first competitions

[lindiak007]

cross country competitions for beginners:)

so...when did you start to compete...how long after you started to ride....???
do you have to do dressage tests first? i don't know anything about this, so sorry if this is a funnt question

[carrimclaren]

teach me to read the bloody question wrong :) had to delete previous post and re-write.

Basically it's a pretty wide open sort of subject. If you are a beginner it is best to make sure you have a pretty steady horse and go for a practice schooling day and see how you get on. With cross country comps you can get different sorts. Some places put on beginners classes, others do one day events where you have to do dressage and showjumping too. Then if as you get more experienced and if you have the right horse you can do hunter trials (throwing yourself over big hedges and obstacles in time limits in teams etc.).

[lindiak007]

teach me to read the bloody question wrong :) had to delete previous post and re-write.

Basically it's a pretty wide open sort of subject. If you are a beginner it is best to make sure you have a pretty steady horse and go for a practice schooling day and see how you get on. With cross country comps you can get different sorts. Some places put on beginners classes, others do one day events where you have to do dressage and showjumping too. Then if as you get more experienced and if you have the right horse you can do hunter trials (throwing yourself over big hedges and obstacles in time limits in teams etc.).

xixix....i was like...i didn't read this...you have changed it when i wanted to reply and there was something else in quote, i liked the first answer though!

aren't there just cross country comp? or is cross ountry always a part of eventing?

[Gruntfuttock]

It might be different in the US.

If you go "eventing", you will need to do dressage, show-jumping and XC, all in the same day.

There are plenty of XC competitions where you ONLY have to ride XC. Quite a lot of riding clubs round here organise XC competitions as we are lucky enough to have a couple of very good courses right on our doorstep.

Bascailly everything else carriemaclaren said was right. Find a beginners day, or find a RS with a XC course who will give you lessons round it. I'd love to have a bash at some XC, but my horse gets a bit insane when she jumps in open country and I;d probably end up in Scotland !

[lindiak007]

ok....thank you....

[KateWooten]

I;d probably end up in Scotland !


Darn it, your horse must be good at the water jump !

[lindiak007]

Darn it, your horse must be good at the water jump !

:D:p

[carrimclaren]

xixix....i was like...i didn't read this...you have changed it when i wanted to reply and there was something else in quote, i liked the first answer though!

aren't there just cross country comp? or is cross ountry always a part of eventing?

Can't remember what i put now, all i remember is i read the question wrong the first time round and it made no sense :D
As gruntfuttock said there's all sorts of purely cross country comps for all sorts of levels. We were lucky at our place because there's a small cross country jump field and we have some natural fences around here too, plenty of ditches, a water jump etc.
My old mare was a bit green with cross country so the way she took fences all bordered on how i felt about them. Through the water we used to do great. In, polite pop over the jump, polite pop over the bank. Over bigger more solid fences my mind block would happen, i'd panic, overeact and she'd accelerate and fly the bloody thing :o