Director’s Blog
Sunday, September 04, 2011 • 18:43 BST
The final fling - Press Office blog - Sunday 4 September
It couldn’t have been better scripted, could it? A lot of people had a sneaky suspicion that William Fox-Pitt might pull off a sixth Burghley win but how utterly brilliant was his final show jumping round? Parklane Hawk lived up to his name and sprouted wings. It couldn’t have been a more fitting finale for the 50th anniversary Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.
Having escorted the top three riders back to the media centre for the end of event press conference – always a bit of a challenge when they get stopped every two strides to debrief, kiss, hug and sign autographs for all their well-wishers - we’re now wrapping up and packing up this year’s event. To round off the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials we thought we’d divulge some of the best bits from behind the desk…
Best rider quote: Journalist (to Andrew Nicholson after the cross-country): “Everyone had been talking about how big the cross-country course was. Having just ridden round it, what do you think?” Andrew: “I thought it was really quite small actually”.
Weirdest request: Being asked the name of the Indian takeaway in Stamford that delivers to the caravan park.
Most helpful gesture: Prolific tweeter Clare Balding for giving us (less prolific twits) so many useful pointers.
Press office faux pas: Summoning show jumping course-designer Richard Jeffery for an interview, only to find we had the wrong man.
Most common question amongst the press office team: “Anybody seen the Land Rover keys/blue folder/wine.”
Best story of the show: Boyd Martin’s amazing result (seventh place) with Neville Bardos, who suffered from smoke inhalation as a result of a catastrophic barn fire that killed six of his other horses.
Unluckiest rider: Kitty King for being eliminated in the show jumping after a storming cross-country round. Gutting.
Best use of social media (people we followed most prolifically on Twitter): Fox-Pitt eventing and Francis Whittington eventing – great updates guys.
Best party: Blyth Tait’s (or so we heard - of course we were in bed…)
Roll on 2012!
Saturday, September 03, 2011 • 16:11 BST
PRESS OFFICE BLOG - Saturday 3 September
It’s cross-country day at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. Journalists and photographers have been turning up in their droves since the doors of the press office opened at 7am this morning. Keen lot.
The press office at Burghley is a whirlwind of activity. We take care of all the media comings and goings. Fuelled by industrial quantities of coffee and jelly babies we manage interview requests and photo calls, liaise with the Director and update the social media websites. We also do a lot of photo-copying, laminating, mediating and second-guessing.
So who are we and what do we do? Well, let’s start with what we do. We may admit who we are later.
Our first task in the morning is to trawl through the national and local papers to locate Burghley-related interviews and stories, cut them out and pin them on the wall for people to peruse. With a pile of papers the height of the Cottesmore Leap, this can be an onerous task - best tackled with a steaming bacon sandwich and a large cup of coffee - but it’s all worth it when you turn the page and spy great coverage. This morning we leafed through to find half a page in the Daily Telegraph on the dressage action and cross-country preview (thank you Pippa Cuckson!)
When journalists and photographers arrive in the morning they have to sign their lives away in a big black book, pick up identifying number bibs (for photographers) and collect their lunch vouchers. It’s a bit like classroom registration, and come lunchtime there is a definite school canteen feel about the place – the bun fight for first dibs on the best sandwiches is always fun to watch. One food voucher will get you a soup or a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a cake or chocolate snack, and a drink. And naturally, because all this is on offer, you have to eat it all – and usually almost immediately regret it.
Conducting course drives for TV crews, photographers and journalists is also included in the job description and one that poses its own set of special challenges, starting with working out how to handle the state-of-the-art Land Rovers (we are lucky enough to have several on hand for special ferrying expeditions like course drives). It’s never a good start when one of your passengers has to point you towards the ignition and help you reverse out of your parking space. Once on the road, driving around Burghley is a bit like driving in London. You certainly need your wits about you to avoid running over people, dogs and buggies. But once you’re through the melee and out on the course it’s great fun testing out the Land Rover’s off-roading capabilities (oops, perhaps we shouldn’t have mentioned that!)
