New England Hunter Trials.

 
 

Date 10/15/2023

Hosts  Green Mountain Hounds & North Country Hounds

Location Huntington Farm, South Strafford, Vermont

Rating/Level/Time  all levels; judged at each fence, depending on class, fences range from 2'9" - 4’; 9:00am - 1:00 pm

Contact Information  Anna Paritsky, Green Mountain Hounds Hunt Secretary, greenmtnhounds@gmail.com

 
 

The 2023 New England Hunter Trials are scheduled for Sunday, October 15th this year. The Trials begin at 9:00 am. The Hunter Trials offer an opportunity to gallop across country and negotiate hunt field obstacles. The courses are inviting and consist of fences and obstacles typically found in our hunt country. As with all Myopia Hunt events, proceeds from the Hunter Trials entries help build and maintain trails throughout your riding territory. The goal of the Trials is to demonstrate your horse’s suitability for the hunt field. Horses are judged at each obstacle based on their form and style of jumping, their manners and way of going, and their obedience and efficient execution of the tests described below. Participants should remember that the hounds are running and these obstacles should be dealt with in a timely manner.

  • GATE OPENING: Mounted riders will open, pass through and close a paddock gate. Time limit of two minutes.

  • LEAD OVER: Riders will dismount, take the reins over the horse’s neck, run-up the stirrups, lower the top rail of a paddock fence, walk or jump over the remaining rail, replace the top rail and re-mount.

  • HOLD HARD: Upon being instructed to “hold hard” by Hunt Horn and voice at a random point on the course, riders will come to an immediate halt and remain halted until released.

  • GONE AWAY: The gone away consists of “begin” and “end” flags 100-150 yards apart. Horses will demonstrate a marked acceleration in pace at the “begin” flag and show their obedience as they decelerate at the request of the rider at the “end” flag. Hunt Field attire is appropriate. Casual, neat riding attire is acceptable for classes 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Beautiful courses for all levels of competition.

If you do not already have a signed Equestrian Release on file with the Hunt, you must do so before entering the Hunter Trials.

Sign the Myopia Equestrian Release. If you have signed these in the past, you do not need to do so again.

We need VOLUNTEERS of all ages!