Stadium Course Design

[horsecents]

Do you feel the course and track for stadium should be the same for all levels offered at a competition (rules applied) or is having slight variations adopted to make it more beneficial for the various levels better? I'm thinking slightly softer track for lower levels with possible changes in fence placement to ask different questions.

I have to admit I'm a fan of seeing horses and riders come off of courses, especially at the lower levels, jumping better and more confident at the end than rattled.

[Highflyer]

I think that,, by removing portions of combinations, and changing out certain questions (liverpools, skinnies) for regular fences, you can adjust a course without revamping the track, and still have it be fair and confidence building. Assuming, of course, that you are a good course designer! I don't think confidence building necessarily needs to = easy, though. There's a limit to what you can do when you're running 5-6 divisions over a weekend, as far as major adjustments to the track go. For example, I compete at T, and had to walk the course as set for I at my last couple events--there just wasn't time to reasonably make the course walks--so I'm GLAD that the courses were more or less the same.

[horsecents]

At a competition over the weekend, competitors were remarking/concerned about the lack of groundlines on some fences, this was at BN. Other fences had boxes as groundlines. One competitor said that it was against the rules to use rails as groundlines. Is this true? I looked in the Eventing Rulebook but could not find a reference.

Groundlines that are easily moveable such as rails are not permitted.

[JFS]

I have been to several Richard Jeffery clinics and when this topic has come up he responds as follows: " you do not ride the same dressage test, you do not ride the same cross country course, why would you ride the same show jumping course" Just taking out parts of the combinations don't always do the trick. A good course designer can make minimal changes to the track that can make a big difference in the questions being asked. My sister who has worked with Richard and has trained with Joe Fargis and Conrad Homfeld has been designing the courses at our events for a few years now and if you sit and watch a bunch of rides you will easily see the progression in the courses and the skills that the riders have to learn.

She's getting better at keeping the changes fairly simple, for both the jump crew and the riders, and this fall I'm going to have course maps available, like the xc maps, so competitors can have them in hand when they walk the courses before they are set for their level. It has taken a little getting use to on the competitors part, but I really do think it is better for the education of the horses and the riders to have courses that ask questions that are appropriate for the level. If you don't change the track, it is either too easy for some or too difficult for others.

Jackie
www.stonegatefarm.org

[retreadeventer]

Jackie, you said a mouthful there! "GOOD" course designers. We are not blessed with a lot of those in my area .... we have a lot that think they are good, however....I feel the same way as Mr. Jeffery. The track is HARDER than it should be for lower levels when we are forced to take the same lines as the upper levels with minimal differences. I was walking the course when they were changing it down from I to T and there was very little done to the distances, just the heights and one or two jumps. It rode like CRAP for the training level horses, I'm sorry but it did. Three times a right turn thru the same corner to different jumps each time. I went clean but watched many rounds disintegrate from one line to the next, and many horses and riders ending frazzled. There was no room to take a breather, half halt, re organize. The ring was too small. The intermediate horses I watched jump also looked like crap including the winner, I watched his round, it was not smooth, but it was well ridden by a master, too, who made the best of it. Sometimes yes it's the rider or the division or the horses or the angle of the sun and the moon, but sometimes it's the course designer, too.

[NMK]

I'm all for different routes and fences for the levels because it should reflect the competency of the horse and rider at that particular level. I also think related distances and heights should be taken into consideration. The dressage questions are different, the XC questions are different, why should the stadium fences only be different in height?

Nancy