Techniques de Radonne Equestrian de Competition is a range of activities designed to test a horse and rider's ability to find their way across country using map reading skills, to keep safely in control and to cope with the sort of obstacles and problems that could be encountered riding alone in the countryside.

TREC has been popular in France for over 25 years. It was started originally to test the expertise of equestrian tourism guides but quickly appealed to the tourists themselves, because overall it's good fun!

Here at Brenfield we can offer you the chance to learn more about TREC under the expert instruction of International Trainer and Judge, Tove Gray-Stephens, and her son David Hay-Thorburn TREC world champion 2000 winner.

Courses are offered for TREC riders, to learn and improve all aspects of TREC riding, and also for interested people  to would like to become a TREC judge to learn the requirements of judging TREC obstacles and competitors performance.

A typical TREC competition is made up of three phases and takes place over two days.

Phase One - Day One (P.O.R)
Parcours D'Orientation et de Regularite or Optimum Speed and Orienteering Course is the ridden orienteering part. After copying the route onto your map (provided on the day) from the original, you set off carrying a few survival items. You will be told what speed to maintain between each checkpoint (mostly walk and trot).

Phase Two - 1^st part of Day Two (C.G.)
Matrisse des Allures or Control of Gaits. Along a track 2 metres wide and up to 150m long you will be timed cantering as SLOWLY as possible. You then turn your horse round and walk back along the track as QUICKLY as possible.

Phase Three - 2^nd part of Day Two (P.T.V.)
Parcours en Terrain Varie or Cross Country Riding Course is the skills trials, a timed course of up to 16 obstacles ranging from the ordinary to the apparently absurd. These might include a small jump (from 18'' up to approx 3 ft), walking through water, mounting from the wrong side, and negotiating a gate without letting go of it, to name but a few. No one we know has finished day two without a broad grin on their face!!

Scoring is based on accumulating the most points. One of the major appeals of TREC is that if you are unable to perform any part of the competition, you are not eliminated: you just do not score points for that part. Even Ian Stark would not get maximum points for everything!!

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