The press team is also responsible for co-ordinating the end of the day press conferences. First, we have to locate the top three riders. This often entails a wild goose chase as we find out that the overnight leader has taken his horse for a hack to Stamford and the second-placed rider has switched off her phone and gone to ground.
Having collected the riders, set out chairs in the press centre and made sure the microphone works and the riders all have a bottle of water (or bubbly, depending on the occasion), we are ready to being. Compere extraordinaire Peter Morris gets the party started by introducing the riders. Then, like Question Time, it’s down to the audience to ask questions.
So, we’re now mid-way through the cross-country. Some of the team is down at the cross-country finish collecting riders and taking them to the journalist’s “den” to be interviewed at the end of their rides. Most of the time the riders are delighted to talk about their rounds, especially when they’re still high on adrenaline. But it’s less easy when it’s not been their day - there are always straws drawn as to who asks Andrew Nicholson to come for an interview after he’s had a run-out!
Incidentally, our money’s on Andrew for the title. Just overheard Zara and Mark Phillips’ telling an audience in next door’s hospitality marquee that they’re betting on William Fox-Pitt. Who will it be? We’ll have to wait and see. There’s wine and jelly babies resting on it.
Friday, September 02, 2011 • 19:57 BST
SITE TEAM GUEST BLOG - Friday 2 September
Well. Where to start?
This week has been full of “stuff” to do!
How do we qualify “stuff”? Well, we are the Site Team. We answer to the Director and we’re responsible for overseeing the Site. Put simply this means everything other than the Equestrian competition.
Our annual, week-long stint at Burghley presents unique challenges which appear on our schedule of daily must-do tasks. The weather plays a crucial role in influencing the magnitude of the challenges and the glorious weather so far has meant that we have managed to get the 600 or so tradestands, the dozens and dozens of concession units and the first two days’ worth of visitors safely in and out of Burghley Park.
As this is the Event’s 50th Anniversary we have totted up that we have 133 combined Burghley's between the six-man site team. This ranges from our newest team member of 4 years to The Duke, who has not missed in 50 years! While we don't profess to know everything there is to know we are confident that between us we can meet most of the challenges the event presents. This cannot be achieved without the fantastic support of the contractors and the wealth of volunteers that support this magnificent occasion.
Our week so far has been mainly spent following the schedules provided by the organisers and our own details built up over the years. Challenges so far have ranged from helping visitors who have forgotten where they parked their cars to dealing with wasp stings, stray dogs and lost people.
Saturday is the day that we really need to be on our toes. The sheer number of visitors that arrive to watch the cross-country phase of the competition ensure that we have a steady stream of tasks to complete and support to offer. We second guess most of the challenges but are always ready to be surprised!
It would be fair to say that the attraction of Burghley to the Site Team is the special atmosphere that exists here. It is not only a working time for the team but an opportunity for us all to step outside of our normal roles and put in some respectable socialising too. There are some of us who put more effort in than most and those members remain eternally grateful to the others for allowing for the occasional foggy start to the day after yet another agreeable evening in The George of Stamford. You know who you all are - thank you!
For Michael Woodhouse and Chris Barnett, there is the serious issue of managing the shopping area. This is important business as a huge of amount of serious shopping is undertaken. For Alan Scott and David Plume, their depth of working knowledge of the estate is put to the test as the next challenge arises. For Tim Henson and Stephen Casey, there is the wait as the daily post-evening fog slowly lifts............
