Posted by Mark S on January 16, 2009, 1:03 pm
217.44.42.140

Just had this message from the Point-to-Point Authority: The British Horseracing Authority is happy to grant dispensation to the organisers of Parham to change direction of the course from a right-handed to left-handed course with immediate effect for the Crawley and Horsham meeting on 21st March and Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray meeting on 16th May.

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Posted by Nick Pearce on January 16, 2009, 3:07 pm, in reply to "CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR PARHAM"
85.189.46.232

Really cant see the point. Cant see how it will work? It will ruin what I personally think is one of our best tracks.... P.S Just walked Detling, exactly the same as last year Good, Good to Soft in places

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Posted by mg on January 16, 2009, 5:41 pm, in reply to "Re: CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR PARHAM"
193.178.217.17

Parham had to change due to landowner issues and recently seeded ground or something like that i.e. there was no choice and it's a fair bit of work to achieve. Jamie Hawkesfield will be offering to do a course-walk once the fences are in place, I believe, because it's not quite as straightforward as going the other way round. He'll be at Detling on Sunday - so ask him! Glad you like Parham too & thanks for the going update at Detling. Can we have an update tomorrow too?

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Posted by paul blagg on January 16, 2009, 6:48 pm, in reply to "Re: CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR PARHAM"
81.154.226.93

Many thanks for the update on Detling as to Parham I suspect the uphill will hurt!!

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Posted by Nick Pearce on January 16, 2009, 7:07 pm, in reply to "Re: CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR PARHAM"
85.189.46.232

Shame as im sure Jamie would prefer not to change as well. Team Gorman I'm very sorry to here about the Chesnut Machine........

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Posted by PeteM on January 17, 2009, 1:34 pm, in reply to "Re: CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR PARHAM"
92.232.69.118

After we decided that it was too soft at Ascot for Amy I diverted up to see if there was any last help needed at Detling. Hugh was just finishing painting the take-off rails. Going - at a guess (I didnt walk a lot of the course - proabably soft side of good - Hugh pointed out the course change (which seems to have been kept a national secreat) - only two jumps in back straight now!

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Posted by Nick Pearce on January 17, 2009, 7:45 pm, in reply to "Course change at Detling"
81.109.220.157

Three in the back straight as they have removed the last in the back.

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Posted by PeteM on January 19, 2009, 11:05 am, in reply to "Re: Course change at Detling"
92.232.69.118

Whoops apologies - have learnt to count again. Detling unchanged.

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Posted by jamie hawksfield on January 20, 2009, 6:10 pm, in reply to "Re: CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR PARHAM"
80.177.171.108

Re the change of direction of the course. I wont bore you with all the complications we have had at Parham over the last year which you could write a book about but the decision to go the other way was influenced by two things. Firstly the man who owns the land that made up the first 300 hundred yards of the old course threatened not to allow us on this year and we simply couldnt take the risk. That meant that we have to now go pararrel with that stretch of course on the inside which is part of the Rugby Club. If we had started on the rugby club land it would have meant vehicles having to go across the rugby pitches to get to the start and that aint possible.In addition I would prefer horses to cross this part of the course uphill rather than downhill and the next bit of the track past the oilrig which is the firmest part of the course will also ride better uphill. Secondly we have many people say to us they wont run their horses at Parham because of the downhill start and finish. Alan Taylor is one I know who will stand up and say it would be a much better course left handed so now that we have portable fences lets see how it goes. It will mean the first 4 and the last 2 fences will be uphill and the crowd will also be able to see the start and the finish, which will also be uphill. This isnt change for changes sake - it has been forced on us so lets give it a go. I would love to ride it the other way round......!!!

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