how many jumps in a cross country course

by Okey Wiegand 7 min read

Course distance is 675 meters and optimum time is 5 minutes. Beginner-Novice XC OT Course has 17 jumps, up to 2’7″, with Black numbers on Yellow background. Course distance is 1,950 meters and optimum time is 6 minutes. Novice XC OT Course has 19 jumps, up to 2’11”, with Black numbers on White background.

Every cross country course consists of r oughly 12 to 35 fixed and solid jumps. The jumps are made to look natural, being made out of logs, stone walls, tall grasses and water. Sometimes though, the jumps will be made to look unusual and scary to test the horse's bravery and courage.

Full Answer

What is cross country jumping?

Cross-country jumping is a physical and mental challenge for horse and rider. It is a great confidence builder to successfully complete a cross-country course.

How long is the a cross country course?

A cross-country course. Note start box in upper right corner. The cross-country course is approximately two and three quarter to four miles (6 km) long, comprising some twenty-four to thirty-six fixed and solid obstacles.

What makes a cross-country jump difficult?

There is a wide variety of cross-country jumps available to course designers, ranging from natural obstacles, like a tree trunk, to man-made obstacles, like a tyre fence. Some factors affecting a jump’s difficulty include its height, width, and design, as well as its proximity to other fences and where it’s placed within the terrain.

How many riders fall in the Olympics cross-country?

Everyone will fall at some point if they ride cross-country frequently and it is expected that there will be some falls on the Olympic course – probably five to 10 of the riders in Tokyo will fall out of a starting field of 63. Is Olympic equestrian cross-country dangerous?

How many jumps are in a jumper course?

12-16 jumpsJumper courses, which are technical in nature and typically consist of 12-16 jumps, require strategic riding in addition to a swift pace.

How many jumps Olympic cross-country?

If a horse takes all the direct routes round the course, they will make 36 jumping efforts. If they take some of the slower routes, they will make more jumping efforts.

How many jumps are there in showjumping?

8-16 jumpsCourses are usually made out of 8-16 jumps. You'll want to make sure you can control your horse and complete a course. What is this? A show jumping course can consist of turns, angles, combinations, certain stride-lengths, and intimidating jumps.

Does cross-country have jumps?

Cross-country horse riding — sometimes referred to as just cross-country, “XC” or as Hunter trials — is an equestrian sport that sees rider and horse tackling a long course with jumps and other obstacles designed to simulate riding at speed across the countryside.

What horse breed is best for cross-country?

Most horses that compete today are Thoroughbreds, Thoroughbred-crosses (including the Irish Horse), and lightly built Warmbloods, or Warmbloods with a high degree of Thoroughbred blood, such as the Trakehner.

How many refusals cross-country?

In cross country, penalty points are awarded for jumping errors and for time. In the jumping, 20 penalty points are awarded for a first refusal at an obstacle and 40 penalty points for a second refusal (the rider is eliminated on their third refusal). Two refusals at different obstacles each attract 20 penalty points.

How many jumps are there?

Men and women compete in four jumping events: the high jump, long jump, triple jump, and pole vault.

How many strides are in between jumps?

two stridesYou should be able to ride the two jumps in a comfortable two strides. If your horse has a smaller-than-average stride or a larger-than-average stride, move the jumps in or out, respectively, to make the striding comfortable for your horse.

What is a joker jump?

JOKER JUMP RULES. The joker jump is 10cm higher than the other jumps and carries a bonus of 10 points if you jump it clear and have a clear round. You can only jump the joker jump in your series points round - not in any other round - this will result in you not being able to jump it in your series points rounds.

What are jumps called in cross-country?

A Chevron is a narrow V shaped jump. Chevrons are usually placed as elements in combinations to test how much control the rider has over the horse to navigate them through narrow flags.

Can you do jumps on XC bike?

1:2412:04Essential Cross Country MTB Skills | Learn To Jump On Your XC BikeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo super easy to move around. So actually you can get a pretty decent amount of height decent popMoreSo super easy to move around. So actually you can get a pretty decent amount of height decent pop off the smaller ramp but i'm going to stick it.

How do you make XC jumps?

1:2017:45DIY Building Cross Country Jumps | Lock Down Day 44 | LilpetchannelYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd this is going to be the smaller of the two fences. Because i wanted one that caramel could alsoMoreAnd this is going to be the smaller of the two fences. Because i wanted one that caramel could also jump. Over. So what i'm going to do with these is actually cut them in half and make a brush box.

What Is Cross-Country Jumping?

