Trail course is a

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

event in which a

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

and rider attempt to complete a series of obstacles in the fastest time. It combines the horse's athletic ability and the horsemanship skills of a rider in order to safely and successfully maneuver a horse through a series of five obstacles. The rider must remain mounted the entire time. It is similar to

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

competition at

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and pony, ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrianism, equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days ...

s, but with emphasis on speed rather than style.

Modern event

Today the trail course is mostly a youth rodeo event. The

National Little Britches Rodeo Association The National Little Britches Rodeo (NLBRA) is one of the oldest youth based rodeo organizations. It was founded in 1952, and sanctions rodeos in over 33 states. NLBRA allows children ages 5 to 18 to compete in a variety of different rodeo events ...

(NLBRA) has both a senior girl trail course competition and a junior girl trail course competition. The only difference is the jump is removed from the junior girls' event. Some college rodeo programs also compete in the trail course.

Obstacles

There are five obstacles that must be navigated. The obstacles can be placed in any order, and are usually rearranged between rounds. The obstacles are: Trail-Course

* Bridge - The bridge is six feet long and four feet wide. 3 poles will be placed on each side of the bridge * Gate - The gate must be at least four feet wide and four feet high. The rider must unlatch the gate, maneuver her horse through the gate and then re-latch the gate, without dismounted. * Mailbox - A standard metal U.S. postal service approved mailbox is used. The rider must carry a 3 X 5 card. The rider must open the mailbox, deposit the mail, and close the mailbox. * Back up barrels - Two 55 gallon drums placed 4 feet between them. The rider must back their horse through the barrels. * Jump - A 1 1/2" PVC pipe is placed at a height of 24 inches. The rider and horse must jump over the pipe. The course covers about 100 yards in total distance.

Rules

The rider must remain on the horse the entire time. The rider must complete the course in the laid out order and may not skip an obstacle. The rider must carry the 3 X 5 "mail" card with her until she places it in the mailbox. 10 second penalties will be assessed for the following: * Bridge - if a rider knocks over a pole or fails to cross the bridge. * Gate - if the rider fails to latch the gate. Or if the rider knocks the gate down. * Mailbox - if the mailbox does not remain closed. If the horse knocks over the mailbox. If the rider drops the mail. * Back up barrels - If a barrel is knocked over. * Jump - If the PVC pipe is knocked over or the horse does not cross the pipe.

References

{{Rodeo

External links

National Little Britches Rodeo Association
Rodeo-affiliated events