We all very much love being part of this amazing event and are proud to be here on this key 50th Anniversary. We hope that all of the planning and hard work by The Director and her team ahead of today ensures that all have a very safe and enjoyable time. If anything looks like it’s not going smoothly, you can be assured that we will be "on it" and looking to resolve the issue.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 • 18:27 BST
Chairman's blog - Richard Jewson - Wednesday 31 August
Today is Wednesday the day of the first horse inspection and therefore Burghley starts for real. Having taken over as chairman of the organising committee nine-months ago this is my first Burghley in the role. I am familiar with the event having first come here in 1965 as my then soon-to-be-wife Sarah was riding a horse called Quality Street. Despite having a fall at The Bull Pens she went on to complete which of course wouldn’t be allowed now. We have both come to the event more or less every year since. In fact it was Sarah who encouraged me to take up the chairmanship when it was offered despite previously suggesting I should cut down on my commitments. I thought she would be proud of me when I told her that I had turned down a chairmanship. When I told her what it was she couldn’t believe I had done such a thing and made me get back on the phone and accept immediately.
However it is one thing being a visitor and another being chairman and in that role I am very much on a learning curve. Burghley is a hugely complex event to put on and the team work 12 months of the year to make four days happen. The job of the committee is to support director Elizabeth Inman and her staff and to think about how to develop in our changing world and Burghley can remain the best in the world. And so many people think it is. I have been asking riders and officials as well as visitors what it is they like about the event and they all say how friendly it is and how well looked after they feel as well as it being a great day out. We even have visitors attending who are not interested in horses – some are even quite proud of the fact that they have not seen a horse. Many come quite simply for the surroundings and the shopping which is as good as you get anywhere in the world. Sarah always starts her Christmas shopping here.
Because of my involvement this year and as it is such a special event being the 50th anniversary Burghley will be especially busy this year. This morning I chaired the rider’s briefing and from now I will be keeping in touch and helping to look after officials and sponsors. We have a royal visit and a lunch for past winners, which is on Friday also the day of the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse final which Sarah and I will be watching as we have a horse in the four-year-old final – Billy Cuckoo – who is ridden by Pippa Funnell. So I hope the times don’t clash. We have owned horses with Pippa for 20 years and used to own the coloured horse Bits & Pieces that Pippa rode here in the 1998 European Championships and was fourth the year before.
However as far as I am concerned the task is not just about horses it is also about how to manage a very large event and at this stage there are several issues that are at the top of my mind such as health and safety, traffic and of course the weather. Delivering the course in prime condition is a major concern and not to be underestimated but we have extremely competent people like Captain Mark Phillips the course designer and Philip Herbert who is Clerk of the Course looking after these issues.
There are of course a vast army of people who make the event happen and many have been part of the event for years. It really is a well oiled machine made up of lots of small cogs.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 • 16:58 BST
DIRECTOR'S BLOG - ELIZABETH INMAN - TUESDAY 30 AUGUST
It’s early on Tuesday morning and I have a list of people to see today. David, our TV producer is due to arrive shortly. He has asked for us to keep a ‘line of site’ for his cross country camera shots on Saturday and this could affect where the car parking rows are placed – no doubt I will have to adjudicate as it is sure to be a compromise. I’m also planning to drive round the cross country with Phillip and Mark Morris to position the fast food units, near the loos, (but not too near), out of the way of the access routes on the cross country and again out of camera shot for David’s filming. Everyone wants what’s best for them, but there’s always a ‘half way house’ and I spend my time helping to find it in the last few days before the Event.
On this basis I am going to be busy today so have handed over to the office to write the blog – I think they have something in mind, but they won’t let on to me!
Meet the Team!
We were tasked with just 50 words apiece – which isn’t nearly enough for the hundreds of things we each do! So what could be better than for us to officially introduce ourselves with some interesting factoids:
Anne Whitton – Competition Secretary
Star sign: Aquarius
Favourite Film: All of the Harry Potter films
Guilty Pleasure: Gin & Tonic
Most likely to say: ‘No problem’
Least likely to do: Lose my temper with my horse
Highlight of Burghley: Saturday evening when cross country is finished and everyone is back safely
Katherine Sleigh
Star Sign: Sagittarius
Favourite film: Mina Tannebaum
Guillty Pleasure: Red Wine, chocolate, Ernie Collici’s ice cream.
Most likely to say: ‘leave it with me…’
Pet Hate: When the portaloo key goes missing!
