What are the 2013 Event dates? Classic I: July 17 – 21; Classic II: July 24– July 28 (24th Annual)

How much does it cost? Free for spectators; no parking fee.  We do have several special events that require tickets.  Please see the special events page for details.

When is a good time to see events?  8:00am – 5:00pm Wednesday – Sunday. Grand Prix event each Saturday, July 20 and July 27 at 5:00pm (approximately). Mini Prix each Sunday, July 21 and July 28 at 2:00pm (approximately).

Is there seating and/or shelter for viewing events? There are bleachers with canopies and chairs at each ring. Patron’s Table reservations are available for VIP seating, shelter and meals. Reservation forms are on website under Patron’s Tables.  You are more than welcome to bring a picnic blanket and low rise lawn chairs.  Please do not bring pop-up tents.

Where are you located? 62895 Hamby Road, Bend, Oregon. Detailed directions are available on the website under Directions.

Is there room for more vendors? Refer to website under Vendors.

What is a hunter?

The hunter divisions find their roots in the foxhunting tradition. Foxhunters are bred to clear large obstacles, travel efficiently, endure long distances, and remain well mannered in the midst of activity. Foxhunters in the field often are large and bulky to support the weight of the rider over a several hour period. The hunters of the show ring demonstrate many of the qualities of the traditional foxhunters, but tend to be more refined.

Show hunters are judged on movement, jumping ability, fluidity, and temperament. The ideal hunter moves with flat knees, meaning their front legs float across the ground in a daisy-cutting fashion. Judges look for hunters to snap their knees across the top of the jump and to round their backs in an arc formation. A hunter round is rewarded for smoothness in which the horse appears to jump all the fences in stride. Horses are marked down for leaving the ground too far away from or too close to the jump. Judges also heavily penalize a horse for being on the wrong lead. (Horses should lead with their inside leg at the canter.) If a horse lands on the wrong lead after a line of obstacles, the horse must demonstrate a flying lead change in the corner to get back on the proper lead. Judges favor horses that maintain a pleasant expression with ears pricked forward and a long relaxed neck.

Horse and rider must make a striking picture as they enter the ring. The horse should be shiny and immaculate with a braided mane and tail. The rider is expected to wear traditional foxhunting attire: a dark colored hunt coat, beige breeches, tall black or brown boots, and a black velvet hunt cap. All equipment, including bridle and saddle, must be clean and presentable.

Although the top hunter performances demonstrate little movement from the rider, the rider is in fact giving the horse subtle cues throughout the round. The rider must ask the horse to leave from a comfortable take-off spot. The rider must ensure the horse jumps the center of the fence, stays straight to the next jump, and then turns the corner in a smooth fashion. Courses are generally set on a 12-foot stride, which is the average length of a horse’s stride. It is the rider’s responsibility to make sure the horse puts in the proper number of strides between each line of fences. If the horse tends to have a small stride, the rider needs to gallop to make the strides. Similarly, if the horse has a large stride, the rider needs to slow down to fit in the proper strides. A winning hunter round is much like a work of art. Each detail counts, from jumping all the obstacles fluently to being on the correct lead to maintaining an even rhythm. Once a spectator starts to understand these elements, he or she can begin to appreciate the beauty of a well-performed hunter round.

What is a jumper?

Show jumping constitutes the second most popular spectator sport in Europe, after soccer. France is credited for holding the world’s first grand prix in Paris in 1866. Jumper events in America are quickly gaining popularity thanks to the ease in understanding the rules, the display of sheer athleticism of both horse and rider, and the brilliance of the brightly colored jumps.

Jumpers are judged solely on accuracy and speed. Jumpers receive faults for knocking down rails, for refusing, or for exceeding the time allowed (please see chart below for explanation of faults). There are no subjective judging elements in these classes. Beauty, movement and grace of the horse do not count towards winning. All that matters is that the horse jumps clean (no faults) and goes fast.

Riders face a first round course of 10 to 14 jumps. Once the rider enters the ring, a whistle is blown, after which the rider has 60 seconds to start the course. Riders that complete the round without faults ride in the jump-off ­ a timed event over a shortened course of fences. Jump-offs normally take place immediately after the first round. In the bigger money classes, such as derbies and grand prix, jump-offs occur after all the horses have completed their first round.

You will notice riders walking the course before the class starts. This is their opportunity to pace out distances between jumps, to check for footing problems, to locate things that might spook their horse, and to determine the fastest track. Often riders confer with their trainers to decide what strategy is best for their horse.

Course designers have significant leeway in the types of jumps they use and in the related distances between jumps. Jumper obstacles tend to be much spookier than hunter fences. They are brighter and airier (more gaps between the poles) and often incorporate a water element. Don’t be surprised to hear a jumper rider growl at their horse to encourage him over a particularly scary jump. Course designers may also make a course more technical by setting distances between jumps on an off stride. Thus the rider must go slower than usual to add the stride, or gallop faster to leave out the stride.

Once you get down the basic rules, watching a jumper class is pure fun. In fact, feel free to whoop and holler when your favorite horse goes clean.

Scoring Chart:

__First refusal (when the horse stops in front of or runs around a jump): 3 faults
__Second refusal: 6 faults
__Third refusal: elimination
__Knockdown of an obstacle: 4 faults
__Fall of horse or rider: elimination
__Rider off course: elimination
__Exceeding the time allowed: 1/4 fault per second over the time allowed
__Exceeding the time allowed in the jump-off: 1 fault per second over the time allowed