Cross Country Equitation - new spinoff sport?

[Xanthoria]

I must say that if the implication above in several posts is that people who just wanna run xc are hooligans, the UK, having multiple very popular “xc only” sports (team chasing, hunter trials, hunting, etc) does also manage to produce the top eventing riders in the world. As well as dressage and showjumping.

While the individual doesn’t represent the whole, as a nation with a lot of horse sport success having a pool of riders charging around the countryside of a weekend doesn’t seem to have hurt the medal count. In fact, it may have helped it.

[FitToBeTied]

In Virginia, there are hunter paces in the spring. They used to be referred to as pair races and run in conjunction with the steeple chases. They were typically 3-4 miles long over the hunt territory. There were fast time and optimum time over fences divisions. They were a blast. Even in optimum time you really had to move to make time. They were run as part of the Virginia Point to Point association. Awards were given out at the same dinner as the steeplechase awards. It was fun.

At one time there were ten of these races. A lot of them are gone, as are the steeplechases, and have been replaced with fun hunter paces. There is a spring hunter pace season and a fall hunter pace season. Lots of opportunity to go out across hunt country and jump things.

[phoenixrises]

I think it very very much depends on where you live. Near me the 2 big hunts are 1) unbelievably expensive; 2) snotty af, now we do have 2 more low key hunts but if you just looked at the two biggies you would 100% not feel invited at all, ever. Not to mention you better not have a job, yes they run 3x a week, but 2 of them are in the middle of a work day and at least 1 of them you can’t cap on a Saturday.

[beowulf]

@FjordBCRF

There are a couple Instagram accounts I follow that do hunting with their fjords!! I love the videos, they certainly do stand out

My cap with a fjord was very memorable. I was loaned the horse because my horse contracted a hoof abscess a few days before. I was going with my Pony Club, and my two sisters and their POAs. We were quite the ensemble pulling up and unloading just little ponies and tots. Unfortunately my sister’s POA, who was one of the saintliest ponies I ever met, just lost his mind halfway through the hunt. We had to pull out early as he was starting to cause a disturbance in the field. But that Fjord was rock solid and a real winner - as long as you didn’t ask him to go above 10mph!

I have lots of wonderful stories about that horse (pony?). He was great to hack bareback because he was a cylinder with legs. But he learned that since he had no wither, all he had to do was drop his head when you were walking downhill, and it was like being forced down a slide tube.

One year, us crazy teens all snuck into the barn at midnight and galloped bareback up the hill top to graze our ponies under the full moon. To this day I don’t know what got into us girls, we were all reasonably respectful teens – it’s still talked about as barn lore decades later. I miss that horse - he could really take a joke!

[FjordBCRF]

I love all this!! Especially the moonlit grazing.

@beowulf

But that Fjord was rock solid and a real winner - as long as you didn’t ask him to go above 10mph!

…this tracks…

[sherian]

we had a girl do pony club this year with a fjord - it was the slowest cross country trip ever but they nailed every jump and the kid had so much fun.

[Salty]

I got to do these when I lived in Virginia and it was the most fun I have ever had, and a perfect introduction to cross country for event horses. I did optimum time and my friend did fast time. Even with optimum time, you couldn’t dawdle. Fast time was just insane!

[SuzieQNutter]

I cross countries with a Norwegian Fjord who had never jumped before.

I came from home and broght my horse and work was supposed to bring me my Company horse and a 16.2h tb. The tb lost a shoe so they brought me Tristan. I was mortified as I was really too big for him. I used him as a trail ride guide horse and he was the opposite to above. He was not a slowpoke put a fiery go getter.

I am not kidding on him never having jumped before.

The steeple chase was 3 x 44 gallon drums lying down. I let him go and when he saw the drums he tried to stop but we were going too fast, so over we went. Oh to be a young rider and fearless. The same thing happened another 5 times I think depending on whether we went round 2 or 3 times. There were 3 lots of drums on the circle.

I asked if I could dismount in the box in between as I felt I was too tall for him and everybody would be laughing at me.

In the cross country he stopped at a log. No whip or anything as he was normally a goer. He did step over it and off we went. I took the long way through every obstacle if he didn’t have to jump and he was jumping the beginner jumps. Such a good boy.

It was optimum time but in the end I let him go as a reward. We came over the hill, down through the finish and galloped past the crowd and easily pulled up at the end.

He received a standing ovation. I have no idea why, as that was not a thing in the Pony Club World. The Announcer was a great joker. He could have told them he had never jumped before, or it was the breed.

Not so much good luck in the showjumping. Over 1. 2 was a cross with no ground line. Refused, over, 3 was another cross, refused over. 4 was a proper jump.

Me I am an instructor. I am going to sit back and push. I am not going to let him stop.

He stopped. I ended up behind his ears. I managed to get back in the saddle and I bowed comically to the crowd, and left the arena.

I did go clear on the other 2.

[axl]

@beowulf, I’ve only been lucky enough to foxhunt once, on my saint of a POA. He was a bit unfit as I had left for college, so we hacked back to the trailers early when he started to get tired. I have never in one day had so many compliments! I was a little worried that people would turn up their noses at my colorful boy, but they could not have been kinder!

I will admit, although he appeared well-behaved to strangers, I don’t think he was ever more excited or had more fun!

[Larbear]

I used to event a Fjord (Loki, yes the name suited him), for a chunky guy he a a good jumper and equally great bucker

A pic of the lad and I from way back at Farm of the Mountain (Quebec). Momo Leframboise doing the x-country clinic.

[back_in_the_saddle1]

I’m bumping this thread because I went to the CCE workshop today at Win Green in Virginia! It was really fun. Nick was there to personally explain the rules and walked the course. We had a great time. I especially liked the CCR (cross country ride) portion. The JOR portion is kinda like a cross derby, except there is a gallop portion in the middle. I think it’s a great schooling opportunity, especially for those looking to move up a level. We did the Novice, and there were many Training-level “Challenge” fences that made it a very productive day!

[Dr_Doolittle]

I heard about that and really wanted to do it – but Wingreen (though I love it!) is hell and gone from my barn.

Sounds like it was great fun, and what a cool concept!

[leighbo009]

Has anyone participated now that more workshops have been hosted? Debating on traveling 4+ hours to do a workshop this summer, but is it worth it? Would I be better to do a XC clinic?

Just looking for experiences!