Important announcement about the WES National Show 2023
The 2023 National Show will be at Horse Creek Farm on the August Bank Holiday weekend. From 2024 the Nationals will move between venues, starting with Oakridge Arena.
I want to share with you the key points from our Council meeting on Sunday evening, and a key decision that Council and I have made.
National Camp at Pickering Grange: what a success
I hope you have seen the inspiring pictures and posts on Facebook and the WES website from those who went to the National Camp. Ann Hughes organised a great event, with close to 30 members attending, 3 of them youth members. Our thanks to Joe Midgley and Lee Rutter for their time and dedication in helping members improve their western riding and horsemanship.
The central location worked for more people, and was one of the main reasons for choosing the venue. Feedback on other parts of the facilities was less positive, though, and the consensus was: "It worked for our training camp but would not work for our much larger National Show."
The Camp was always meant as a pilot for the Nationals. It is disappointing that it does not tick all the boxes, but it is better to know now than in August.
With Council, I have led a review of other venues that could meet our needs and answer the main points of feedback: a good riding surface for western events, and better food, refreshments, toilets and showers. Please remember this is a National Show. The camp worked for us, but with more people, more horses in the show rings on their surface, and more people moving around the site, Pickering Grange would not work for our National Show.
What this means for the 2023 National Show
Only 2 venues offered both the riding surface and the facilities:
- David and Sarah Deptford's Horse Creek Farm
- Oakridge Arena
- Oakridge is better placed for more members, but could not take us on our dates, and its only other free dates clash with our Scottish Nationals.
- Horse Creek Farm can take our dates but, as we know, is less well placed for many.
Having weighed up the pros and cons, Council and I have decided that for 2023 we will keep our traditional dates, and our Nationals will be at Horse Creek Farm on the 2023 August Bank Holiday weekend.
We have also decided that from now on the Nationals will move between venues. In 2024 they will be at Oakridge Arena, and we will move away from our traditional August Bank Holiday weekend in 2024.
The 2024 date is still to be confirmed. We will work with our friends in other western riding organisations (BR, AQHA-UK, UK PHA and others) to make sure we do not clash with their events.
Council and I did not take this decision lightly, and we needed to move quickly. We know it does not answer the feedback about location from previous years, but the freedom to hold our main event on a different date and at other suitable venues helps us move forward.
I hope you understand, and that you will come and enjoy our National Show later this year.
Rob Painter
Chair, Western Equestrian Society