New X-Country Initiative

rorydelargy

rorydelargy

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FRANCE ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF EUROPEAN CHALLENGE
‘THE CRYSTAL CUP 2010’

Six European nations have teamed up to host a new Cross Country Steeplechase Challenge in 2010, identifying the most successful stable to run horses over Europe’s unique cross country courses of hedges, walls, ditches, banks and rails. The Crystal Cup brings together a total of 10 races in France, Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Great Britain, with combined prize money of over 700,000 Euros. The most successful stable, accumulating the highest number of points throughout the series, will receive the Crystal Cup and 10,000 Euros, to be shared between the trainer and stable staff.

The schedule for the 10 participating races starts in Pau (Western France) in February, with the Grande Cross worth 75,000 Euros. The series features four further races in France at Fontainebleau, Compiégne, Lion D’Angers and Craon and travels to Punchestown in Ireland for the La Touche Cup in April, Waregem in Belgium for the 100,000 Euro ING grote Steeple Chase van Vlaanderen in August, to Merano in Italy for the Grand Cross in September and to the Czech Republic for the world famous Velka Pardubika in October. The final race of the series is at Cheltenham's International Meeting in December.

This multi-national challenge will see Cross Country Steeplechase champion trainers Josef Vana from the Czech Republic, Enda Bolger from Ireland and France’s Guillaume Macaire compete head-to-head with their strong teams of horses to produce the first European Crystal Cup Champion.

Points will be awarded to the first six horses to finish in each race, with extra bonus points awarded to horses that have travelled from abroad to take part. All runners taking part in the final race at Cheltenham in December will receive an additional bonus point. As well as the 10,000 Euro award to the winning stable, there will be individual trophies celebrating both the horse and rider who accumulate the most points over the 10 race series.

Announcing the Crystal Cup at Auteuil's International Meeting on Sunday, Jean D'Indy, Vice Chairman of France Galop said, "France is proud to be announcing this exciting, six-nation initiative, that brings together Europe’s leading Cross Country racecourses to celebrate the most successful stable in the 10 chosen races in 2010”.

Representatives from the six nations of France, Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Great Britain attended Auteuil’s International Jumps weekend to announce the launch of this exciting new European race series.

Cheltenham Racecourse’s Managing Director Edward Gillespie, who has been appointed President of the Crystal Cup, said: “We have been working on this project for many years and to have brought a challenge together that involves six European nations is an enormous achievement for all concerned. Cross Country Steeplechasing is the form of Jump racing that promotes the best opportunities for international competition. We look forward to these 10 races through 2010 and to crowning a worthy winner next December.”
 
Excellent - it'd be great if this actually saw some sort of roll-out of permanency at various UK tracks, with 'cross-country' obstacles reinstated to support chasing's heritage. (No chance, of course, but it would be good.)

This should make for a brilliant spectator spectacle and might prove so popular that some courses might, though, consider putting on more in order to fascinate a wider public.
 
I feel Great Britain will be at a bit of a disadvantage in that horses in this country haven't a lot of experience of these sort of fences.

How many British trainers have these sort of fences at home?

I've read that Enda Bolger has them, are there other trainers in Ireland who school their horses over banks and walls?

The British runners that take part in these races in this country tend to be ones that are coming to the end of their careers or ones who haven't quite made the grade.

Will it be worth the trainers going to the expense of setting up schooling-grounds with these types of fences?
 
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I could see JP buying horses just for this if it takes off. You could get some nice horses coming from regulation racing to take part. Some Irish trainers have Grand National style fences and there would be a few banks here and there. Gal might know if there's anything in the Curragh.
 
I think the series has an unbalanced look to it.

Five races out of the ten take place in France in February and March. After that there is the Punchestown race in April, Waregem in August, Merano in September, Pardubice in October and Cheltenham in December.

I would restrict the series to six or seven races starting in late August and ending with at most two legs in France, in February and March.
 
France stage more XC races than anyone else - if you were to do it in proportion to how many races they stage in a calendar year etc. then France would have 90%+ of the races.

