Who Jumped It Best: The 1* Oxer-to-Triple Brush at SRF Carolina International (Part One!)

I’ve had a lot of fun at the Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International this weekend, but I’m willing to bet even I didn’t reach the lofty heights of fun achieved by the lucky competitors in the CCI1* division, who closed out yesterday’s cross-country over a positive, interesting course by Beth Perkins, who designed not just this level’s track but also the Training, Modified, Prelim, Intermediate, and 2* tracks. This level is such a boon to the calendar, and I hope more and more FEI events start adding it into their roster – it’s a great way for riders and horses alike to gain experience competing at the international levels without the pressure and stress that can come with stepping up to 2*.

This course in particular was one that had me itching to saddle up and head for the start box: it covered much of the same ground as the higher-level classes earlier in the day, with plenty of terrain, stretches in and out of the woods, and clever, educational combinations that rewarded a forward ride and gave competitors a super feeling in the air. One of those was fence 7AB, the second combination of the course, which was situated in the in-field just before the first wooded segment of the track. This question, which was preceded by a single fence at 6, featured a MIM-clipped oxer at the A element, followed by a skinny brush fence at B on a positive four stride line that came up nice and easy if you got a balanced, forward shot to the A element. We’ll be taking a look at that B element later in the week, but for now, let’s turn our attention to the A. Cast your eye over these shots, and then scroll on down to the bottom of the page to cast your vote for the pair who you think tackled the question best in preparation for the line to come!