Highlight of Burghley: seeing the crowds arriving with smiles on their faces and the air of anticipation building
Jacqueline Stevens
Star Sign: Aries
Favourite films: Zulu, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and Bridges of Madison County
Guillty Pleasure: Pleasure never elicits guilt
Most likely to say: “that’s me”
Highlight of Burghley: Sunday evening, when all our visitors have gone home happy, having seen a wonderful finale and made some stunning purchases in the tradestands.
Genny Haynes
Star Sign: Capricorn
Favourite Film: Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid
Favourite Pin-up: George Clooney
Guilty Pleasure: sneaking out of office to browse the Foodwalk
Most likely to say: “today’s not good, tomorrow could be worse…”
Pet Hate: don’t like the word “can’t”
Highlight of Burghley: fracturing my husband’s credit card
Sophie Nott
Star sign: Pisces
Favourite Book: Wild Swans by Jung Chang
Guilty Pleasure: No guilt, all pleasure!
Recently been: Looking for Buster (Director’s dog) who was found taking a sneak preview of the Pedigree stand
Most likely to say: “Director I have found your phone and keys”
Highlight of Burghley: Sunday evening at the end of another successful Event and there are only 360 days left to go until the next one!
Lindsey Preston
Star sign: Cancer
Favourite Films: On Golden Pond, The African Queen and Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Guilty Pleasure: Minstrels and Maltesers mixed together; red wine, Pipers crisps, how long have I got…?
Most likely to say: ‘ Bear with …’
Pet Hate: rude people
Highlight of Burghley: Shopping (don’t tell David he thinks it’s all work)
Monday, August 29, 2011 • 21:14 BST
DIRECTOR'S BLOG - ELIZABETH INMAN - MONDAY 29 AUGUST
Bank Holiday Monday has finally come and we are ready for take-off - well perhaps more realistically trundling down the runway gathering momentum by the second! Yesterday’s fence judge briefing ran smoothly, there was a good turn out and all listened intently. Our fence judges attend evening sessions throughout the summer, so this last gathering really acts as a memory jogger. Our chief medical officer, John, also says a few words and for the third year in succession he had to give his medical speel ‘off the cuff’ having anticipated all facilities to be up and running for a power point presentation – some hope – I thought he might have learned by now! Everyone then drives to their fences on the cross-country for individual briefings undertaken by Philip, Scott and Adrian. Down at the stables Georgie was photocopying yet more instructions for Anne – I cannot believe how much paperwork is produced during the event – let’s hope everyone reads it.
The medics also had a get-together on Saturday. Their support and enthusiasm knows no bounds and on Sunday John was putting in place some of the extra elements that they had agreed the previous day. I didn’t stay too long talking to him about it as it was yet more equipment and this usually comes with a £ sign in front of it. It’s not only the competitors they look after, but also all our visitors and contractors – it must be the equivalent of a small town.
I tried to get away early to pack everything I might need for the coming week. The forecast is looking really good, but you can never be sure so the wardrobe has to cover all eventualities. Falling into the trap of having a final evening doing nothing at home, this morning I had to be up at 6.00am to sort everything that should have been done last night.
Everyone was in the temporary showground office when I eventually arrived, and Weatherbys, who look after our Box Office, have also moved on to the site. Down at the stables our first competitor has arrived from France, and hot on her heels Rudiger Schwarz, our Technical Delegate (TD), and Mark Phillips arrived. Both have cause to be happy, Rudiger is from Germany and as well as being an international TD also trains the German Juniors and Young Riders. The Germans won all the individual medals and the team gold at the European Championships in Luhmuhlen yesterday and Mark Phillips designed the cross country, which seems to have met with universal praise. So although sad, the Brits did not fair quite so well as we might have done, there’s much cause for celebration amongst our officials. Congratulations from Burghley to all medallists!
Our entry waiting list closed at 2.00pm today; an hour later the phone keeps ringing and I can hear Anne saying yet again ‘I am so sorry, we HAVE REALLY closed now and have not been able to get you in’.
