Jersey Fresh CIC3* Course Preview

The water complex at Jersey Fresh

The weather app on my phone says it’s 90 degrees here at Jersey Fresh. I don’t think that’s right — it’s probably more like in the mid-80s — but the point is that it’s warmed up drastically here, which made my walk around the CIC3* cross-country course a scorcher this afternoon. Samantha unluckily kindly volunteered to walk the much longer CCI3* course — and the fabulous Jackie Imholte braved the blistering conditions with her — so she had an even more difficult time out there. I was about to carve my last will and testament into fence 16 when two very kind volunteers magically appeared offering complimentary bottles of water. Many thanks to the numerous volunteers who are working very hard to make this weekend such a success.

The CIC3* course is 3,720 meters long with an optimum time of six minutes and 32 seconds. It has 25 total jumping efforts, which includes two trips through the beautiful water complex. The course is challenging but doable and will require a very fit horse for the many hills on course. The first major question on the course comes at 7AB, when horses and riders will tackle a massive drop in the woods and come barreling down to 8AB. I think this is going to be a very challenging line, as will the first trip into the water complex at 17AB. A decorative bridge built next to the B element forces riders to take a very angled line out, and it’s going to require a very forward, confident ride. Get excited, EN! Tomorrow is going to be a blast. Go eventing.