Hunter Paces and Team Chases

[Rackonteur]

Is there a difference between them? I have looked at some videos of both and the only two differences I can see is that the hunter paces take place in the US and most of the course is on trails through woods, while team chases take place in the UK, mostly in open fields.

I have only been to a few hunter paces, and they were held at eventing barns on the cross country course. They were local activities, organized by the local Pony Club chapter, with other people welcome, and costumes awarded prizes.

There is no local hunt in the area, so no hunt country. I was interested to see that the hunter paces on YouTube passed through so much wooded territory. It looked basically like a very fast trail ride with jumps. Is that typical hunt country in parts of the US?

[Highflyer]

Around here (MD/ SE PA) there is some of each. Most fields tend to be planted so if we go through them it’s along the edge. There’s at least one team chase (Greenspring Hunt) locally, but it’s limited to hunt teams so I haven’t done it. The hunter paces are mostly run by hunts but are open to the public.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I thought a team chase is a full on race…fastest team wins. Whereas a Hunter pace you are riding a course and supposed to go at a fox hunting pace. The course designers ride it earlier and time it. They keep the time secret but run what would mimic a hunt. Team closes to the time wins.

They have both in my area (SE PA)

ETA: Hunter Paces are generally run across fox hunting territory. Team Chases are often run on Steeplechase or point to point courses…because it is a team race.

[hannahfm22]

I live in NJ, and I’ve done numerous hunter paces. They’re kinda like a cross country course in that you don’t want to be the fastest, but be the closest to the optimum time. Hunter paces that I did were usually held in fox hunting territory, or on a cross country course.

[pologirl27]

Hunter paces around here usually (at least in the ‘high’ or 3 foot+division) have an optimum time and a fast time division. So you could do High Fast or High Optimum. The only Team Chase I know of is the Foxhall Farm team chase run as a ‘fastest team wins’ affair over one course. There are some pictures here:
https://tammiemonaco.smugmug.com/Competitions/Hunter-Trials/Foxhall-Farm-Trophy-032215/i-xvXXmmT