Stupid question... pure dressage, pure SJ.. why no pure XC??

[LegOn]

As title really, how come there isnt a pure Cross Country phase? Its always heralded as the most influential phase of a 1 or 3 day event and is the most technical & needs the most fitness & agility etc - test of horse & rider but how come its never been a thing to have pure XC competitions on the professional circuit? I know there is Hunter Trials but they dont make the professional stage or have professional bodies like Dressage & Showjumping.

Just musing really but would love to know the history behind it?

 

[DabDab]

Don't know, I've always thought that it was a bit of a trick being missed tbh.

The official reason is that you need the dressage and Showjumping to ensure that those going xc have sufficient skill and control over their horses to make them safe over solid fences across country. But I'm not sure how applicable that is in this day and age. If there were a national/international sport of xc started up then it should probably be run by the existing eventing bodies (afterall they would probably lose a fair bit of business to a pure xc championship)

 

[cauda equina]

Difficulty in finding suitable venues and sufficient fence judges?

I bet if someone found a way to make a lot of money out if it, it would happen

 

[stormox]

There is! Hunter trials, team chasing and steeplechasing.

 

[criso]

You get hunter trials and now eventer challenge competitions that combine SJ and XC albeit arena XC but not nearly as many as SJ and Dressage

The logistics of XC and i tnink insurance issues too mean there is less. You need alot of space; some of the obstacles need to be built in situ e.g ditches, water, banks; portables have to be fixed carefully to make sure they are safe, not like SJ where you can bring a set of showjumps in and just put them up; natural terrain like hills is part of how you build; the ground conditions are an unknown, could be rock hard or deep mud which is why alot of traditional hunter trials happen spring and autumn, and following on from that people aren't so keen on competing on grass anymore. Then on the day you need so many fence judges prepared to sit outside all day in all weathers and organisers are worried about accidents

There are quite a few courses you can hire for training and that host clinics round here that never put on a hunter trial or ODE.

 

[LegOn]

Difficulty in finding suitable venues and sufficient fence judges?

But all the venues that hold 1 day or 3 events already have top class XC courses - but I get you on the fence judges, it is alot of organisation and then... the ambulances!

There is! Hunter trials, team chasing and steeplechasing.

No I get that but it just not on the same par with the world of pure dressage or SJ, its not an Olympic sport for one or it doesnt have National, European or World championships the way dressage, SJ & dressage do! Its not accredited the same either!

 

[stormox]

I think xc depends on the ground - which depends on the season. You couldnt hold xc on a purely artificial surface like dressage and SJ.

 

[SOS]

I think xc depends on the ground - which depends on the season. You couldnt hold xc on a purely artificial surface like dressage and SJ.

Well you could but you’d need a hell of a set up! A few venues in the UK just about have them facilities for a full, if twisty XC course on a surface. In other European countries they run quite high level arena XC.

But taking away the galloping and varying terrain I think takes away from the true XC element.

 

[Melody Grey]

I think xc depends on the ground - which depends on the season. You couldnt hold xc on a purely artificial surface like dressage and SJ.

Although arena eventing is a thing which is part sj part xc.

Also my local riding club do forest x which is showjumps and WH fences around a woodland track.
ETA: all low level but lots of fun!

 

[milliepops]

You get hunter trials and now eventer challenge competitions that combine SJ and XC albeit arena XC but not nearly as many as SJ and Dressage

The logistics of XC and i tnink insurance issues too mean there is less. You need alot of space; some of the obstacles need to be built in situ e.g ditches, water, banks; portables have to be fixed carefully to make sure they are safe, not like SJ where you can bring a set of showjumps in and just put them up; natural terrain like hills is part of how you build; the ground conditions are an unknown, could be rock hard or deep mud which is why alot of traditional hunter trials happen spring and autumn, and following on from that people aren't so keen on competing on grass anymore. Then on the day you need so many fence judges prepared to sit outside all day in all weathers and organisers are worried about accidents

There are quite a few courses you can hire for training and that host clinics round here that never put on a hunter trial or ODE.

yep agree with this.
a show centre can move their SJ course around and put on a completely new show the next day, the accessibility for a pyramid of participants etc funneling up to the top is is so much easier in SJ or dressage. much bigger undertaking to re-site or redesign an XC course, and as you say the manpower to run a day is huge.

 

[dixie]

I think it's a safety factor too.
Ultimately it would be judged by purely speed which could get very dangerous. If you built the fences with more difficulty then that too could get dangerous.
Can't think how else you could judge a pure xc at the higher levels. Lower levels is fine as you can optimum times.

 

[Roxylola]

Id say its kind of evolved into national hunt racing - that's the closest thing I can think of to xc as a stand alone. I can't see how anything else would be possible especially financially.

 

[DabDab]

If there are venues to make BE viable though, why could they not be used for pure xc too? Add to that venues that put on fun rides every year and the venues that offer xc training