What is a Competitive Trail Challenge (CTC)?

A Competitive Trail Challenge (CTC) is a trail ride competition that is a 6-10 mile trail ride with judged obstacles (mostly natural) along the way. Each obstacle has its own judge. It is not a timed event. You will have a ride out time (usually within 30-60 minutes) to head out on trail. You are encouraged to ride with your group, family, or friends. When you come to the obstacle & judge, you perform the obstacle 1 at a time. The trail rides usually take from 2-3 hours. After you come in from your ride, eat some lunch and be ready for the awards ceremony. Cash and prizes are given to 1st -6th place for each division.

These rides provide a natural setting for your horse and are a lot of fun! At the very least you will enjoy seeing great countryside on horseback and get to know a network of horse lovin' trail riders such as yourself!

Where will the CTC rides be held?

They will be held at various private ranches and state parks.

When will the rides take place?

Check the ride calendar page for the rides and dates. We will be updating it throughout the year as affiliates join us and add even more rides. The last event in May will be a championship ride.

How will the events take place?

The events will take place on a 6-10 mile trail ride and will last about 2-3 hours. Riders will head out between 9:00am and 10:00am. This is not a timed event. Riders can head out on trail with their group anytime during their allotted time slot. There will be 6-10 judged obstacles along the trail consisting mainly of natural occurring terrain. Obstacles on the course will include, but not limited to:

What are the divisions?

Open division: obstacles will be more difficult. Awards will be cash, ribbons & prizes.

Pleasure division: less difficult obstacles. Awards will be ribbons & prizes.

Junior division: 7 - 15 years old. We figure if you're old enough to drive, you're no longer considered a junior. Juniors are required to wear a helmet and be accompanied by their guardian. Awards will be ribbons/prizes.

Buddy rider: A buddy rider is a rider who rides the trail following the rules just like a competitor, but does not partake in the obstacles. A buddy rider may be a friend of a competitor, a person who wants to check out the competition before they decide to compete, or someone who wants to take the opportunity to give their green horse exposure.

Your horse & rider team points will be calculated in the division that you ride in. If you are a new member and wish to change divisions, we allow a 1 time change per season. You will need to notify ACTHA to switch your division points.

How are the obstacles judged?

Each obstacle will have a judge that will give a total of 20 points for each horse/rider team at their obstacle. 10 points for the horse, 10 points for the rider. Ties are broken by a plus system. Pluses are given for an exemplary job by either horse or rider. Time limits for the obstacles are assigned by the ride manager and will range from 30 to 60 seconds. If the rider goes over the time limit, a score of 0 will be given and the rider must move on.

The judging criteria is as follows: 10=excellent, 9=very good, 8=good, 7=fairly good, 6=satisfactory, 5=sufficient, 4=insufficient, 3=fairly poor, 2= bad, 1=very bad, 0=not executed.

How do I know what the judges are looking for?

We set up a briefing (gathering) at the beginning of each ride. The ride manager or the judges will tell you about the obstaclesand what they will be looking for. In addition, judges will be looking for a calm, willing, well controlled horse, obedient and brave. In the rider, the judges will be looking for balance and non-interference. Also, general rules for good equitation apply such as heels below toes, etc.

Once you become a member, there is an OBSTACLES button that displays all of our obstacles with video and description of what a judge will be looking for at that obstacle.

How will I know my score after the ride?

The scores will be printed and displayed on a few poster boards. They will show the scores for each rider at each obstacle.

How am I supposed to know what to improve on since there are no written comments given to each rider?

Since time does not permit our judges to hand write comments on each rider, we use a numerical scoring system. If you score 8 or above, you did very well. A 5-7 is average and 1-4 is below average. The judges will give a second briefing before awards are given out. At that time they will tell the riders what they saw as a whole on their obstacle and what riders need to improve on.

What can I do to improve?

You can attend clinics, consult with trainers, take lessons. There are trail riding DVDs from Craig Cameron, Clinton Anderson and Chris Cox that are very helpful and informative. RFD-TV broadcasts several of their TV series. We will be hosting clinics with our rides when circumstances permit and if there is enough interest.

How do I qualify for the championship ride?

The top 100 team scores (50 open, 50 pleasure) will qualify for the championship ride. If we get an increase in junior riders, these numbers may change and we will accommodate a junior division in the championship. Regardless, the top junior rider will receive a junior high point award. Your team points will be accumulated for each ride you attend. The points you earn for each ride are calculated by dividing the number of obstacles into your final score. For example, if you scored 120, had 6 obstacles, your team points earned would be 20 for that ride. A new team score would be tallied if you had to change horse or rider for the original team. The team score spreadsheet will be available online and will be updated after each ride.

What will the championship ride be like?

The championship ride will be at the Franklin Family Ranch in Blanco, TX and will consist of a 'regular' trail ride followed by a champion's obstacle course. All points will be tallied and updated after the 'regular' trail ride where the top 15 riders from open and top 15 riders from pleasure will continue on to the champion's obstacle course. The champion's obstacle course will be in an arena format where spectators are welcome. It will be judged by at least 3 judges, each of them judging every rider on every obstacle. Once the champion's course is done, the champion and champion reserve for open and pleasure divisions will be determined.

How are Placement Points calculated for each horse & rider team?

Each completed CTC earns your team a point. If you place in a CTC, your team earns the following additional points:

1st place - 6 points

2nd place - 5 points

3rd place - 4 points

4th place - 3 points

5th place - 2 points

6th place - 1 point

These points will stay with your horse for its lifetime, giving him/her additional value. Our Medal Standings program is calculated by the following:

Bronze - 50 placement points - horse receives a bronze medal; rider recieves an ACTHA vest

Silver - 100 placement points - horse receives a silver medal; rider receives an ACTHA coat

Gold - 150 placement pointsm - horse receives a gold medal; rider receives an ACTHA pair of chinks

Is CTC a Paint Alternative Competition (PAC) affiliate?

Yes. CTC has been approved by the American Paint Horse Association for the PAC program for the 2008-2009 season. This will allow PAC members to receive APHA national credits for our events.

Will a ride ever be cancelled?

The only time a ride will be cancelled is if there is an ice storm (or low temps with rain), day(s) of heavy rain, or a tornado. We can delay a ride for lightning or periodic heavy rain. If it is lightly raining, put your slickers on and head out! If there is too much rain to make the trail unsafe, we will conduct a competition close to camp with a horseshow format, if the facilities are available. If not, the ride will be rescheduled.

What is the cancellation policy?

Some Rules:

Let's have fun!!!

These are some other awards that will be given, but not limited to: