Rappahannock Hunt Hunter Pace

The RH Hunter Pace is coming up on April 17th at Greenwood Farm near Washington, VA at 10:00 AM. We used Greenwood a few years ago for the hunter pace and it was a great course. It has beautiful scenery, great terrain and fun jumps (if you are jumping). RH also has open divisions, so you can bring horses and riders that have not hunted. So, first of all, I want to encourage you all to come out and participate. The hunter paces are a lot of fun to do and great for young horses or riders looking to get some experience over natural terrain.


HUNTER PACE EVENT OVER FENCES - 10:00 AM
Horses and riders must have fairly hunted during the current season with any foxhunting or beagle pack or pony club. To be run in pairs over a 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 mile course (as weather and ground dictate) of natural hunting country. Three divisions: Adult Optimum Time, Junior or Adult/Junior Optimum Time, and Adult Fast Time. NO SCHOOLING - WALKING ENCOURAGED. The course will be flagged and maps available the Sunday prior to the race meet. Catch weights. NO POST ENTRIES. Entry fee $50 per pair. Points count towards year-end awards.

OPEN HUNTER PACE EVENT FENCES
Open to all. A Hunting Pace Event for pairs of horses or ponies. To be run in pairs over a 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 mile course (as weather and ground dictate) of natural hunting country. May be ridden in ratcatcher or formal hunting attire. Optimum Time only. Post entries and cross entries allowed. Entry fee $50 per pair.

HUNTER PACE EVENT ON THE FLAT
Open to all. About 2 miles over natural hunting country on the flat and to be run in pairs (horses, ponies or combination). Optimum Time Only. NO SCHOOLING ALLOWED. Post entries and cross entries allowed. Maps available the Sunday prior to the race meet. Entry fee $50 per pair. Points count towards year-end awards.

ADDITIONAL RACE INFORMATION
POST ENTRIES will be accepted but only pre-entries will be awarded points that count toward year-end awards.

DIRECTIONS
Directions: From Warrenton take 211 West toward Sperryville. Turn RIGHT onto Gid Brown Hollow Road (622) just past the Blue Rock Inn. Go 1.8 miles to Freeman Lane (before the bridge). Turn LEFT. Follow signs to parking and maps.

An update

I wanted to post an update on the RH hunter pace. We are two weeks agawy and I walked the course at Greenwood Farm yesterday. I should have taken a camera. Gid Brown Hollow is gorgeous. The fields are a perfect shade of green.

If you want to see an aerial preview of the course, just click on the link.

http://www.waterfordmgmt.com/RHweb/hunt_gps/rh_pace_course.jpg

One of the things we’ve established the last couple of years with our pace is extensively flagging the course so that they do not have to be walked ahead of time. So if you don’t feel like walking the course you won’t have to.

We also have non-foxhunter divisions. If you have non-hunting friend s that want to try this, then bring them out.

Any spectating options?

There is a hilltop in the middle of the course that has two excellent vantage points. One is the cemetery wall. The other is the old silo. The silo has a spiral staircase inside that goes up to a viewing platform at the top. It can hold 3-4 at a time.

We’ve been having great weather for the pairs races. Today at BRH was no exception.

Rappahannock Hunt will be running next Saturday starting at 10:00 AM. Keep in mind we have an open division over fences and one on the flat. So no pre-entry required and you/your horse don’t have to be fox hunters. The long term forecast is for sunny and in the 70’s.

The course will be extensively flagged and marked which means you won’t have to walk the course ahead of time unless you want to.

Here is a link to the final course map.

http://www.waterfordmgmt.com/RHweb/h...ace_course.jpg

If you do want to walk the course then it will be available for walking starting on Wednesday (4/14/10).

The cost is $25 per rider. The course has 13 jumps which are a mix of coops, stone walls and rails. The heights, in eventing terms, are novice and training heights. If you are in the open divisions then teams can be two or more people.