Competitive Trail Riding...
- encourages a true partnership between horse and rider
- educates horse and rider to help achieve higher skill levels
- promotes the performance of horses over the long term
- focuses on the health and safety of the horse
- helps train competent, happy, and willing horses
- promotes conditioning programs to help horses reach their potential
- fosters camaraderie in which riders consider themselves part of a family dedicated to their horses, trail riding, and spirited competition
What is Competitive Trail Riding?
CTR (Competitive Trail Riding) is a sport that partners horse and rider as a team. Competitors find that the sport is not only fun for the rider, but for most horses as well. It is a paced distance event.
Unique to the North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC) is that competitors receive both horse and rider scorecards at the end of the ride rating their performance by the veterinary and horsemanship judges in most divisions. The new Leisure Division has only one judge scoring the horse and rider as a team, but giving feedback on both.
Riding a CTR is a great opportunity to learn from other riders as to what tack works best for them, how to pace a ride, and how to care for your horse before, during, and after a ride when he may be stressed. It is a great way to build a partnership with your horse through training, conditioning and education. You and your horse will build trust and confidence in each other and in yourselves.
A ride is typically between 30 and 60 miles over a 2 day time period, depending upon the division in which you choose to ride. Some rides have one day rides called “B” rides. These one day rides are an excellent way to see if you are your horse are going to like doing competitive trail rides. A one day ride will also tell you if your horse is in condition to do such rides. There are NATRC rides all over the United States, including Alaska. You’ll never know if you are going to like this sport until you participate in a ride.
That is why we say Come Ride With Us!
Ride type:
A = 2 day ride (Saturday and Sunday)
B = 1 day ride
Divisions:
O = Open (● horses 5 years of age and older ● mileage – 25-30 miles/day ● pace – 4-6 mph)
N = Novice (● horses 4 years of age and older ● mileage – 15-20 miles/day ● pace – 3.5-5 mph)
CP = Competitive Pleasure (● horses 4 years of age and older ● mileage – 15-20 miles/day ● pace – 3.5-5 mph)
L = Leisure (● horses 4 years of age and older ● mileage – 8-12 miles/day ● pace – 3-4.5 mph)
National Organization
REGIONS
NATRC (North American Trail Ride Conference) has six regions covering the United States from Alaska to Florida.
SCHEDULE
Each region puts on rides in their geographic area and maintains a schedule of their rides. The ride schedules can be found on each regional web site. The national NATRC web site also maintains a complete schedule of all NATRC rides and NATRC sanctioned ride clinics. It is not a requirement to be a member to enter a ride.
COME RIDE WITH US
All riders, breeds, types of tack and disciplines of riding are welcome!
