[afox2332]

Does anyone have dates for this fall's hunter paces or chases in south Jersey, southeastern PA, MD or DE for this fall? Or where I can go to look?

Thanks so much!

[vxf111]

Horse of Delaware Valley usually posts a calendar that's relatively comprehensive...

http://www.horsedelval.com/

[Jleegriffith]

I was just looking last night. I don't think they have posted many yet. We are ready!

[MoonWitch]

Here's one!!

https://docs.google.com/a/hopespring...sZhWvs7BE/edit

[jj90]

I don't know if these are too far for you.

The Bucks County Horse Park in PA usually has a bunch: http://www.buckscountyhorsepark.org/

I also found a few with Amwell Valley Hounds in NJ: http://www.amwellvalleyhounds.com/hunter-paces.html

It has been so long since I've hunt paced. Does Radnor still have one?

[afox2332]

Radnor still has one:
http://www.radnorhuntpc.org/index.ph...1dcf&catids=14

Actually, this is the only one I could find in the area. North Jersey (even parts of Monmouth Co.) are a 2-4 hour drive, and just too far for me (for a paper chase).
Bucks County is about an hour and 45 min, so a little better, and I've heard it's beautiful!

Thanks!

[vxf111]

I did Radnor's once. It was GRUELING. It took me several years to recover and accept the concept of doing anohter hunter pace

Afox2332, there was one at a vineyard w/in 45 minutes of Keneva that Lori, Jane, Jill, and some other boarders went to last year. I think the owners were going to do it again? They had an absolute blast, and IIRC it was at a close location. You should email one of them and get the details.

[jj90]

vxf - thanks for the heads up! We are looking to do some hunt paces this year and are not aiming for grueling. Just some slow-paced fun outside of the ring for older riders with young and old horses.

[afox2332]

vxf - I actually went to the winery one - it was great! As far as Radnor, I don't mind if it's long, as long as there are lots of jumps. I don't want to do it for the prize, so if I want to walk for 20 min and let people pass I can. I just don't have the stamina I did when I was younger!

This is the website for the winery/barn - hopefully they will have another. http://www.southwindvineyardllc.com/

Does anyone know about Brandywine chases?

[Pussy Cat]

If you think Radnor is grueling you must not get out of the ring much. It was a pleasant hack through beautiful country. Took about 2 hours IIRCC. Saw quit a few kids on ponies that seemed to be handling it fine.

[vxf111]

There were some jumps at Radnor. But if you stopped to walk for a second, you stood serious risk of being turned into roadkill by the legit foxhunters beautiful scenery and nice people. Just not leisurely.

I am very down for that winery one since it sounded like fun!

[lcw579]

Veronica, I can't believe you are dissing our pace event! I don't think anyone would say it was grueling. I was the starter last year and we had everyone from tiny tots to little old ladies heading out and they all survived. If my little unrated pony clubbers could handle it, you should have been just fine.

There are places to walk, places to move out and jump options along the way. We are lucky that many landowners open their properties up just for the day. Most people seemed to take between 1 1/2 to 2 hours to complete the course.

We even have a photographer. If you go to Hoof Print Images you can see some of the action for yourselves.

Grueling.... Wait til I tell the Pita Princess you called her course grueling.....

[vxf111]

I did it 3 years ago?! Maybe 4?! It was right after I bought Somerset. It took us at least 2.5 hours to finish and we cheated and took a short cut near the hundred acre woods. In a narrow area near a field with mini donks (cute) we very nearly got run down by foxhunters, causing my friend's normally quiet gelding to flip out. I'm not dissing the event! It's gorgeous! And well run! But at least when I did it, it was a very very long course and people rode aggressively up on us. I had my Stoney pony and he barely made it. Kristin had Somerset and she had fun but even he was exhausted by the end. It was lovely and well run but it wasn't leisurely. It was way, way too much for me. My horses aren't fit enough to trot, canter, and gallop that long! I wish they did a short course and a long one-- because the jumps are nice and as I mentioned so are the people/views-- but I found it too long for a casual rider. And I wish they had posted the length ahead of time so I would have had a sense of how long it was.

[lcw579]

You realize you have to come this year now, right? It will be a cakewalk for that handsome horse of yours. And he'll get carrots at the end. I may even have something for you - if you take back the grueling...

[vxf111]

Oh the BROWN HORSE would have been fine, but it was too much for the aged pony if we wouldn't have taken the shortcut, it would have taken almost 3 hours. Do you know how many miles it is total? Maybe I'm just a wimp, but he's an old guy and used to being ridden for an hour. Pushing him to go and go for 2.5+ hours, it was too much. I wasn't expecting it to be as long as it was. I was anticipating an hour and a half of W/T/C. It was double what I was expecting.

Date stamp on the photos said I did it in 2007. Maybe it's changed since then? That was the only time I did it.

Photographic evidence...

Me on Stoney at the beginning (he was nice and fresh in this photo. I think the photographer stood at the beginning and the end, IIRC)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...StoneyandI.jpg

Kristin at the beginning

http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...SomersetHP.jpg

Kristin at the end

http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...choolSmall.jpg

[vxf111]

Oh yes, I did forget the highlight of the paper chase was the free carrots at the end. Not just that they were carrots or free. But they were the BIGGEST CARROTS I'VE EVER SEEN. Nice!

[Calling Duck]

Another country heard from. I did the Radnor paper chase for the first time last year. Three of us went out - me on my quasi-show horse who HATES people galloping past, my friend on her Hilltop-bred warmblood mare who is basically a barefoot pasture ornament, and the third was a very (very) timid Pony Clubber. PCer's mom had asked if she could go with us as we had stated we were not going to "go fast." So, I not only wanted to keep my horse happy, but make sure the Pony Clubber had a safe go.

Course was gorgeous, footing was gorgeous. Yes, people passed us. But they were all NICE about it. There were jumps, we didn't do them. Pony Club kid had such a blast that she would trot/canter away from us then come back. Awesome confidence-building experience for her. We COULD have blasted around - but we went for ideal time and the horses were just fine. We started out at at walk, and came home at a walk. Did some trotting and cantering. Pony clubber cantered across the finish line ahead of us with a huge smile on her face. We also discussed where we would pick up the pace "next year."

There were only a few fox hunters at the Radnor ride, a fact that one of the fox hunters who didn't do the ride pointed out to me, sniffing, "It looked like a bunch of riff-raff." To which I laughed and say, "That's me, riff-raff!"

I have a friend, Mr. Fast Time. He did the ride with his friend Ms. Fast Time. They had a blast. He said, however, that the Cheshire paper chases are MUCH more rip-roaring. Word to the wise on that one.

Fast timers usually go out early. So if you want a good, quiet ride, I'd suggest going out later. Can't remember how long it took us, but it was no more/no less than the scavenger hunts and poker rides we've done.

[jj90]

vxf - it looks like you have an official invite from the Radnor folks . You can hang out with us slow show hunter folks. I think the promise of very large free carrots at the end would keep my guy in it to the end (or at least finding short cuts to get to the carrots with the least amount of effort).

Anyone know how long the Radnor chase is mileage-wise typically?

Are there wine tasting stops along the winery ride? That could be fun ...