Equestrian
Rail to protect drain at Muddy Lane
months to recover fully, although the track is usually raceable within two weeks of a flood,
“It can take the course six
The home straight
racing line too much. Occasional remedial work to the
apron in front of a steeplechase fence is sometimes necessary because the shortening of a horse’s stride, as it approaches the fence, pushes the soil up towards the take-off board over time, and high spots are also exacerbated by the build-up of fill used on take-offs.” “We try not to do too much if the fence is still jumping well,” comments Eric Harris, “but it is a matter of assessing each fence by eye to see if it needs attention.”
nevertheless it remains patchy and inconsistent”
In the same part of the course, Eric and his team had also done some spot drainage by hand to a small area that required digging out and backfilling with gravel in order to relieve a wet spot.
Close up of the sward 86 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Meanwhile, Stephen had been planning to regrade the inside of the bend running to the two mile start, where sinkage had caused undulations, in order to fill them and recamber the bend. This work did get done, but a little later in the autumn than he had hoped and, as a result, reseeding will be delayed until the spring. “It’s not a real problem as we have plenty of room on the bends, and we always try to move the rail to provide fresh ground for each meeting, whilst preserving the inside 10m for the following season. The bends can get quite cut up, especially as they get more water to try and reduce slipping,” says Stephen. Interestingly, he comments that the inside 4m of the hurdle track on the back straight is always firmer than the rest, which could be due to filling and sanding over the course’s 150 year history. Or it may date back to the site’s history as farmland - ridge and furrow was used extensively in the region to drain the clay soils - and the inner may be on an old ridge. Some of the fences also appear to be
set on a distinct 'platform' which may be a historical feature, with foundations used by the course's designers to protect them in flood periods.
At the close of the season, the course is filled and rolled, with a final cut to the standard height of 12.5cm (5in) before winter.
Eric and his team are kept busy with fence building and remaking hurdles, as well as general maintenance before preparation for the new season begins. “The course has to be ready for inspection by the BHA in February, so there is little downtime,” he explains. Essential spring work includes verti- draining with a machine hired from Worth Drainage, and Stephen comments that timing is crucial. “The ground needs to be dry enough to crack - March would be ideal but April is more usual. We also hollow core the take-offs and landings to decompact them. The equipment is hired in and, if we had our own verti- drain, we would do it more often, although we do spike as well.” The staff give an early application of fertiliser to promote sward vigour as soon as conditions are right in the early spring. This year, a feed of 9:7:7 was given in early March. Whilst a mid- summer dressing of 25:0:5 is usually applied in July, the wet conditions and rapid growth of grass this year meant that there was a delay until 9th August, when an application of 18:5:18 was made at 25 grams per square metre. It is customary also to give extra feed to the take offs and landing of fences in the form of Sierrablen 15:0:22+fe at the rate of 30 grams per square metre. Regular use is made of controlled release products.
Stephen comments that Stratford has to work with the neighbouring River Avon, which threatens the course in periods of flood - there have been four severe inundations since 1997 - but
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