It makes sense to have more races in France as they have more courses, more runners, more horses etc. and if we can get proper French XC horses over to the UK and Ireland then UK racing will be all the better for it.
 
The series could be over, or almost over, by the time the first leg outside France is held, which would defeat the purpose.

If you want to encourage French horses to go abroad, then let them fight for some points abroad before finishing up the series in France.
 
Would be a better idea - maybe stage 2 races in France then Cheltenham, Punchestown, Loire-D'Anjou Challenge in France, Merano, Velka, France in November and Cheltenham in December?
 
Ahem! Attention, m'learned friend: is that Edna Bolger who's the maiden aunt of Colleen Bolger? Or perhaps I'm confusing her with Adrienne O'Brien?
 
Colin Phillips said:
I feel Great Britain will be at a bit of a disadvantage in that horses in this country haven't a lot of experience of these sort of fences.

How many British trainers have these sort of fences at home?

I've read that Enda Bolger has them, are there other trainers in Ireland who school their horses over banks and walls?

The British runners that take part in these races in this country tend to be ones that are coming to the end of their careers or ones who haven't quite made the grade.

Will it be worth the trainers going to the expense of setting up schooling-grounds with these types of fences?
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Of course they could always go hunting - there is no need to 'construct' hedges, walls, ditches etc for the hunting field to get them used to jumping more than plain fences.....
 
Shadow Leader said:
Of course they could always go hunting - there is no need to 'construct' hedges, walls, ditches etc for the hunting field to get them used to jumping more than plain fences.....
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My thoughts exactly, Shadow.

Problem is, would they be allowed to race, as hunting is "illegal" in the UK (not that anyone's taking a blind bit of notice, except for the anti's)?
 
Hunting is perfectly legal in this country, redhead, and meets are held nationwide several times a week, all within the law. What is illegal is to hunt [or kill] a fox with more than a pair of hounds. Of course there is no exclusion from racing of horses that have been hunting; how could you explain point to pointing and hunter chasing [for which it is a compulsory to have qualified on the hunting field] otherwise?
 
ARRRRRRRRRRRgggggggggHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh *wishes people
would not say hunting is illegal* arrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . I am such a hardened criminal I have been out 3 times in less than 2 weeks!!!

I do challenge your statement that no one takes a blind bit of notice, most packs are sticking to the law, how many huntsmen have been convicted of illegal hunting? It is as Shadow very rightly pointed out not illegal to hunt, the only thing that has changed is the way they dispatch the fox, you can also use as many hounds as you like if it is flushed to a bird of prey. Although we now follow a runner (or man on a bike!!) we occaisionally come across foxes which are shot and therefore we are completely within the law. :)
 
Love Everlasting said:
Although we now follow a runner (or man on a bike!!) we occaisionally come across foxes which are shot and therefore we are completely within the law. :)
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I wish someone would tell the extremely arrogant MFH of the Taunton Harriers, who has just managed to get that Hunt banned from this farm, that legal hunting does have to at least make some sort of show of having a trail laid... After having told them they could Hunt over the far side of the farm but that may not draw the wood, as the pedigree cows/calves and the weaned foals wre all in the adjoining field, I was not best pleased when that is exactly where they let the hounds go, where of course the got on the trail of a fox and then straight through the field with the stock in.. and no attempt whatsoever to at least try and call the hounds off.

Quite why he thinks I should get all my horses in, with the obvious mucking out that then entails, just so they can enjoy themselves is beyond me but if I don't, then it's quite obvious my stock is at risk. I am not anti-hunt - the Beagle pack and followers are always welcome because you just don't even know they're here - but first the 'Mink' hounds and now the Vale are out.

And with the recent leaning towards joining the land-owner in potential prosecutions, as far as I am concerned it's too high a risk.
 
Hi SS, obviously cannot speak for all packs, our whip and huntsman do try their very best to keep hounds under control. Opening meet we were hanging around for almost an hour while Simon tried his best to get them under control. Personally I think your quite right to disallow them from your land, its people like that that gives the rest of us a bad name :)
 
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