The Rider Online » XCountry

Rules of Cross Country

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:25:36 +0000

The cross country event is the ultimate equestrian challenge, relying on horse endurance and speed, requiring horse and rider to trot, gallop and jump a variety of obstacles in a timed event.

In cross country the lowest score wins. Each combination of horse and rider has to try to complete the course with as few penalties as possible.

How are the penalties incurred?

Refusals / crossing tracks
1st refusal / crossing tracks (riding a circle) in front of an obstacle is 20 penalties per obstacle.
2nd refusal or crossed tracks at the same obstacle is 40 additional penalties.
3rd refusal or crossed tracks at the same obstacle result in elimination.
4th refusal or crossed tracks on the entire course also results in elimination.

Errors

Jumping obstacles in the wrong order is an elimination.
Jumping a fence in the wrong direction results in elimination.
Omission of a jump or compulsory passage causes elimination.
The only time a competitor may jump an obstacle twice in a row is if a refusal occurs at a second element (B) and the rider can not approach “B” without re-jumping “A” .
The horse is only allowed to jump from a standstill if the obstacle’s height is no higher than 30 cm. Jumping any other obstacles from a standstill counts as a refusal.
Horses that take a step back are deemed to have refused.

Falls

As of late 2008, the first fall of rider no longer results in automatic elimination.
Second Fall of Rider: Elimination.
Fall of horse (quarters and shoulder touches ground): Mandatory retirement.
Note: riders may dismount at anytime on course without penalty, but the dismount must not be related to an obstacle.

Time faults

Every second commenced above the optimum time, rounded up to the nearest second: 0.4 penalties/sec.
Exceeding the allowed time (2× the optimum time): elimination.
Trying to increase one’s time, or “willfull delay,” to avoid speed faults (circling, serpentining, walking, or halting between the final fence and the finish): 20 penalties.

Other reasons for elimination

Rider without headgear or a fastened harness strap.
Improper tack (for example, riding with a running martingale and no rein stops).
Overtaking another rider on course in a dangerous manner.
Willful obstruction of an overtaking competitor.
Failure to stop on course when signalled.
Horses head and front shoulder outside of the flags.

British Eventer Mary King in action during the Cross Country Phase

Types of XCountry Fence

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:30:04 +0000

Various obstacles are found in cross country. The size and type of obstacles vary depending on the course and the level of the horse and rider. Fences used in cross country are generally made to look rustic and natural and they are built extremely solidly.

There are 3 main types of obstacles that distinguish cross-country from the typical show-jumping round: banks, ditches, and water. However, derby classes in show jumping may incorporate at three types of obstacles.

Arrowhead

Also called chevrons, these fences are shaped like triangles, with the point facing towards the ground. They are generally very narrow, usually only a few feet wide.

Bank

These jumps are steps up or down from one level to another, and can be single jumps or built as a “staircase” of multiple banks.

Brush Fence

These jumps consist of a solid base with brush placed on top, generally low enough for the horse to see over.

Bullfinch

This fence has a solid base with several feet of brush protruding out of the top of the jump up to six feet high.

Coffin

Also called the rails-ditch-rails, the coffin is a combination fence where the horse jumps a set of rails, moves one or several strides downhill to a ditch, then goes back uphill to another jump. In the past, coffins were more pronounced, with up and down banks leading to the ditch in the middle. However, today only the former type with the rails is seen.

Combinations

These fences are combinations of banks, logs, water, ditches and other elements. All of the jumps are placed within a few strides of each other, and are meant to be jumped as a series in a specific order.

Corner

Also called an apex, corner fences are in a triangular shape with the horse jumping over one corner of the triangle. They are similar to the “fan” jump seen in show-jumping. As the name suggests, the fence makes a “V” shape, that can have an angle up to 90 degrees.

Ditch

These fences are dropped areas in the course that may be up to 11 feet, 10 inches wide in advanced competition, although they are seen at lesser widths at all levels of competition. They can be used individually, or in combinations such as the coffin and trakehner fences.

Drop Fence

These fences ask the horse to jump over a log fence and land at a lower level than the one at which they took off. They are closely related to the bank fences.

Log Fence

The most common type of cross-country fence, includes oxers, log piles, vertical, and triple bar obstacles.