Philip Herbert has just called me away to go and look at the Land Rover Terrapod area. This year the Land Rover Lawn is to be positioned adjacent to this, overlooking the new lake complex, which will be a popular and crowded area so we need to go and mark it out.
On the way I might just check out the Deer Leap area – Nigel and his merry band of helpers were still pegging it out late yesterday afternoon – I hope they finished before this morning as I have already seen a number of exhibitors’ lorries turning up!
Friday, August 26, 2011 • 18:24 BST
DIRECTOR'S BLOG - ELIZABETH INMAN - FRIDAY 26 AUGUST
The week is drawing to a close. Our contractors will be working over the weekend and the Bank Holiday and there is not much time left before we open the gates to our visitors. To be more precise, if you look at the Rolex countdown clock on our home page, there are 5 days, 15 hours and 45 minutes - by the time this blog gets posted we will be several hours closer!
Bill Henson, the previous Director of Burghley, called by today delivering some signage boards for Henson Franklyn. Henson Franklyn undertake all the sponsor signage at the Event and much more besides. The company is owned by Tim Henson, Bill’s son who over the week of the event is our Site Steward. He undertakes this role with Stephen Casey, I call them the ‘terrible duo’ - but we couldn’t be without them and the others that make up his team. I took the opportunity to give Bill a quick tour of the showground and a little bit of the cross country, without straying too far from the hard roads. It is raining quite hard today, which is good for the cross country but we need to be careful not to damage the ground – there are still so many contractors vehicles on site and with this volume of ‘traffic’ it is hard work to keep everything in order. Luckily much of the tracking we order every year has already been laid down in the more vulnerable areas.
The week before the event everything tends to creep out from under the woodwork and many of our exhibitors have missed the deadline for camping space for their stock vehicles and staff caravans/tents. Needless to say, we are full to bursting and Jack from Woodhouse will have to move the crash barriers that were erected 3 weeks ago to enlarge the compound reserved for exhibitors. Another day’s work for about 4 people, but he seems to be as cheerful as ever. I had a quick word with him this morning, rather apologetically, but as he said ‘it’s part of the job, and he ‘mustn’t upset the boss’. You do need to have a sense of humour to be in this game!
We drove past Nigel, one of the electricians, who was transporting what looked to be a huge generator on an equally huge looking bit of kit. He assured me he was being careful to stay on the hard roads and avoid the grass. The largest generators will have to wait and be sited when the weather improves and the ground dries – hopefully after the weekend according to the forecast.
My phone rings continually at this stage and this time it was Nigel Trott. Nigel who looks after the Exhibitors’ Caravan Park, referred to above, was reassured we had found some more space for some of the extra trade vehicles. We will just have to wait and see .......! This reminded me that last week, Alan Scott, Clerk of the Works at Burghley Estate, and who also helps in Tim’s team, had been putting together the equipment needed to mark out our Members’ Caravan Park - stewarded by Bob Lamb. Bob’s arrival is imminent. He comes with his caravan and everything bar the kitchen sink! I wonder if he will bring his honey – he keeps bees and always brings a few jars for the caravanners. Last week, to our horror, over 500 white stakes needed for marking out had gone missing – someone had them, but who? No time for searching and thank heavens for the calm influence of Alan who always has a solution. Alan heroically spent the last week painting 500 new stakes and I am confident everything will be ready for Bob tomorrow.
Now back in the office writing this blog, Mark Grant has popped his head around the door. Mark works for G4S and for many years before that looked after the security at the Horse Trials. He is one of those down-to -earth people who understands our event and the wide range of personalities that his staff will encounter, all requiring a different approach which they handle magnificently.
