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Judd N. Adams
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AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPETITIVE TRAIL RIDINGMy riding experience: see footnote [1]“Competitive Trail Riding” (promoted and directed by the North American Trail Ride Conference -- NATRC), is one of three forms of long distance equestrian competitions. The others are “Endurance” and “Ride and Tie,” both of which are races. A “NATRC” event is like a road rally (cars) where the horse and rider are judged on the quality of their performance (not speed) as they travel the distance and negotiate obstacles within a prescribed time frame (finish time has a +/- 15 minute window) with minimal stress to the horse. In an Endurance Ride, the rider minimizes time and manages stress. In a NATRC Ride, the rider minimizes stress and manages time. In an Endurance Ride the ultimate competitive objective is to cover the distance (25, 50, or 100 miles) in the shortest time without damaging the horse. However, for some riders the objective is to finish in the Top Ten and receive the Best Condition award, which is based upon a veterinarian's assessment of how stressed the horse is at the end of the ride. “To finish is to win” is the Endurance Rider's theme, and for many riders it reflects their personal objective. A Ride and Tie is a race with one horse and two people who take turns riding and running. Person A rides the horse a distance, dismounts, ties the horse and continues as a runner. Person B runs until the horse is reached, mounts, and rides past person A some distance, dismounts, ties the horse, and proceeds as a runner. This alternation continues until the combined team of runners and horse crosses the finish line. A Competitive Trail Ride (NATRC) can be described as a cross between an Endurance Ride and a show ring competition. While a NATRC ride is not as fast as an Endurance Ride, the horses nevertheless must be well conditioned and have the endurance to go the distance. Additionally NATRC horses require considerable mental training to perform the obstacles well. A NATRC ride is normally two days of riding during which the Open Division horse will go 50 - 60 miles, depending upon terrain, while a Novice Division horse will cover approximately 2/3 that distance (30 - 40 miles). By rule, the pace is 4-6 miles per hour for Open and 3.5-5 mph for Novice horses (85% of the Open pace). Compared to an Endurance Ride, NATRC rides are not fast, but the numbers are somewhat misleading for two major reasons: NATRC rides have many judged “obstacles” (which slow you down) and the rides usually involve significant elevation changes, particularly in the Rocky Mountains where elevation changes of 1,000 feet and more are common. Occasionally the slope may be 45 degrees or more and a 2 - 3 mph pace is all that can be achieved. Ride managers generally establish the pace of a ride so that a Novice horse can complete the ride mostly at a walk while Open horses are expected to trot on level areas and walk the hills. NATRC horses thus require a good mix of trotting (moderate speed) and hill climbing (power) capability. They also need a mellow disposition (inherited or trained) to enable them to negotiate the variety of natural and human “obstacles” they will encounter on the trail. The horse and rider are evaluated on how well they work together, which is similar to a show ring competition, only more “real.” Natural obstacles include stream crossings, downed timber, steep climbs and rocky terrain. Examples of human obstacles are stopping in the middle of a ditch crossing and backing out; entering a “box canyon” and then backing out; side passing to a tree and tying a ribbon on a branch; standing still during an off-side mount on a steep hill side; picking up a slicker from a fence or branch. NATRC is very concerned with safety and seeing how well horse and rider work as a team. This is one of the reasons I like the sport so much -- my horse and I are a team -- he's my buddy. We also ride in some very beautiful country and meet very wonderful people on the rides. Judging Criteria, Divisions and ClassesHorse and rider each begin the ride with 100 points, and points are deducted as mistakes are made. The horse is evaluated in three major categories: soundness (45%), condition (40%) and trail ability/manners (15%). The rider is judged on trail equitation (50%), trail care, safety and stabling (30%), and in-hand presentation, grooming, tack (20%). Horses and riders compete according to Divisions (Open, Novice and Competitive Pleasure) and Classes (Heavyweight, Lightweight, and Junior). Ribbons are awarded for the first six places for horse and rider and there are usually additional awards for combined horse and rider, and breed awards such as high point Arabian, and best Fox Trotter. All types of horses are eligible to compete in NATRC rides, including mules and mustangs. A horse must be at least four years of age to compete in the Novice Division and five years for the Open Division. Beyond that, the Division in which to compete is the choice of the rider. Open is for the well-conditioned and well-trained horse and the experienced rider who wishes to go the longer distance and faster speed. Novice is for the less-conditioned horse and/or the rider who wants to ride slower or a shorter distance. The Competitive Pleasure Division goes the distance and speed of Novice Division and was created for experienced riders who
