Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Jersey Fresh Cross Country Sneak Peek

The Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event has a new designer for 2017 in Capt. Mark Phillips, who has been hard at work updating the CCI3*, CIC3*, CCI2* and CIC2* tracks. During a recent visit to the venue to place the jumps and set the lines and distances, he shared a preview of what riders have to look forward to this year.

“We’ve made a number of changes to the course,” Marks explains in this preview video. “I’ve been particularly thinking about the flow to make it ride easier and smoother for the horses and riders.”

This year’s tracks will get to stretch their legs a bit, thanks to an additional 600 meters of running room thanks to additional acreage adjacent to the Horse Park of New Jersey gained following extensive negotiations with state, county and local entities. While not too many new fences have been built, the direction has been reversed over some, and the courses will no longer run through the main arena as they have for the past two years.

The famous Jersey Shore water complex is getting a makeover, with the island being lowered by a foot to make it softer and more attractive for the horses as it shows up early in the course:  “The island in the water was to be honest pretty ugly, and it didn’t really work for the horse trials or the driving people … we don’t want half the field going home from the water jump.”

“As a course designer you’re trying to make the cross country as fair as possible for the horse, so the horse has every chance to get its legs out of the way of the fences,” Mark says.

The 15th annual Jersey Fresh International Three Day Event will be held May 10-14, 2017.

In the meantime, get a sneak peak at the Jump for Jersey Eventing Derby, presented by Rowsell Equestrian Design, taking place this Sunday, April 23, at the Horse Park of New Jersey. The event, which benefits the Jersey Fresh International, features a combined show jumping and cross country course in the Grand Prix ring. Starter through Novice levels are offered. Find more information and entry forms here.

Keep an eye on www.jfi3d.com for all the latest!