I couldn't have gotten the e-mail offer at a better time.
Riders finish the hunter-pace at Applehurst Farm on Harvey Hill in Epping.
Photo by Lara Bricker
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Hidden amid the junk mail that promised cheap prices to expand my chest, was an offer that promised fun, adventure, good friends and riding horses.
"Hey, you should ride one of Katrina's horses in the next hunter pace at Applehurst (in Epping) It'll be fun," my friend Christine wrote.
It was an offer I couldn't resist, especially since my own horse Penny was having some sort of mid-life menopausal moment and wanted nothing to do with riding.
Penny had let me know in no uncertain terms that, no, this riding thing wasn't all it was made out to be and yes, she would really prefer to stay out in the field with the other horses. I was at wits' end and just wanted to go riding and have fun.
Although I have competed in about every aspect of equestrian competitions, I had never tried a hunter pace.
A hunter pace is a competition that is modeled after the same type of riding you might encounter in a fox hunt. The event at Applehurst Farm on Harvey Hill in Epping, which I was headed to, was referred to as simply a pace — as it is a more informal event. It involves teams of riders and horses riding over a course with jumps which wound through fields and wooded trails.
Riders are given the option of riding in a competitive or non-competitive division. The goal is to ride the course in the optimum time after being given a speed and length of the course. Riders also have the option of jumping or non-jumping. People must have their own horses to enter the pace.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I showed up at the barn where Katrina keeps her horses early on a recent Sunday morning. I showed up in tan riding pants, tall black boots and a polo shirt and later found I was more over-dressed than many of the riders.
Christine, who is the only member of the posse with a horse trailer, arrived just before 9 a.m. with her latest steed, Mico. Mico is a stout Haflinger pony that was originally bought for Christine's husband to drive in a cart. Christine has since hijacked the little guy and is training him to ride.
I drew Katrina's black mare Teejay to ride while she opted to ride her older horse, Kiowa. We loaded the horses on the trailer, packed up our gear and headed out on the short drive to Applehurst Farm, which is off Main Street in Epping.
As we crested the top of a huge hill, I saw a row of horse trailers parked along a flat area of a field on top of the hill.
Lara Bricker, left, and teammates on event day at Applehurst Farm on Harvey Hill in Epping.
Photo by Lara Bricker
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We had arrived.
We found a good spot in the field, unloaded the horses and tied them to the side of the trailer. Then it was off to pay our entry with Cindy Harvey, whose family owns the land the pace takes place on.
I paid my $16, signed a waiver promising not to hold Applehurst liable if I fell on my head and I got a copy of the course map. The course is usually nine to 15 miles and takes two or more hours to complete.
We also got a nice bright red vest with a number "7" for our team. As I was the newbie, I was picked to wear the scarlet seven.
Once we were saddled up and mounted, our team headed to the starting line, which was at the top of the field. Teams were sent out several minutes apart and I started to get a little nervous as we waited for the word "go."
We set out at a brisk walk through a field that looked like it had been planted with corn, then picked up a warm-up trot. At the bottom of the field, we spied a white flag tied on a tree, which marked a turn on the course.
The course wound itself into the woods on an old logging road and then out into another field. I was amazed there was still so much open space in the Seacoast to ride a horse over. After crossing another road, we rode past one of the farm's dairy barns and a field of Holstein cows. I wasn't sure what to expect when the horses saw the cows, but Katrina informed me that Teejay had lived in a field with cows at one time. Apparently, she remembered her bovine buddies and let out a loud whinny when she passed the field.
We opened the horses up into a "controlled" canter as we came into another wide open green field which gently sloped uphill. The field leveled off and we found ourselves in an apple orchard with a whole array of jumps.
My jumping saddle did not fit Teejay, so I had opted for my dressage saddle, which isn't made for jumping. Still, I figured, one jump would be OK. I headed the little mare toward a solid wooden fence that looked like an "X" and she leapt over like it was 5 feet tall.
Wow.
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Local Hunter Pace events
Applehurst Farm
All events are held on the Harvey Farm and surrounding land in Epping.
Cost: $16-21
Dates: Oct. 5, Oct. 19
Three-Phase Event: Sept. 7
Contact: Cindy Harvey
679-8434.
Wentworth Hunt Hunter Paces
Wentworth Hunt hold paces at several locations in the Seacoast.
Competitive division cost $20 for adults and $15 for juniors.
Non-competitive division cost $18 for adults and $10 for juniors.
Sept. 6 at Branch Hill Farm, Milton Mills.
Oct. 11 at Yorkfield Farm, Kensington.
Contact: Lisa Brown-Kucharski 926-3534 lisahci@aol.com.
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I turned again over the little X and had a much better result, so figured I could follow Christine and Katrina who were headed over a little row of blue barrels on their sides. They soared over the jump, but Teejay came to a screeching halt.
I turned her around, gave her a good tap with my stick and headed back. I don't really know what happened next, but apparently she demonstrated her acrobatic ability mid-air, which caused my saddle to slip off to the side.
There was no way I was going to fall off, I thought. As she landed, I found myself wrapped around the horse's neck and calling out, "Am I bleeding."
So, I'm a drama queen. No blood, no broken bones. Actually, no real problem.
And with that, we carried on.
The course continued through a mix of fields, woods and old dirt roads. About halfway through, we stopped and gave the horses water and our butt's a break.
Shortly after our rest stop, Katrina's horse Kiowa stepped on a rock, which made him a bit sore. As her barn was closer than the finish line, we opted to ride all three of the horses back to the barn. We unsaddled, gave the horses a quick bath and took a car back to the trailer.
We arrived just in time for the post-pace festivities. Apparently, those who have ridden in a pace before know to make it an all-day event. One new horse husband had an entire grill operation set up in the field, complete with chicken, burgers, fresh strawberries and cheese.
We were not quite that prepared.
Our team ended up tailgating with doughnut holes and Woodchuck cider. You'd be surprised how good that combination tastes after three hours of riding.
Next time, though, I'm bringing the grill.
Lara Bricker is an assistant city editor for the Exeter News-Letter. She can be reached at lbricker@seacoastonline.com.
