Anyone been to Olympia?
- Thread starter Lissie
- Start date
Olympia is always a treat. Tho not cheap.
I went to the dressage for several years - both nights. Got home so late it was all too much. Didnt book this year and OH has not been well.
The thing you need to do is look on line and see whether there are still tickets on sale? My grand daughter goes to the jumping sometimes with her mother and it is all booked in advance. Not cheap. And the shopping village is good - I have bought stuff there I needed.
I did one year go at the very last moment in a cheap seat high up to watch the dressage grand prix and it was worth it - I took binoculars.
I live quite near to Olympia but the journey is awkward by public transport and after midnight - well anyway I am getting old.
Lots of people come a long way to Olympia - so where are you coming from and have you smewhere to stay overnight?
I went to the dressage for several years - both nights. Got home so late it was all too much. Didnt book this year and OH has not been well.
The thing you need to do is look on line and see whether there are still tickets on sale? My grand daughter goes to the jumping sometimes with her mother and it is all booked in advance. Not cheap. And the shopping village is good - I have bought stuff there I needed.
I did one year go at the very last moment in a cheap seat high up to watch the dressage grand prix and it was worth it - I took binoculars.
I live quite near to Olympia but the journey is awkward by public transport and after midnight - well anyway I am getting old.
Lots of people come a long way to Olympia - so where are you coming from and have you smewhere to stay overnight?
I used to go when younger, but last time I went a few years ago it just wasn't all that for me, there wasn't any tack shops really, more very, very expensive paintings of horses/homewares and expensive country clothing (not at all practical around the horses) type shops and although the Jumping was fun to watch, I'm not into jumping and hadn't followed the lead up to it so just watching a couple of rounds of people I didn't know wasn't as exciting as it should have been/other people found it.
To update on the shopping village. I have actually paid the fee to go there to buy things without visiting the horse show. My very expensive dressage boots were perfectly fitted there - about 8 years ago by a shop from Scotland and if you get the right assistants there is a full range of sizes and prices. people who know what they are talking about.
They fitted me out with inexpensive dressage competition wear - so if I needed it i could then order the same stuff from them on line.
It is great for trying on all brands of safety gear: hats, bps and air jackets.
especially good for race safe bps- (much loved on NR) Tree house always have a stand.
And you can try on their air vests and they inflate them -
You need a lot of time to walk round the shopping village and find the specialists' stands among the tat. But the reductions are not all rubbish.I got my Goretex Musto winter coat much reduced through Olympia.
The hat manufacturers have stands for detailed info and fitting -
I managed to find old fashioned dressage leathers from Italy which are the ones I like.
I shopped things for my share horse there too - comparing her very old fashioned rugs and woollen saddle pad with the updates now on the market.
I bought a lot of the things OH needed - as opposed to local shops only having things for women.
And as for the tat - I found it great for horse-mad grandchildren stocking fillers etc.
The only treason I am not going this year is that things are complicated, I am riding and I dont actually need anything new.
They fitted me out with inexpensive dressage competition wear - so if I needed it i could then order the same stuff from them on line.
It is great for trying on all brands of safety gear: hats, bps and air jackets.
especially good for race safe bps- (much loved on NR) Tree house always have a stand.
And you can try on their air vests and they inflate them -
You need a lot of time to walk round the shopping village and find the specialists' stands among the tat. But the reductions are not all rubbish.I got my Goretex Musto winter coat much reduced through Olympia.
The hat manufacturers have stands for detailed info and fitting -
I managed to find old fashioned dressage leathers from Italy which are the ones I like.
I shopped things for my share horse there too - comparing her very old fashioned rugs and woollen saddle pad with the updates now on the market.
I bought a lot of the things OH needed - as opposed to local shops only having things for women.
And as for the tat - I found it great for horse-mad grandchildren stocking fillers etc.
The only treason I am not going this year is that things are complicated, I am riding and I dont actually need anything new.
It's be about 4 hours drive I think. OH looked online last night and there is tickets for the Sunday about £50. I'll have to look at the program as if it's mainly dressage I'm not interested.
Yes @Skib all the different stores and huge range is one of the main reasons I like hoys. Will have a look online at the programme and have a think. He's very much up for going but would be an expensive day out. That's another thing that is putting me off, getting there. There isn't parking onsite is there. OH said something about the tube but I'm a proper country bumpkim and know nothing about tubes or public transport lol.
Yes @Skib all the different stores and huge range is one of the main reasons I like hoys. Will have a look online at the programme and have a think. He's very much up for going but would be an expensive day out. That's another thing that is putting me off, getting there. There isn't parking onsite is there. OH said something about the tube but I'm a proper country bumpkim and know nothing about tubes or public transport lol.
The tube station is right outside and its well set up for access, even I can manage it and I hate the city
I didn't think there was a huge range of shops at Olympia, not a patch when you compare it to the likes of YHL for shopping.
I go most years to Olympia but couldn't get there this year as my kids don't break up from school until next week and my husband is away for the weekend. Just about to tune into the red button though...
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