What is JumpCross? - Press Release May 2009

JumpCross is a unique sport that gives rider’s the thrill of galloping across country without the anxiety of tackling fixed obstacles.

The sport was launched in 2000 by Robin Dunlop as a safer and improved way of getting people to ride cross – country in a balanced rhythm and without the worry of jumping solid fences. Now eight years later, the resulting sport of JumpCross is taking the world by storm, with more than16 sites throughout the UK and sites in Belgium, France and Denmark.

The sport has been developed with knock down fences, which is a more forgiving environment for horse and rider’s to jump in. The fences all look the same and rider’s can concentrate on riding the terrain properly.

The fences are positioned to offer various challenges such as jumping up or down hills, over ditches or in and out of water. The sport doesn’t work in a flat field and needs proper cross country terrain for riders to experience the adrenaline rush of galloping over fences.

The great thing about JumpCross is that it encourages both the young and more experienced to progress and offers the advanced horse and rider more of a challenge as these fences demand respect as they knock down and ultimately will incur penalties at a competition.

Explains Robin: "We developed JumpCross because we wanted to take away the anxiety of riding over fixed fences and to get riders to concentrate on how they were riding the horse across the terrain. Riding over fixed fences tends to make people tense and nervous, which I believe can lead to wrong decisions. I wanted to find a way of helping people to relax and enjoy riding cross-country - and to learn from the experience.”

Designed to improve horse and riders togetherness, JumpCross strengthens the confidence they have in themselves and each other. The patented design of the JumpCross course enables the poles to fall away from the horse should they knock them.

The sport is great for anyone who wants to have a go and can be used as a great introduction to cross country riding. In JumpCross training sessions the fence height can be altered to suit the individual, helping riders progress no matter what there level.

The sport also has a lot to offer the more experienced rider, it can be technical dependent on the individual course design and helps improve accuracy, rhythm, balance and overall synergy of horse and rider.

Riders can take part in JumpCross training sessions with JumpCross accredited instructors and also enter JumpCross competitions.

JumpCross is proving itself as a challenging and educational equestrian discipline and a sport which is continually growing.

The team at JumpCross are delighted to offer a number of sites open for training days and competitions in the Angus area.

Brechin Castle Equestrian and Strathearn Eventing have a number of JumpCross events taking place throughout the year.

Brechin Castle has been in the Dalhousie Family since the 17th Century and covers 55,000 acres of stunning countryside which lends itself perfectly to the new sport of JumpCross.

The huge variety of different natural obstacles the Brechin Castle JumpCross course posses, such as ditches, water crossings and hills are often very difficult to build with fixed fences, but are all incorporated on the course naturally.

Ian Christie JumpCross course designer for Brechin Castle Equestrian likes to provide plenty of challenges for the more advanced horse and rider combinations whilst giving confidence giving fences, helping to improve technique for the nervous or less experienced partnerships.

Brechin Castle Equestrian has a busy event calendar this year for further information on competition and training days contact 01356 623262 / 623777.

Professional event rider, Sarah Houlden is based at Strathearn Eventing, in Methven within the Strathearn Valley.

Home to an impressive JumpCross course set in 50 acres of permanent Scottish pasture and woodland, Strathearn Eventing regularly holds JumpCross training days.

Sarah has had great success in showing and eventing and has formed part of the British Three Day Event Team on five occasions. A serious competitor, she likes to get results and thoroughly enjoys producing young event horse and teaching JumpCross.

With an interesting and inviting JumpCross course on hand at Strathearn Eventing, Sarah spends much of her time schooling round the course. Building the horse’s confidence and teaching rhythm and consistency in their way of going.

The JumpCross course is open for training to all ages and abilities. For further information on training days or to book your place please contact Sarah Houlden on 01738 840263.

JumpCross is also delighted to announce a new course coming to the area, hopefully to be launched at the end of summer in Inverurie. Set in acres of roiling grassland, the JumpCross team is currently adding the finishing touches to a very new and exciting JumpCross course.

Other JumpCross sites throughout Scotland include;
Greenfield of Avondale in Strathaven, Lanarakshire
Ovenstone Equine, Fife
Coillemore Farm, Invergordon
Wick JumpCross

For further information contact Ellie Gledhill at TSM on 01724 784600

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