JumpCross at Priory Court Farm

Feature

BASED at Polegate in East Sussex, Priory Court Farm hosts one of the 15 JumpCross courses around the country. Here we talk to Therese Cousens about their plans for 2010.

1 – Tell us about your site.
The sport of JumpCross at Priory Court Farm in Polegate, East Sussex has been established for four years now and we are delighted that it continues to prove as popular as ever. The challenging, yet fun course was revamped last year to provide even more variety for training days and competitions.

Plans are now in place to add even more exciting new developments to the course with the introduction of an additional water complex at the site which we are looking forward to completing.

The site at Priory Court Farm, like many other JumpCross courses, is designed to provide horse and riders with the experience of cross country without having to worry about the dangers surrounding solid fences, making it safer for horse and rider.

We like to think that the courses are designed to challenge all levels and abilities from the seasoned competitor to the novice or nervous rider and combine the thrill of cross-country whilst demanding the skill and accuracy of show-jumping and at the same time helping with confidence.

The course at Priory Court Farm aims to provide good practice for those wishing to improve their techniques in cross country, whilst at the same time building confidence in both horse and rider.

2 - Tell us about the team at Priory Court Farm
Priory Court Farm has a great team behind the scenes making sure every event we hold is hopefully successful and that riders come along, learn something new and also have a good time.

We run the site as a family with my mum Liz very involved and we also have a very good back up team who offer us a lot of support which we are very grateful for. The team also make sure the riders, spectators and horses also enjoy the experience.

3 - What are your plans for 2010?
We are very much looking forward to a busy summer of activity and will be holding training sessions as well as competitions. Our training sessions provide a chance to negotiate ditches, water, banks and stiles combined with a small competition over a section of the course.

4 - How do training and competition days run?
Training days, with a qualified, JumpCross accredited instructor provide an opportunity to gain more knowledge of the sport including rules and scoring whilst the ‘Competition Training Days’ enable riders to combine both and receive a rosette at the end.

The training days are available to all JumpCross members and last for about two hours.

Last year the competitions also provided a lot of fun for all, and we will run them once again with individual, team jumping and leagues. The course is suitable for everyone, from novice horses and riders to those with more experience.

4 - How would you like to see JumpCross grow?
We would love to see JumpCross grow in a big way. We think it has the potential to be a brilliant equestrian discipline. We would like to have more involvement with Pony Clubs and with the younger generation. Children love to ride the JumpCross course, and parents feel happier too.

5 - Do you think that top riders will start to enjoy JumpCross?
I think that the top riders will start to enjoy JumpCross, but I think that it may take some time to convince them all. If riders can distinguish between JumpCross and cross country and treat them as different entities and not try to compare them, then they will enjoy it a lot better.

6 - What aspects of running JumpCross do you enjoy the most?
For me it’s the sense of satisfaction you feel when a rider and horse have thoroughly enjoyed a training day and you can see the difference in horse and rider at the end of the session compared to how they were at the beginning.

For further information visit www.jumpcross.com

ENDS

For further information please contact Tim Smith at TSM on (01724) 784600.

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