Trec - am I allowed...

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MagicMelon

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I'd like to write myself some notes as reminders during the POR phase to keep in my map case, for example a print out of a map key just to remind myself what things mean (this is my first Trec!) and a hand written reminder of roughly what speeds equate to ("6kph = walk, 7kph = fast walk with a bit of trot, 9kph = mostly trot, some walk, 12kph trot with canter") and a print out of a kph table which says how long it should take to go certain speeds. Is this allowed??

Am I allowed to wear a watch? I normally wear a Fitbit but am assuming thats not allowed since it logs km...?
 
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Yes, you can wear a watch, no problem there. Your mobile phone is put in a sealed envelope and given back to you so you could use it in an emergency but not for general use during the ride. You can make notes to your self re times/distances/speed. There are some graphs available that give you a quick reckoning. Most important is your compass and learning how to use it correctly.
 
MagicMelon said:
Thanks very much J&S. Is there any chance I could PM you with any other questions since you clearly know what you're talking about...??
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You can, but I have no idea where to receive them!! I did Trec for several years but only competed up to L2 as not exactly hot at map reading, the MA and PTV were my speciality. My Trec club is Trec Southwest and it has quite a lot of info on the website. (also photos of my self and pony!) I am opposite end of the country from you, have a look at a Scottish Trec club site and you may find an opportunity to partner up with some one for pairs. There are some very serious Treccies up in Scotland.
 
Ha ha J&S, well I'll stick a few more very last minute questions here if anybody could answer I'd be grateful as competition is this weekend!!

So I'm putting together my equipment as per the rulebook. It says "Horse ID", but it doesnt specify what form this should take - is this written on a keyring or something and hung off the saddle?? Also, a whistle - now I've been looking in my local shops for a bog standard cheap one and can't find one!! Do they really check every single piece of equipment or do they simply ask you to randomly show something on the list?

Foot-wear, am I allowed to wear Dubarry's? They're super comfy and are nicer to get on/off and move about in than my proper leather boots.

Times - I've been given my time for Saturday's POR but is this the time I should be entering the map room? So do I turn up 5 mins beforehand with horse, get someone to hold horse then they'll let me in when its my time?

ArcticFox - I'm just entered for Level 1 but these are the qualifiers for the GB Champs so am feeling the pressure ;)

J&S, thanks I have joined my local Trec group just 2 weeks ago so will hopefully get a bit more into it. My main disiplines are eventing and SJ but I wanted a new challenge this year!
 
Hi

I have a luggage tag with the emergancy numbers wrote on a piece of paper in it that i attach to my horses bridle

My whistle was from asda and is a football one , also have a look at outdoor shops for one

Sometimes they check everything , sometimes just certain things , also check which items have to be carried by you and not in saddle bags on your horse

Boots should be fine

Usually the times given are for tack check first , it is usually outside the map room

Most of all enjoy yourself & dont worry about making the speeds on the POR
Remember its better to be going the right way at the wrong speed rather than the wrong way at the right speed !

Good luck for qualification , lincomb will be a fantastic venue 😊
 
DS , yes ive entered prestwold , will be my first TREC comp this year . Going to TREC camp in a couple of weeks so hoping to get some practice in then .
I havent competed since last years GB championship so feeling very rusty , grids & bearings need a brush up as well
Good luck & see you there 😊
 
Excellent! I'm doing Level 2 pairs with a friend, I've not done a two-day event for a few years so looking forward to it! Bought a new compass last week as lost mine, along with a new map case. Also got a fishing waistcoat with lots of pockets, will be adapting a hi-viz vest (sewing the back on) so that it's attached and I won't have to fumble about undoing the vest every time I want to get in a pocket!

OH is coming too, but not to compete, so he's very busy this week getting the living area in the lorry finished, he likes to stay in a decent standard of luxury! :D
 
Hallo there, good luck for the week end. Trectastic has said what I would say about Horse ID, luggage tags with a window that shows the emergency no and name of horse and rider and venue. (you can change these for each competition) I personally attached mine to the saddle, some times they give you a number to attach to the bridle so don't want too much clutter there. Also get a tag for your self! I attached to belt loops of jods. Beware of filling your saddle bag too full, it is difficult to dismount quickly if you have to try to heave your leg over a very hefty one! Keep your map in your hand the whole time, fold it up so you have the area you are riding through in prime position, it is easy to panic if you can't find your place on the map, try to keep your thumb on the route. Remember: North is at the top of the map! Check which way you are going by finding North on your compass. Silvas are the best make. If you don't know where you are on the map, GO BACK to where you knew where you were and start again........ don't just crash around aimlessly!! Check every landmark on the map with those on the ground and if your route says to go round a building, GO Round it, don't take the straight on by route, there may be a ticket or check point behind the building.

We used to get three different times for the start, Tack check, map room and actual start time. You should get some competitor information when you arrive which will clarify this.

I hope the weather stays fine for you and that you meet some lovely people who will help and inspire you.
 
Shussh - one competitor recommends a sneaky look on Google before you go.

Practice taking your map and compass out with you on a local hack where you know where you are and compare it to the map!
Definitely have a sort of "dress rehearsal" with all the gear and take yourself off for a ride in maybe a slightly further afield place, and try and use the compass and map more, but somewhere where you won't get lost! Pay careful attention to the contours on the map so you know where it is going to be steep, or you are passing by a hill or a ravine!

For a first competition don't worry about the pace or time, concentrate on the navigation. For one thing if you stand still and wonder where to go, the time is ticking away.
 
Thanks everyone, really useful info here! Ive had a good read of whatever I could find on google too, so I have for example rough ideas of pace for the various speeds but I'm not going to worry too much about that - just not to get lost! Just been out to buy a first aid kit to take - I'm just carrying everything in a rucksack since I dont have saddle bags etc. Am worrying about having enough pockets since someone here has kindly pointed out that if you wear a high viz vest over the top of clothes then you cant get at pockets (which was what I was going to wear!). I'll let you know how I get on!!
 
If you have time, check out all the exits from the venue. Don't just follow where you saw the last person leave from, they may be riding at a different level to you!
Yes, bum bag type thing a good idea, do take a ( small) bottle of drink with you. Rucksacks do bump about on your back, though some people use one to hold a drink container that has a long plastic straw inside it, perhaps investigate this if you get more serious!
Trouble is, there are so many little tips we can give you that I think it would become "over information", let us know how you get on and where you found problems and then perhaps we can help for another time.
 
Regarding the speeds. I would suggest finding a KM section on a normal hack and then timing how long it takes you to walk and trot it. Then you can do some simple maths to work out what your normal km/hr speed is for both those paces.

With this in mind you can then quickly work out if you need to be mostly walking/trotting or cantering to meet the required speed for each section.

Obviously the more you practise completing a KM in a particular time the better you will get at it.

For example if my horse does a comfortable 5 min km in trot I know that he trots at 12km/hr.

So if the time for a section is 6km/hr I know that I need to do about 40% trot and the rest in walk.
But if its 10km/hr I know I need to do more like 80% trot and 20% walk.

Combine this with a watch and a crib sheet of the kms/hr converted to 1km in X mins really helps on the day (I have a little laminated card attached to the saddle with my ID tag). You don't need to be too anal about it unless you are uber competitive though!
 
I workout my speeds by using the viewranger app - you can track your hacks and go back and view a graph of your speeds afterwards. I find it much easier than timing myself.
 
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