The rain inevitably brings with it new problems to solve and Mark was followed by Philip Herbert bearing bad news that the siting of generators did not go according to plan and now a small area of Avenue B has been churned up. Added to that some very early trade exhibitors arrived eager to set up but they will just have to be patient until we can make sure their vehicles do not damage the ground. The whole team take pride in ensuring the showground is immaculate for Event week so this was a bit of a blow but everyone is rallying together to maintain Burghley’s high standards.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 • 17:06 BST
DIRECTOR'S BLOG - ELIZABETH INMAN - WEDNESDAY 24 AUGUST
It’s Tuesday night as I write this, only two days into the week and it already feels as if an eternity has passed since the weekend. Our television producer has just phoned me at home to discuss the positioning of sponsor boards in the Main Ring. Safe in the knowledge he will not read this, I can safely state that I cut the call short as I knew we could be chatting for an hour or more if I was not careful. He will be up at Burghley next week anyway and we can discuss everything in detail then, but this evening ‘blog comes first’!
Heavy rain and winds were forecast for today so the contractors were busy this morning sheeting down the exhibitors’ tents in readiness for the onslaught. Philip Herbert called by to discuss the allocation of Land Rover vehicles to our Fence Judges and he was optimistically wearing his ‘wet weather gear’- he would have welcomed more rain, but apart from a bit of drizzle the promised downpour never came. I asked him how much we had had in the last 48 hours which reminded him the rain gauge had been broken and someone had to go and get another one!
I was office bound for most of the morning, running through the ‘President’s timetable’ with Miranda Rock. The permanent office at long last feels quite a safe haven. For the past few months as the pace of work has increased it has been like Piccadilly Circus in rush hour; the phones constantly ringing, the photocopier continually whirring and not a day has gone by without some meeting or other taking place. Everyone apart from Anne, Georgia, Charlotte and Katleen has moved to the top office, including the phones, so peace at last (so far, so good with the new phone system!).
Burghley is part of the HSBC FEI Classics, together with Badminton, Kentucky, Luhmuhlen and Pau (and Adelaide next year). The organiser of Pau asked if we would take on Katleen for some work experience. Difficult when we are so busy, but Sophie picked her up from the station on Sunday evening and she has hit the ground running. The first task was to laminate 200 gateboards followed by assisting Charlotte in producing 50 grandstand boards. They are still smiling despite having plasters on their hands covering their injuries! I hope she does not think we do nothing else but she is looking forward to meeting Niki Philip Herbert’s wife who speaks French, and will take her round the cross country tomorrow.
If you are walking the course on Friday or Saturday look out for HSBC’s horsebox area at Discovery Valley (fences 6 and 7) where free face painting for children is on offer and a mini show jumping course – for those who have the energy!
Shortly even Anne’s relative tranquility will be broken as she begins to take delivery of more Land Rover courtesy vehicles, golf buggies, tractors, caravans for the grooms, forage for the horses and even stock deliveries marked for the attention of various trade exhibitors in advance of their arrival. Every year we tell our exhibitors that we cannot take responsibility for these deliveries, but we can hardly turn them away so the reception area is presently looking like a Post Office parcel distribution centre.
When I eventually made it up to the showground office everyone was reading programme proofs. This is always a last minute task and this year there has been the added consideration of what to do with listing all the entries. They were sent to the printers in their entirety and the proofs have been returned today for checking. After the Horse Inspection on Wednesday only those starting the competition will be printed in the programme.
I had just missed John Burrows who works for Burghley Estate and every year mows the ‘trot up’ strip in Ring 2 for the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Finals. He had called by to ask if he could be given some guidance as to where it should be. Another task that I need to shelve for a day or two as to be truthful I cannot quite remember exactly where it goes so will have to ask Chris Morris next week. It has reminded me though that I must check with Anne that we have asked George to mow the centre line for the dressage. George lives locally and undertakes this task for us every year – I must ask him if he has ever made a mistake, but perhaps should wait until after the event rather than temp fate!
