FAQ/rules

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Competitive Trail Challenge

safe,sound,fun

Where will the CTC rides be held?

They will be held at various private ranches and state parks in central Texas. We plan to expand to other states in the future.

When will the rides take place?

Check the ride calendar page for the rides and dates. We will be updating it throughout the year as affiliates join us and add even more rides. The last event in May will be a championship ride.

How will the events take place?

The events will take place on a 6-10 mile trail ride and will last about 2-3 hours. Riders will head out between 9:00am and 10:00am. This is not a timed event. Riders can head out on trail with their group anytime during the allotted time slot. There will be 6-8 judged obstacles along the trail consisting mainly of natural occurring terrain. Obstacles on the course will include, but not limited to:

	crossing streams
	crossing bridges
	riding up/down steep hills
	backing down and around obstacles
	dragging a log
	opening/closing gates
	jumping over a log
	riding through a carwash style obstacle (vines)
	trotting over spaced logs
	stand in position while a loud noise is present
	walk around plastic tarp/bags
	trot/canter from point A to point B
	getting off your horse, put on rain gear, mount, ride to next obstacle, take off rain gear and hang up

What are the divisions?

Open division: degree of difficulty will be greater for the open division. Cash awards are for the open division only.

Pleasure division: less difficult obstacles. Awards will be ribbons/prizes.

Junior division: 6 - 15 years old. We figure if you're old enough to drive, you're no longer considered a junior. Juniors are required to wear a helmet and be accompanied by their guardian. Awards will be ribbons/prizes.

Buddy rider: A buddy rider is a rider who rides the trail following the rules just like a competitor, but does not partake in the obstacles. A buddy rider may be a friend of a competitor, a person who wants to check out the competition before they decide to compete, or someone who wants to take the opportunity to give their green horse exposure. There are a limited number of buddy riders allowed per ride.

How are the obstacles judged?

Each obstacle will have a judge that will give a total of 20 points for each horse/rider team at their obstacle. 10 points for the horse, 10 points for the rider. Ties are broken by a plus system. Most obstacles will have a 1 minute time limit. After 60 seconds, rider must proceed and no score will be earned after 1 minute. The judging criteria is as follows: 10=excellent, 9=very good, 8=good, 7=fairly good, 6=satisfactory, 5=sufficient, 4=insufficient, 3=fairly poor, 2= bad, 1=very bad, 0=not executed.

How do I know what the judges are looking for?

We set up a briefing (gathering) at the beginning of each ride. You will be introduced to each judge and the judge will tell you which obstacle they will be judging and what they will be looking for. In addition, judges will be looking for a calm, willing, well controlled horse, obedient and brave. In the rider, the judges will be looking for balance and non-interference. Also, general rules for good equitation apply such as heels below toes, etc.

How will I know my score after the ride?

The scores will be printed and displayed on a few poster boards. They will show the scores for each rider at each obstacle.

How am I supposed to know what to improve on since there are no comments written on the score sheet?

Since time does not permit our judges to hand write comments on each rider, we use a numerical scoring system. If you score 8 or above, you did very well. A 5-7 is average and 1-4 is below average. The judges will give a second briefing before awards are given out. At that time they will tell the riders what they saw as a whole on their obstacle and what riders need to improve on.

What can I do to improve?

You can attend clinics, consult with trainers, take lessons. There are trail riding DVDs from Craig Cameron, Clinton Anderson and Chris Cox that are very helpful and informative. RFD-TV broadcasts several of their TV series. We will be hosting clinics with our rides when circumstances permit and if there is enough interest.

What will the championship ride be like?

The championship ride will be the last ride in May. Team scores (horse and rider) are tallied during the season. Championship details to follow.

Is CTC a Paint Alternative Competition (PAC) affiliate?

Yes. CTC has been approved by the American Paint Horse Association for the PAC program for the 2008-2009 season. This will allow PAC members to receive APHA national credits for our events.

Will a ride ever be cancelled?

The only time a ride will be cancelled is if there is an ice storm (or low temps with rain), day(s) of heavy rain, or a tornado. We can delay a ride for lightning or periodic heavy rain. If it is lightly raining, put your slickers on and head out! If there is too much rain to make the trail unsafe, we will conduct a competition close to camp with a horseshow format, if the facilities are available. If not, the ride will be rescheduled.

What is the cancellation policy?

	Cancellation – refund less $15 office fee
	If ride is cancelled by management – full refund

Some Rules:

	fall of horse/rider is a disqualification - you will be on the honor system.
	horse must finish ride with a sound trot.
	all juniors (15 & under) must be accompanied by their guardian and wear a helmet.

	all dogs must be on a leash at all times.
	current Coggins test required.
	rider should have the following on them during the trail ride: lead rope, halter, hoof pick, knife, and drinking water.
	no standing martingale/tie-downs allowed on ride.
	stallions have to be double tied and display a yellow ribbon in tail.
	horses may wear protective boots.
	no bare back pads.
	horses must wear any type of bridle or hackamore.
	rider may dismount at any time during the ride, but must remain mounted when moving forward.
	if you win the pleasure division 3 times, you must move up to the open division.
	'ponying' will not be allowed during the competition.
	horses can be tied to trailers, trees, pole fences only.
	any excessive force or unsportsmanlike conduct is subject to disqualification.
	management reserves the right to refuse entry or disqualify participants.

Let's have fun!!!

These are some other awards that will be given, but not limited to:

	best groomed horse
	best dressed male rider
	best dressed female rider
	cutest dog