Definitions of different forms of trail rides & competitions

Information on what a "Hunter Pace" is..... Everyone can ride in the Ellis River Riders hunter pace rides. The ride is a pleasure trail ride with jumps along the way. Jumping the jumps it optional. Riders can choose to jump all, some or none of the jumps offered. Riders are sent out onto the trail in small groups [with friends or we can match you up]. They are timed when they leave and return to see how long they take to complete the ride. After all teams return their times are compared with the random ride time & the closest times win! The pre-determined ride time is set by a rider who rides the course prior to the actual ride. It is recorded and kept in a sealed envelope till the ride is over. Requirements: All riders MUST ride with a helmet, even if they say they are not going to jump. English OR Western tack is OK. Children must ride with a parent or guardian [with proper signed guardian release forms!] These forms are available on the ERR website. In the past we required pre-registration, watch for details on that in future letters. Ride fee this year will be $5.00. Bring a lunch for after the ride!
 

 "Poker Ride" This is open to all riders and is a pleasure ride with 5 stop points where each rider will pick up a sealed envelope with a card in it. On return to the grounds everyone opens their envelopes, one at a time, and the poker hands are recorded. The top hands win money back. In the past, the more riders the more placings pay money. For the youth riders there will be actual prizes NOT money as it is not legal for those under 18 to win money. A portion of the entry money is kept by the club. Ride fee this year will be $5.00. Bring a lunch for after the ride!
 

 Competitive Trail Rides: These are usually 25 or more miles and sanctioned by the Eastern Competitive Trail Ride Association [ECTRA] We used to run a 30 mile ride in Andover called the Ellis River 30. There is a time parameter to complete the distance [about 5 hours for 30 miles] Points are deducted for too fast or too slow. To compete in these timed long distance rides a horse must be brought into condition slowly and consistently. The ride is judged by two judges. One is a veterinarian, the other is a highly qualified lay-judge. All horses are checked by both judges prior to the ride, at a half way point, and at the end of the ride. Each horse begins with 100 points, just the way they are before they start. All scrapes, cuts, swelling, height of stride, length of stride, overall carriage, animation & attitude are tallied on a special sheet. These are compared at the end of the ride and combined with pulse & respiration recovery times, the horses that end the ride the same as they started will place. Entry fees have increased sine we ran our rides, but I suspect fees may be in the range of $75.00.
 

Judged Pleasure Ride:  Like the ACTHA ride on July 31st. This is a trail ride where horses are being judges at specific points on the trail negotiating obstacles.
 

Versatility Trail Challenge: This is a competition. Riders will ride a trail course consisting of obstacles and tasks. Judging will be a combination of points scored at each obstacle/task and fastest time. This competition is similar to but not affiliated with the Extreme Cowboy Race [Craig Cameron on RFD-TV] The course will be inside the arena and also outside the arena but within the grounds area and not actually out on the trails.

All the rides mentioned need many volunteers to help make them successful. Riders should be thinking of any family members who might want to help out at the trail rides. Road crossing help, food service, time keeping.... all sorts of things to be part of the fun.