Date: 14th/15th July 2017
Running order of Divisions: CIC 2*, CIC1* (CIC1* moved to the next day due to bad weather)
Arena: 240ft x 200ft
Starters/Clear Rounds:
CIC1* – 25/6 plus 2 with time faults 32%)
CIC2* – 19/9 (47%)
Although the show jumping tracks of both Divisions followed the same pattern, they differed, as the Two Star course had three double combinations, while the One Star had a double and triple combination. This was achieved by moving fence 9 on the Two Star Course back to make the ‘c’ element of the triple and taking away the ‘b’ part of one of the other doubles. This resulted in a good change of technicality, and would have not wasted too much time, both changing the course and walking it, had both Divisions been jumped on the same day as originally planned.
The technicality of the One Star could have been further reduced had the ‘a’ part of the double, instead of the ‘b’ part been removed, thus giving a different striding from the triple bar proceeding it. The position of the triple bar shows good use of this fence.
With three doubles, two will always have to be jumped of the same lead, but to help balance the course it would have been ideal if the third double had been jumped off the other lead. The double at fence 6, in the Two Star course, is what I call a ‘neutral’ lead, in as much as it is in a straight line from the fence before, so horses can jump it off either lead. It can therefore be argued that all three doubles are not on the same lead. However, by putting a slight left hand bend, in the approach to this double, would have ensured that all horses jumped it off the left lead. This still left the Two Star combinations jumping off the same lead.
Assuming that this double could be jumped off either lead there are only three other efforts (1, 2 and 7) that were jumped off the left lead, the remaining 8 efforts were jumped off the right lead, which does not make for a good balance within the course.
The time allowed in the Two Star was extended by two seconds, which reading the Evaluation Report the Course Designer felt was not necessary. However, the One Star time remained the same, and resulted in half of the competitors having time faults. The course plan shows that the One Star was measured 17 meters (3 seconds) shorter than the Two Star, this would be due to 6a and 9 being removed so their following turns would, in theory, be shorter. With the added 2 seconds in the Two Star this would result in the One Star’s time allowed being 5 seconds less.
With this arena being only 250ft long I can see competitors taking the same track as the Two Star, so giving the less experienced horses a little more time in setting up for the next line of fences by going to the ends of the arena. Hence a possible reason of the number of time faults.
Richard Jeffery
USEF Eventing Show Jumping Course Advisor
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