The cross-country is well underway here at Red Hills, and I’m taking a quick break to post an overview of the course. Hannah Burnett has three horses competing at Red Hills this weekend, including St. Barths in the CIC3*, but she was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to give us a preview of the CIC3* course. Thanks for writing this Hannah and thank you for reading.
For your convenience: [Red Hills Live Scores]
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From Hannah:
Red Hills has always been one of my favorite events because of the wonderful volunteers and organizers, masses of spectators, tough cross country courses and unlimited Krispy Kreme doughnuts! This year Hugh Lochore has done a very good job of opening up what used to be quite a twisty and potentially trappy course and I’m excited to see how it rides. Here’s an overview of the CIC*** course–
The course starts with some undulation and galloping fences from 1-3 that lead you to 4a&b: a tall, skinny brush oxer, turning to a right-handed brush corner on around 9-10 strides (I won’t be counting :). From there you wind in and out of trees and down hill to a single large brush hedgehog and up to the top of the hill to a big gray oxer. This is the first time the horses will see the crowds and some of them might back off a bit. Then it’s quickly down over a big table and down the hill to a sharp right turn to the coffin at 8abc. This is the first real question with a raised log that walks in a right handed, bending short 2 strides down a slope to a wide ditch and then continuing right to a forward 2 strides up a slope over a skinny out and down another slope.
Samantha Clark photo
Then it’s a quick gallop to a big brush oxer/table and over a random single skinny mushroom leads you right-handed to the Teepee at 11. This is tough because you jump a vertical raised log inside a big Teepee and some horses might not read it properly. Next, a big black open oxer is placed before a big bounce bank, 3 straight strides to a skinny out at 13abc. Then we will gallop out of the woods and down the hill to 2 angled full brushes on a tight 3 strides is before the first water at 15abc. Samantha’s Manatee drops you into the water, 3 strides, up a bank and bounce over an upright brush. Up a hill and swinging around to the right then back down into a little pond with a table in the middle with a very upright face. You have to jump the right or left hand side and there is water in the top of the tables.
The course goes up the hill to a log at the top of a mound and then to the double corners at 18ab. The first is left handed and three strides to a right handed corner on a bit of a tough angle. This is the prime place for spectators so everyone will be under the microscope here. Next riders will be swinging left to the skinny in between 2 trees. This is a technical but fun fence when the horses read it well. The third water is 20abc–another big log with a big downward slope leading to it drops you into the water with a right bend in 5 strides to a wide cabin and out still bending right in 4 to a tall brush with a steep drop on the backside. A few more big tables lead you to the last combination at 23ab with two big cabins downhill left bend in 5 strides. The last fence is a nice size and uphill which is always appreciated after a long, hard course.
If you’re close to Tallahassee, come check it out in person!! If not, keep checking out the coolest site in Eventing to get the best Red Hills coverage 🙂
