Red Hills Horse Trials facts for kids
The Red Hills Horse Trials is a super exciting event held every year in Tallahassee, Florida. It's one of the biggest and best horse competitions in the world! This event is all about eventing, which is like a triathlon for horses and riders. They compete in three different parts: Dressage, Cross-country, and Show jumping. It's a major competition organized by the United States Eventing Association.
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History of the Event
The Red Hills Horse Trials started in 1998. It was created by Sallie Ausley and Sylvia Ochs. The event gets its name from the special "Red Hills Region" of north Florida and south Georgia. This area has rolling hills and rich red dirt. The Red Hills Horse Trials happens in early March each year. More than 40,000 people come to watch over 200 riders and their amazing horses compete!
Helping the Community
The Red Hills Horse Trials helps many local non-profit groups. These groups include Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, which is a beautiful park managed by the city of Tallahassee. It also supports the Tall Timbers Research Station. This group does science research and works to protect land. They also have educational programs. The event also helps the Tallahassee Friends of Our Parks Foundation and the Red Hills Horse Camp for children.
Where the Event Happens
The Red Hills Horse Trials takes place on 120 acres (about 0.49 square kilometers) of natural wooded land in Tallahassee. The Dressage and Stadium Jumping events are held at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park. The exciting cross-country event happens at the nearby Ayavalla Plantation. This plantation is owned by Colin Phipps, who loves horses and nature.
The cross-country course was designed by Captain Mark Phillips. He is a famous expert for the United States Equestrian Team. He was also part of the Great Britain Olympic team! The course was built by Hugh Lochore from Scotland. It has many tough obstacles like water, banks, and ditches. These challenges are spread out through Phipps' beautiful tree garden. The venue also has four areas for dressage, the stadium jumping course, and places for the horses to stay.
Competition Levels
The Red Hills Horse Trials has different levels for riders. This allows competitors of various skill levels to participate. Some of the top levels include Advanced, Intermediate, and Preliminary divisions. This means riders can compete against others with similar experience.
The Three Main Events
Dressage: Horse Dancing
"Dressage" is a French word that means "training." It's like a beautiful dance between the horse and rider. The horse performs a special set of movements. This type of training started a long time ago in Europe. Judges watch to see if the horse is smooth, balanced, and full of energy. They want to see the horse's natural athletic skills. Judges give scores from zero to 10 for each movement.
Cross Country: An Outdoor Adventure
This is the second and often most thrilling part of the competition. Horse and rider must go through a course with many fence obstacles. They need to jump these fences at the right angle, height, and speed. The rider can look at the course before the event. But the horse doesn't know what's coming! This means the horse and rider must have amazing trust in each other.
Stadium Jumping: The Final Test
The last part of the competition is stadium jumping. Here, the horse and rider jump over a series of colorful fences. This happens inside a special enclosed arena. If the horse falls, stops, or knocks down any part of a fence, they get a penalty point. This is called a "fault." Stadium jumping shows how well the horse listens and moves. It also proves that the horse still has lots of energy and strength after the tough cross-country event.
Fun for Visitors
The "Red Hills Avenue of Shops" is a great place for visitors. It has many different vendors. You can find things like English horse gear and riding clothes. There's also horse jumping equipment, a food court, and special horse feeds. You can also find artwork, jewelry, and women's clothing. It's a fun place to explore while enjoying the horse trials!