Chris Morris, used to be part of Philip Herbert’s course building team and now helps us annually in September as a member of our fence repair team for the Saturday cross country. As importantly he looks after the ground maintenance for Ring 2. Now used for the start and finish of Saturday’s cross country the Ring 2 area has constant use over the event; Pony Club Team jumping on Thursday, Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Finals on Friday and Ponies (UK) classes on the Sunday. It is quickly turned round on the Friday night, ready for the following day’s cross country. Tents and cabins have to be moved from the Main Arena for timekeepers, vets scorers etc. Misting fans installed, loos moved and much more besides. All this then has to be removed at the end of Saturday ready for the Ring to be used for the ponies on Sunday.
I cannot believe that this task will have to be undertaken in just 9 days time, by which time we will also know the outcome of the European Eventing Championships taking place this week at Luhmuhlen in Germany. I had been intending to go, but don’t think I will make it.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 • 12:16 BST
DIRECTOR'S BLOG - ELIZABETH INMAN - TUESDAY 23 AUGUST
So much has happened in the last 48 hours. The main grandstand was completed on Sunday and is now just awaiting a lick of paint for the Royal Box and some roof covers before the ‘safety certificate’ is received. As I looked around the Park on Sunday morning the Exhibition Area was beginning to take shape, with the floor laid and the main structures about to be unloaded before an army of workers set to work to erect them. There is a certain amount of comfort derived in knowing everyone else is also working hard over the weekend and thankfully the enthusiasm is infectious.
I drove Katherine around the cross country track on Saturday evening – it seems to go with the territory that every year all those working in the office never have enough time to get out and see the results of their year-long endeavours. We stopped off at the new lake complex and let Buster and Pepper out for a run – how short sighted - Buster (as featured on facebook!) loves water almost as much as Katherine’s labrador, Pepper ,and before we knew it they were testing the footing in the lake. That was too straightforward so they strayed into deeper waters and both came out in need of a bath and ‘blonde Buster’ (in more ways than one), now the same colour as ‘black Pepper’. We continued our journey round the course with two very wet and smelly dogs. On a lead by now as the gamekeeper has recently turned his pheasants chicks out – competitors and spectators reading this, please be AWARE!
On Sunday morning our Box Office was on the phone asking if they could send over a driver to pick up some more tickets from our ‘reserves’. They had had to bring in extra staff over the weekend to deal with the flood of last minute on-line bookings that had been taken – no doubt in order to catch the discounted rates that applied until Sunday evening. All now sorted, but a bit of a panic at the time as we hunted around the office to see who had spare tickets within their allocations!
Lindsey was busy sorting out table plans for various evening functions – seems relatively straightforward until everyone changes their minds as to whether they will attend ‘this dinner’ or ‘that dinner’, but a start has to be made. I suggested she might then update facebook with a photo of Buster and Pepper following their previous day’s swimming antics, but she told me I was being a ‘pushy mum’ again. Buster has featured with much success and popularity on our facebook pages and now Jacqueline in the office has offered to become his media manager – I must complain to her that he is now not getting a look in – pushy Mum indeed!
As ever Paul – our ‘IT guru’ reduced stress levels as he reminded everyone they were in the ‘leisure industry’ and should therefore ‘chill out’ and enjoy themselves. He makes everyone laugh, a bit of a maverick at times but we couldn’t do without him. He had been cleaning out various underground ducts for the network and fibre optic cabling that he uses to connect all the computers during the event. They had lain unused for a year and someone (own up please) had forgotten to put the caps on them after last year’s event. Two were relatively dry and the third full of water, as he prodded it a toad had jumped out so he had taken the trouble to take it down to the lake where it has now found a new home. That’s why we all like Paul!
Anne, our competition Secretary was coping admirably given her workload. She has received nearly 150 CCI entries and is holding a waiting list. Not to mention record entries so far for the Dubarry Young Event Horse Finals. She was busy filling envelopes with passes and instructions to various officials. Having been in since crack of dawn on Sunday morning she had hoped to get away by lunchtime, but was still busy at 2pm. Georgie, our work placement from ??????? had a lot of stamps to stick on when she came in on Monday.