Cross-country jumping is a test of endurance, skill, and agility following a prescribed course through forest and fields. The horse and rider are required to negotiate natural obstacles like logs, ditches, streams, banks, hills, and fences. The course may be over two miles (4000 meters), although at the lower levels the distance and pace will be much less. Cross-country jumping is often part of a three-day event or horse trial that may include stadium jumping and dressage .

How to train a horse to be a rider?

Don't rely on someone else to condition your horse. You must put in hours of schooling with your horse on the flat and over fences to ensure your horse is absolutely obedient.

What is a chevron jump?

A Chevron is a narrow V shaped jump. Chevrons are usually placed as elements in combinations to test how much control the rider has over the horse to navigate them through narrow flags.

What is a trapehner jump?

A Trakehner is a jump that consists of a ditch with a log suspended over it.

What is cross country jumping?

Cross country equestrian jumping is an endurance test that form s one of the three phases of the sport of eventing; it may also be a competition in its own right, known as hunter trials or simply "cross-country", although these tend to be lower-level, local competitions. The object of the endurance test is to prove the speed, ...

How many times do you walk a cross country course?

Riders walk a cross-country course, usually between 1-3 times, before they actually ride it. This allows them to evaluate the course and determine how each jump needs to be ridden. While walking the course, riders need to be sure to pay attention to:

How to use terrain in a course?

Good course designers will use the terrain to either help the inexperienced horse and rider at the lower levels to prepare for an obstacle, or to make an obstacle more difficult for the experienced competitors. For example, the designer may place a fence at the opening of a wooded area, resulting in a lighting difference between the takeoff and landing side. This requires careful riding and a confident horse. Designers may make an obstacle more difficult by placing it along the side of a steep hill, at the top of a mound (so the horse can not see the landing until he is about to take off, testing bravery), or use the natural trees and ditches to force riders to take slightly more difficult lines to their fences.

How long is a cross country course?

The cross-country course is approximately two and three quarter to four miles (6 km) long, comprising some twenty-four to thirty-six fixed and solid obstacles. Obstacles usually are built to look "natural" (out of logs, for instance), however odd materials and decorations may be added to test the horse's bravery.

Where are cross country events held?

Cross-country courses for eventing are held outdoors through fields and wooded areas. The terrain is unique for each course, which usually incorporates the course into the natural terrain of the area, and therefore events in certain parts of the world may be held on mostly flat land, while others are over very strenuous hills.

Do horses need more distance work?

Horses which have been brought to peak fitness before will generally be easier to get back to top condition than a horse that has never had to work at that level. Some horses need more distance work and others more speed work. Determining these factors is generally done through experience.

How long is a cross country course?

For British Eventing competitions at the National level, course lengths will range from 1600–4000m and there will be between 18–40 jumps, with the exact amount depending on the level of competition.

What are the cross-country levels?

Affiliated cross-country is only contested as part of eventing competitions, so the levels and how you progress through them follow the British Eventing model.

What are the cross-country riding rules?

The aim of cross-country riding is to make it around the course with as few penalties as possible and within a fast yet safe time, and the rules reflect this. For each course, there is:

What is a start box in horse racing?

Each course has a start box, which is a small area where the horse and rider wait for the signal to commence their ride. Typically, the first fences in the course will be fairly unchallenging, allowing the horse to find its stride and focus before moving into more technical obstacles. The difficulty tends to ease off towards the end of the course again so the horse can gain speed and finish well.

How to train a horse to cross obstacles?

Remember to start small with any ditch, banks, or water training. Your horse is likely to stop and eye up the obstacle the first time they see it, as they’ll naturally be suspicious. Be patient and give them time to get used to the idea of crossing the obstacle, and don’t be afraid to let them circle once or twice as they look at it from all angles. Back this up with positive reinforcement as the horse gets a little bit closer — it’s another brave step for them!

What does "run out" mean in horse racing?

A refusal: If the horse stops when faced with an obstacle. A run-out: If the horse avoids passing its body over the obstacle. A circle: A horse can circle/cross its tracks around an obstacle without penalty provided it has not already jumped the next one.

How to increase difficulty in horse jumping?

Difficulty can be increased by upping the height, adjusting the angle, or adding more fences. Roll top: A jump with a rounded, half-barrel top. The curve often makes the jump more inviting to the horse, so it is not considered a “scary” fence. The height and width of the fence can be adjusted for difficulty.

Why isn’t everyone jumping the same jumps?

There are no penalties for taking a long route (provided the horse and rider do not fall, refuse or run-out), but it will be time-consuming, so the rider will have to weigh up the risk of the shorter route against the time-penalties they may incur.

How long will it take the horses and riders to complete the Olympic equestrian cross-country course?

The best horses and riders in Tokyo will finish in just under 7min 45sec and by doing so, incur no penalties. Those who take longer than that will receive penalties for doing so.

