Kurland Eventing – next step up from the polo scene
ShowMe had the opportunity to chat with Kurland’s Lance Gibbons and Owner Peter Behr with regards to the launch of eventing right here in Plett. Read what this new initiative is all about.
What does the Kurland eventing show in June consist of?
This is a 3 phase competition, which comprises dressage, show jumping and cross-country. It will take place over two days with horse and rider being challenged to perform in all three disciplines.
The biggest challenge is the cross-country where horse and rider are presented with solid fences out in the country in order to test the boldness and agility of horse and rider combination – all against the clock.
What inspired the idea to hold this event?
Kurland has made its name on the local and international polo scene; the vast landscape and world class facilities that exist lend itself to many other horse sports.
Eventing is a growing sport in South Africa and Kurland is once again proving itself to be the bench mark for an international eventing experience.
The sport’s governing body, through WC Eventing helped bring out world renowned course designer Eric Winter to oversee and design the courses at Kurland.
Developing the sport is high on Kurland’s agenda, as well as making sure our riders get to experience a quality venue as good as any abroad.
What should people expect to see at the event?
You will see the very best of our Western Province and Eastern Cape riders. The venue will showcase its usual hospitality on the pavilion; many of the activities can be viewed from the pavilion with hospitality lounges, catering and a showcase of superb horsemanship.
Who is taking part and how can people enter to compete?
Please visit our facebook site, all updates and schedules will be posted on the facebook site. People can also enter online.
We hope to encourage all riders to the show. We are running 70cm courses for beginners all the way up to 1m classes for the more advanced rider at the national level. In October Kurland will host the WP Champs including a 1* track (one star track), which is an international FEI level.
When and where is the event?
The event is on the 13 & 14th June at Kurland Hotel and Polo Estate, the event takes place in and around the pavilion.
How would riders go about preparing for these events?
Riders need to prepare a great dressage test, focusing on perfecting the finer skills of what we call flatwork – this first phase judges the horse’s obedience and rider ability, dressage judges are meticulous when judging and scrutinising both horse and rider.
The lower the penalties accrued the better the score. Second phase is Show jumping, all about completing a course of jumps that are technically challenging but fair to the grade of both horse and rider.
This course of jumps is set on a level field with accurate pacing between jumps. It’s important to have a clear round, no dropped poles, stops or time penalties, any of these will result in further penalties.
The final stage is cross-country, a course of 15 -24 jumps depending on your grade. These jumps are pretty bold (scary) and natural in the country where the ground is often undulating and must be respected – these jumps need to be completed within a certain time frame.
Once again any stop or time faults (exceeding the allowed time) will result in further penalties. All penalties are added up over the three disciplines and the person with the least penalties wins.
Is this a first for Plett?
This is a first for Plett, big thanks to Peter Behr and his vision for the sport.
Is the event free for all to attend?
Entry to the venue is free for spectators; there will be catering and plenty of space to picnic so bring your family and enjoy the fun.
What does Kurland have in store for Plett in terms of long term goals for eventing?
We hope to attract the SA Eventing Championships in 2016; this will bring riders from all over the country to Plett. At that stage we will have a 2* track, which is the second international level. In time to come we’d like to build a 3* track but right now we are focusing on WP Champs in October.
The Kurland Hotel opened in 2000, first with 8 rooms and then a further 4 were added 2 years later. The Kurland polo facilities were completed in 2005. Katarina’s opened 4 years ago.
We are constantly coming up with new ideas to give the community of Plett new and fresh things to experience!