lot of mental exercises so remembering courses isn't usually an issue, and it really shouldn't be if there are only 4-6 different lines anyways. The arena's a pretty decent size and diagonals and long sides would be too simple I think, regarding general skill level. Probably something I should have said upfront but oh well.
Thanks for the input though