Yesterday saw the main move of the Admin. Office Burghley Estate load everything up; lock, stock and barrel and transport it up to the temporary portacabins on the showground which become the nerve centre during the event. This has to be planned with military precision in advance, including the transfer of phone numbers (always a nightmare), generators installed to provide the power for the computers and of course not to forget the kettles and coffee. The move had been planned earlier than normal this year to ensure everything is running smoothly by the beginning of the event week – let’s hope it achieves this. Not such a good start as no-one had remembered to arrange for the loan photocopiers earlier, so every time anything needs copying a journey will have to be made to the permanent office – look on the positive side, the inconvenience will hopefully ensure this is not forgotten next year - or will it?
Monday, August 22, 2011 • 16:12 BST
DIRECTOR'S BLOG - ELIZABETH INMAN - MONDAY 22 AUGUST
‘Weekend, what weekend?’ It’s Saturday morning and Katherine has just given me this starting point for my first ‘blog’ of 2011! I’ve been putting it off for the last 3 days and now everyone is hassling me, so with the frightening fact that there are now only two weeks to go until cross country day here we go.
Last Monday is what we always term ‘manic Monday’ – it’s the same every year; the showground site from about 7am is like a busy construction site. Lorries loaded with grandstands, tentage, portacabins, temporary loos and much more besides - all seemed to have the same delivery schedule so had to queue up until Michael Woodhouse our site steward, ably assisted by Chris Barnett, could direct them into some semblance of order. I drove into the Park, but quickly got the message that I was not required, so made my way down to the office. Everyone was hard at work and I wondered if they had had any time off at all over the weekend – doubtful I suspect. No sooner than I had walked into the office than I was called away again. One of the grandstands for the cross country course had arrived. The route of the track in this area had changed, ever so slightly, but enough to ensure that the ground was now not level enough for the grandstand. Everything can be resolved if you have the right people around you and with a quick phone call to the scaffolders all was sorted, but budget blown!
So much happened last week that I will struggle to recall. Philip Herbert and his team were busy putting the finishing touches to the cross country before the Thursday press day. As ever this was arranged to perfection by Bridget Jennings, our Press Officer and her team. Fortunately the weather held out until lunch time, when the heavens rewarded us with much needed rain. Following a breakfast reception and briefings at Burghley House, all climbed into a convoy of Range Rovers and Discoveries to be driven around the cross country whilst listening to a radio commentary given along the way by Mark Phillips. A couple of stops for photo opportunities, before the morning ended at the President’s marquee on the showground for a celebratory glass of champagne and piece of anniversary cake. The George Hotel produce two lovely cakes each year for the winning rider and another for their horse and this year very kindly offered to bake a cake for press day in recognition of our 50th anniversary – have a look on facebook. I cannot believe that it has now nearly been finished. I make a correction – it IS now finished! Our chief medical officer, who happens to be my brother, is in the office making final checks of the medical kit. He has made everyone a cup of tea and announced he has just eaten the last crumb. There was enough for about 20 people when I saw it on the side this morning, so not sure whether to believe him or not.
Much of the week has been spent fine tuning the arrangements for our Past Winners visit. Sophie is co-ordinating this and I am sure her efforts will be appreciated, even down to the detail of who is going to blow up the anniversary balloons which we have ordered specially – a far cry from her overseeing the traffic management arrangements – in this job you have to be able to multi task in a major way! But back to our past winners who have all been invited for lunch on Friday. Nearly all have been able to accept and the Land Rover Series 1 Club have loaned us some open backed vehicles to drive them around the Main Arena on Friday afternoon – I am confident they will be well supported by our spectators. Land Rover vehicles abound this week, having received the first 15 of over 60 vehicles which we need for the Event.
Katherine is awaiting the launch date for the Burghley iPhone App with eager anticipation – it never ceases to amaze me the enthusiasm for new technology – not quite my scene, but thankfully it’s just up Katherine’s street and is if this wasn’t enough she’s also been anxiously overseeing the installation of a new fibre optic broadband system for the Event – fingers crossed it works. If not no doubt you will be hearing more about this later.......
2011 Blog 1