Normandy Bank

A combination of obstacles. A ditch precedes the bank, so the horse must jump over the ditch and onto the bank in one leap. There is also a solid fence on the top of the bank, which may produce a drop fence to get off the obstacle, or may allow for a stride off.

Roll top

These jumps have a rounded half-barrel appearance on top. They can be quite wide at upper levels, and often govern respect from the horse, but are not usually considered a “scary” fence for horses on course and generally produce a good jump. A modified version of the rolltop is sometimes seen in hunter and showjumping classes.

Sharks Teeth

These fences have a top log rail, with an inverted triangle of logs pointing downwards, resembling a shark’s top jaw.

Skinny

A “skinny” is any fence with a narrow face.

Stone Wall

These jumps are solid walls made out of stone or a similar material. They sometimes have logs placed on top to make them larger or change the appearance.

Sunken Road

These are combination jumps involving banks and rails. At the lower levels, it may consist of a bank down, with a few strides to a bank up. At the upper levels, the sunken road often is quite complicated, usually beginning with a set of rails, with either one stride or a bounce distance before the bank down, a stride in the “bottom” of the road before jumping the bank up, and another stride or bounce distance before the final set of rails.

Table

A table is a fence with height and width, with the top of the table being one piece of material (unlike an open oxer, which is not “filled in”).

Trakehner

These fences consist of a rail over a ditch. The ditch can be frightening for the horse, and so this type of jump is a test of bravery. Trakehners are first seen at training level and at the higher levels they can be quite large. A Faux (False) Trakehner is a mobile cross-country jump designed to look like a trakehner by using heavy posts or poles on the ground to simulate the front and back edges of the ditch.

Water

These fences range in difficulty from simple water crossings at lower levels to combinations of drop fences into water, obstacles or “islands” within the water, and bank or obstacles out of the water at upper levels. The water may be no more than 14 inches deep.

JumpCross

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:36:08 +0000

What is JumpCross

JumpCross is the brainchild of Robin Dunlop, Grange Farm Equestrian Centre, Peterborough. After many years of building and observing cross-country courses and the manner in which they were ridden, Robin felt there must be a better way for both horse and rider to achieve a rhythmical, balanced style whilst developing a clean, accurate jumping technique.

So often it was seen that a junior was ‘taken’ round the course by their ponies, not necessarily being required to ride, just (hopefully) to steer, stop and stay on! What happens then when this young rider moves onto a horse? This is often when we see the struggle start, unsure of the correct positioning or aids to give, confusion and disappointment grows in both the jockey and his steed as the horse refuses many requests to jump. From this JumpCross was born……

JumpCross aims to provide all riders with a true cross-country sport with knock-down fences. It combines the excitement of cross-country with the accuracy of show jumping. Not as intimidating as solid fences for horse or rider, yet commanding balance, skill and respect in order to jump them cleanly. How often have you heard the rapping of hooves over cross-country fences? Is this what we want to teach our horses? JumpCross will help to teach riders to ride in rhythm and balance. By riding in balance with their horses they are much more likely to jump the fences cleanly.

The JumpCross course

The patented design of the JumpCross course, enables the poles to fall away from the horse should he knock them. This vastly reduces the possibility of rider injury should the horse hit the fence, he will merely run through it. The jumps are made from sturdy, shatter-proof, weather-proof plastic, and the ‘patented’ jump cups, with their round edges and unique design, poses less risk to both the horse and rider.

Who can do JumpCross?

Whether a seasoned competitor, nervous rider, coming back to jumping after injury, bringing on a young horse or just looking for something more stimulating, the ultimate equestrian challenge? Then JumpCross is for YOU!

This exciting new sport is proving itself as an invaluable training medium, the benefits spilling over into all aspects of the horses work, not just jumping.

There is a definite riding style emerging and the successful JumpCross horse and rider ride with a true ‘togetherness’ in balance, rhythm and that all important, confidence!

JumpCross is proving a huge success with Pony Clubs and Riding Clubs in England in the localities around existing sites, and we are very keen to increase this awareness. After all, the youngsters we train now are to become the horsemen and women of the future! That is where we feel JumpCross has a place…in the future of equestrianism!

To find out more about JumpCross visit http://www.jumpcross.com/index.sh