First of all: Cross Country course is going a big jumps that dont' fall down as they are logs, stacks of logs, banks, ditches, water jumps, or coops. This is all done on a horse that can either jump, refuse or crash into something that doesn't come apart.

I have always wanted to do this. It's part of 3-day eventing. For some reason I like the multisport stuff as it's triathlon on horseback.

Amy took her green horse Casino, the giant gray. He's also known as Demolition Man, due to his ability to get bored and crash thru jumps set up in an arena. Stadium jumps fall down. I took Felix, Amy's intermediate level horse Lance and I have leased. Felix is a schoolmaster, loves to jump and would never refuse. I'm green, so he's great for me. Nick was left at home with sore hocks due to him playing with his new pasture buddies too much.

We set off at 11am and met with Amy's trainer who would give me a lesson. We started on stadium jumps to warm up and then moved on to beginner/novice xcountry: one level above green as grass. This was a huge pasture with large jumps built into it, with diamonds marking the expertise like ski slopes. Luckily I never made a wrong turn!!

After a few rounds we went into the woods. This was like mountain biking on horseback! Get set up, judge the technical route and go for it! Banks are technical because there is no jump landing: a very strange feeling. It was Casino's only refusal and a near fall for Amy but just left all of us laughing...Casino did not refuse again and that horse has a blast. He really enjoyed everything he was put to.

Felix was a joy to ride and took care of me. No matter if I messed up in my riding, he would jump and land safely. At the end we did a bank coming out of a pond, then a huge log was at the top of that. I turned him but was told he could do it, so we did a few rounds(mainly trying to get good pics) with the bank, then a stride and then the log. Then go the other way, log, stride, bank and into the pond.

2 hrs later we were tired. Casino still had energy left.  It was soooooo much fun today!!