For those of us missing the adrenaline of the cross-country course, this season throws in an exciting variant which offers a suitable (and brilliant fun) alternative.
Arena eventing, also known as an Eventer Challenge sees horse and rider tackle the showjumping and cross country elements of the traditional one, or three-day-event but without the dressage (which comes as music to the ears for some).
Riders wear cross-country colours, along with obligatory back protectors and aim to complete approximately 18 fences all together. The first six will be traditional, coloured pole show jumps whilst the remaining 12 are rustic, cross-country obstacles.
Held in an arena, courses may include banks, ditches and water complexes or they might be created using only portable cross-country jumps. Although arena eventing doesn’t involve the distances of a classic cross-country course, a decent level of fitness is a must.
The balance of show jumps and cross-country elements provides excellent training opportunities over the technical elements of a cross-country and can be a great introduction to rustic obstacles for those who have yet to face a traditional course.
Many venues that host arena eventing competitions also hire the courses so if you’re not ready to enter a competitive eventer challenge, you can go and try the course in your own time and with a coach to get a feel for it.
PADDOX has hundreds of eventer challenges and arena eventing hires listed across the UK so now’s the perfect time to find a competition or opportunity to suit you.
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