What is Olympic equestrian cross-country?

The cross-country is the second of three phases in the Olympic equestrian eventing competition. The first phase is dressage and the third showjumping.

How many horses and riders are on course at once? Do they race each other?

Each horse and rider tackle the course separately. It is not a race – they do not run and jump alongside each other.

How big are the fences?

The maximum size for completely solid fences at the Olympics is 1.20m high with a 1.80m top spread. Fences can go up to 1.40m if the top 20cm is brush, so the horses can push through the brush section rather than having to go cleanly over the top. Many of the jumps will be less than this permitted maximum because other factors make them challenging, such as the fact the fence is on an uphill or downhill slope, is narrow or is close to other jumps.

How many riders are in a team?

Each team has three riders, although most teams will also have an alternate, who can be swapped in between phases, although this will incur penalties.

How do the riders make the horses jump the fences?

Horses will have some training on the flat before they start jumping with a rider, so they understand the signals (the aids) the riders give with the legs, reins and body weight to indicate that they want to go faster, slower or turn.

What is table in cross country?

It is one of the most classic of all cross-country obstacles. Historically, there’s tables on most of the upper level events and a lot of lower level ones.

What is round top jump?

Round top jumps are one of the most common kind of cross-country jumps available today, and can be found from coast to coast. Here is the use of a rolled top pedestal type jump at the beginning of a complex or technical question. (Above) Here are two views of the same Preliminary jump.

How to avoid drawing a jumping horse into the face of a bench?

I’ve always been taught that to avoid drawing the jumping horse into the face of a bench that the seat should be filled with something bright and colorful so the horse can see it the ground line is near the ground, and the obstacles height doesn’t start at the dark portion of the seat. Benches that are not painted or decorated can trick a horse into not reading the height correctly.

Why are tables important in cross country?

The great part of a table is it really encourages great jumping and makes cross-country fun. The bad part of a table is that as a solid obstacle it carries a certain risk to a horse and rider if they meet it wrong.

Why is the back edge of the table evident to jumping horses?

Again the back edge of the table is evident to the jumping horse because the table’s back portion is elevated. (Intermediate) Step Table. (Training) This has a flat deck with width, but the front “steps” graduate the face, so the horse can’t really get right under the deck to jump it.

Is the horse's jump a table?

While the overall width is substantial, which is why it is a prelim jump, the entire face is slanted and there is no flat top, so it’s not a table. The groundline is marked with contrasting flowers so the horse can define the bottom take off.

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Overview

Course

The cross-country course is approximately two and three quarter to four miles (6 km) long, comprising some twenty-four to thirty-six fixed and solid obstacles. Obstacles usually are built to look "natural" (out of logs, for instance), however odd materials and decorations may be added to test the horse's bravery. Obstacles can include all those that might be found if riding across the countryside, including water, trees, logs, ditches, and banks.

Conditioning

Conditioning is an essential part of preparing a horse for cross-country. Although the lowest levels may not require anymore riding than the usual 5 or 6 days each week used to train the horse, all upper level horses are placed into strict conditioning programs. Most riders plan their schedule around per-determined events, taking into consideration the length of the particular cours…

Ideal cross-country mount

At the lowest levels, most horses can be trained to successfully negotiate a cross-country course and, with proper conditioning, can usually make the time. As the rider moves up the levels, however, cross-country requires that the horse be very quick-thinking and well-trained, as the course increasingly becomes more technical and difficult to negotiate. The horse must also be very agile, and able to get out of a rough spot should a mistake occur. With proper training, the h…

Scoring

Because the lowest score wins, each combination of horse and rider seeks to complete the cross-country with as few penalties as possible. If larger faults occur, such as multiple refusals, the horse will be eliminated (E) from competition and will not be allowed to finish the course. Elimination has also been subdivided in the United States to include Technical Elimination (TE), if a mistake is made that is unrelated to the horse (for example, jumping two fences in the wrong …

Levels of Eventing

In the United States, eventing begins at the Beginner Novice level, followed by Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate, and then Advanced. Levels in the UK begin with BE80(T) - a training level event which runs slightly differently from normal classes, then BE90 (formerly known as Intro), then BE100 (formerly Pre-novice). In 2009, the Intro and Pre Novice classes were renamed BE90 and BE100 (the numbers relate to the height of the cross country fences in centimeters) i…

Types of cross country obstacles

There are many different types of cross county obstacles, all designed, in some degree, to imitate or resemble obstacles that a horse and rider could theoretically encounter in actual cross-country riding. Some obstacles are single jumps, or "verticals" made of different types of materials. Some may have multiple elements taken in a single jump, such as triple bars or oxers, sometim…

See also

• Eventing
• Indoor cross-country