Phillip Dutton and Z compete at Stable View Oktoberfest in 2023. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The buzz is building in Aiken as Stable View’s Oktoberfest CCI4-S* draws closer (September 26–29), and riders seeking a fall 5* or 4*-L prep will find plenty of refreshed challenges as well as a $40,000 purse up for grabs.
With a wet summer in the books, the Stable View team has doubled down on preparation: the Big Guns and K-Line irrigation systems have been running around the clock, and the cross country course has already been vertidrained and aerated, with the running lanes aerated twice to ensure top-notch footing for the venue’s full slate of upcoming competitions, including Eventing Academy weekends as well as the Oktoberfest FEI in September.
At the heart of this year’s 4* course are some new design concepts from Helen West, who’s been working closely with the Stable View team for months to integrate her fresh tracks with proactive turf management—something organizers say they’ve not been able to accomplish to this level before. Earlier in the season, Helen collaborated with incoming Maryland 5 Star and last year’s Paris Olympics course designer Pierre le Goupil, and she’s brought key insights from that experience to shape a track that is both forward-thinking and preparatory for the fall’s marquee events.
What to expect? A new creative technical use of the arenas, exclusive to the 4* division. Riders will jump into the Hunter Arena, gallop through the Silva Arena, and tackle a combination at 17AB in the New Arena. But it doesn’t stop there—spectators will get an up-close view as the course runs into the Phillips Arena for fences 18 and 19AB before looping back out. This section alone utilizes 500 meters of all-weather footing, making it not just a spectacle, but also perfect prep for Maryland or Pau 5* or Morven Park’s US Equestrian Open Final 4*-L later in October.
Entries for Stable View Oktoberfest, which in addition to the CCI4*-S division will offer FEI competition from 1*-S and up and National divisions from Beginner Novice up to to Advanced. Entries open on August 12, and you can learn more here.