The Classes reflect weight and age factors: heavyweight is for a rider who weighs 190 lbs or more, including the horse's tack (saddle, blanket, headgear, etc.); lightweight is for less than 190 lbs; junior is for riders aged 11-17. The combination of Divisions and Classes produces seven categories. A “full” ride is 60 competitors. While the typical ride is two days, there can be one day (good for new competitors) and three day rides (rare). The event actually begins on Friday afternoon with “check in.” One by one the horses are presented to the horse judge, a veterinarian, who gives the horse a 5-10 minute inspection to determine basic soundness to compete and to establish baselines on certain variables. Under the category of soundness (45%), the veterinarian checks the following:
These variables are checked a minimum of three times in camp (Saturday PM, Sunday AM and at the end of the ride) and on the trail as often as the vet sees fit. For example, typically both the vet and horsemanship judge like to observe the horse and rider during a trot. The conditioning (40%) variables are, for the most part, measured on the trail and include
Trail ability/manners (15%) is measured in camp and on the trail.
The riderTrail equitation (50%) involves
“Light in the saddle” deserves special attention. We don't really sit down in the saddle because we want to protect the horse's back (and not so incidentally our own derriere). For an Open horse traveling 60 miles the horse's feet will contact the ground about ½ million times (according to my calculations). That is a lot of concussion on the feet and legs and a lot of pounding on the horse's back if the rider's body is not absorbing the shock. The rider actually moves in three dimensions: up and down, side to side (especially on the downhill), and front-back (step and collect). If the rider doesn't stay with the horse's motion, it throws the horse off balance causing inefficient movement, unnecessary fatigue and perhaps also soreness and loss of points. When a veterinarian notices such soreness, it may prompt a discussion with the horsemanship judge to see if there is a correlation between observations on the rider and the effects on the horse. More than once I have seen this on my score cards! This illustrates one of the many learning aspects of NATRC rides. Learning also can occur by observing other riders, their tack, how they rig their trailers, etc. Most Open riders are willing to share their knowledge with new riders. Trail care, safety & courtesy, and stabling (30%) includes
Grooming/in-hand presentation/tack and equipment (20%) includes cleanliness of the horse, good shoes, proper presentation of the horse to the judge, and clean, appropriate tack in good repair. Sunday afternoon, at the completion of the ride the horses are cleaned and presented to the judges for final inspection and evaluation. After the last horse has been checked, the judges tally up the points to determine places. Competitors meanwhile are relaxing with their favorite beverage and snacks. After dinner is awards, usually concluded about dusk. Some competitors return home that evening, others, particularly if the trip is more than four hours, remain overnight and travel home on Monday. So a NATRC ride is thus typically a three to four day vacation with your best friends! If you would like more information on NATRC go to http://natrc.trailriding.com. I can be reached at (303) 494-4241, or juddadams@worldnet.att.net. See Trail Riding Clinic if you are interested in learning more about NATRC. Footnotes[1] I have been a Board Member and Past President of Region III NATRC. I established the Golden Gate Ride in the mid 1980's and have served as Ride Manager several times. I began riding in 1983, and have competed in more than 60 rides, for over 4,000 miles on three different horses. For the 1999 ride season Raj and I finished First in the Rocky Mountain Region and earned a National Championship. Raj and I have completed more than 2,000 miles together. December 06, 2002
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