How do you hit optimum time cross country?

[paddi22]

I am entering a hunter trial league next year where the winner is the one that gets closest to optimum time. I'm used to competitions where fastest wins so haven't a clue how it works. Would anyone be able to fill me in how they calculate what pace they should go at? I assume you can't wear a watch?

Anyone any tips for how they ride optimum time courses?? Any help much appreciated!

 

[Jnhuk]

Do you know what the mpm is for the course? You can practice speed needed over a set distance and to a set time but that doesn't take in to account the course lumps and bumps and also the different speeds you need to jump different type obstacles at eg. you wouldn't jump a coffin at the same speed you would attack a steeplechase at.

Sorry not been that helpful. One easy straight forward answer is to look at the first few go on the day and see how near the time they are presuming they've had a clear run.

 

[MCTM]

If they post the mpm then that makes it easier - however often they don't do this, so you should just aim to go at a steady hunting pace. In my experience times are never posted until the results go up so that people later on don't have any advantage. What speed they use as a "hunting pace" also seems to vary greatly dependent on who is running the competition. So basically it's guesswork and luck, unless you know how they've timed it in previous years! I've normally found it's slower than eventing speed but not always....

Not much help I'm afraid!

 

[Honey08]

Surely they would have to post a mpm, wouldn't they? If not its anyone's guess what the speed should be..

If there is a mpm, you need to work out the length of a canter track or field you can use (easy nowadays with google maps), try and find a section that is half a mile, or quarter etc, then work out how fast you would need to go up it at that mpm.. Get used to the speed, try and go up it every day at that speed (time yourself..).. Then when you ride the xc you know how fast you need to go, bearing in mind that if you have to check for a tricky fence or combination etc, then you also need to up the pace afterwards, or on stretches without fences, to make it up... Hope I explained that ok, that's how I do it!

 

[Horsemad12]

OT or MPM not normally posted and usually based on a hunting pace so bacially guesswork!!!

I came second when I did my first hunter trial on a green horse.....I did a steady (and I mean steady) canter round and was a second or two off. I would say slower than BE intro time.....