New Jersey Trail Rider Association

and the Sport of Competitive Trail Riding & Endurance

If you enjoy trail riding, spending time with your horse and meeting people whose main topic of conversation is horses, Competitive Trail riding is the sport for you! You will also get to learn a lot more about your horse’s needs and vital signs.  This knowledge is helpful around the barn as well as on trail. This is a sport for those on a tight budget as well as those with plenty of extra cash. You can do things in a small economical way or a in a big lavish way. But everyone gets to enjoy the partnership with their horse, the sights out on the trail and the camaraderie with those of like mind (horsey, that is)!

All NJTRA Competitive Trail Ride Events are run under the rules of the Eastern Competitive Trail Riders Association (E.C.T.R.A.).  We have tried to summarize some information about the rides but it is the rider’s responsibility to be familiar with the rules. These can be found on the website, ECTRA.org.  All NJTRA Endurance events are run under the rules of the American Endurance Ride Conference (AECR) which can be found on the website, AERC.org.

E.C.T.R.A

Competitive Trail Riding and Driving

ECTRA judges serviceable sound, steady and enthusiastic trail horses. The scoring system determines the best-conditioned horse, not necessarily the best athlete. The conformation of the horse, riding or driving styles are not judged. Good horsemanship strategy will show up at the end of the event. Given equal horses to start, a good rider will bring their horse to the finish in the best condition. No special type of breed of horse is required. The prerequisite is a conditioned, well-behaved horse.

Judging at all ECTRA competitive events is based on the horse’s condition at the beginning of the event. Changes are recorded at the end of the event, assigned a numeric value and subtracted according to the scoring categories. ECTRA has instituted an objective numerical scoring system. This allows the competitor a way of comparing their horses’ performance from one event to another.

In competitive trail riding (CTR) or driving (CRD), the trail must be completed within a set amount of time which includes a 20 minute rest period where horses are reviewed for fatigue and lameness as a safety precaution.  With the rest period, the competitor must be averaging about 7 miles per hour. Mileage markers are posted every 5 miles to help competitors maintain a steady pace. Horses that finish early or late (no more than 30minutes) receive time penalties. All horse that complete the distance within the prescribed amount of time are judged against them selves.  Pre-ride, mid-ride and post-ride judging and observation accomplish this.

ECTRA SCORING SYSTEM FOR CTR EVENTS

ECTRA has developed a numerical scoring system using both subjective and objective evaluations. Rides with 20 horses or more will have two judges who will split the judging between them, each taking specific areas or categories for each horse. ECTRA score sheets are used to note the present condition of the horse at the initial exam done before the ride and the condition of the horse at the final exam. Each horse begins the competition with 100 points. At the final exam after the ride the judges will note changes in the horse and assign point deductions according to the level of change. After all horses have completed the final exam the score sheets will be tabulated. The competition placement will be assigned according to the horses’ final scores.  Ride Managers have some discretion in how they make their awards. For example, some rides my have a Grand and Reserve Champion, being the two highest scores.  They may then have 3 weight divisions and award 6 ribbons in each division based on the scores of the riders in each division. Or another example would be to award 18 ribbons based on the overall scores of all the horses in the ride.  Again, the way in which the awards are given at a ride is at ride management’s discretion.

CTR & ENDURANCE DIFFER

Endurance is a different type of distance trail competition in which the horse/rider team is judged against the other competitors. It is a race in which horses are placed according to when they cross the finish line and are judged at the final exam “fit to continue”. There is a maximum time before disqualification; no minimum time limit.

TYPES OF EVENTS ECTRA WILL SANCTION

LIMITED DISTANCE – One day ride or drive events 25 – 50 miles in length

MIDDLE DISTANCE – 2 day ride or drive events 40 to 75 miles in length. 1 day must be at least 25 miles

ENDURANCE – Events must be AERC Co-Sanctioned.

COMPETITIVE TRAIL PERFORMANCE DIVISION – full length ride or drive judged as Pass/Fail, Only offered for ECTRA members under specific guidelines (outlined in the ECTRA Rules Handbook).

CONDITIONING DISTANCE RIDES (CDR) AND DRIVES (CDD) – Shorter distance rides or drives of 10 – 15 miles. These are judged as Pass/Fail.

For more explicit details go to the ECTRA.ORG website and download the ECTRA Rules Handbook