- This topic has 17 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 5 months ago by
.
- Posts
This is something I should know and may have forgotten. I know I’ll get a quick answer from the brains trust here, it’s been bugging me for the last few days…..
What exactly do they mean by the cross fence or hurdle? If the chase course runs outside the hurdles course why do they need to cross?
Is it the fence / hurdle that they jump as they cross from the back straight into the home straight?
Well according to ebay…. The cross fence is in an expanding fence available in two diffrent heights. Gates are also available to match.
They will email you with cost of delivery dependant on quantity of order,
Think your right mate
EDIT: I just looked up Newbury The cross fence stands alone on the side of the track just before the turn into the home straight.
This is something you normally only hear about in Ireland but what is a regulation fence?
Cross fences for me are at Aintree on the Mildmay course,Newbury on the run from the back to the home straight,Wincanton for the same reason also Sedgefield has one.
The open ditch is called the "regulation" because in the regulations/rules there has to be an open ditch – why don’t we use the term in UK??
Funnily enough Carvills (and perhaps sadly), I was wondering the same myself on Saturday
Anyone got the answer?
- Total Posts 17716
I’ve always assumed it to be any fence where they pass from one straight to the other, putting the fence at a right angle (or cross) to all the others – on a conventionally shaped course that is?
As has been said, a cross fence or hurdle is the one on an oval course that is on the section between the straights like they have at Aintree and Newbury. A regulation fence is the Irish term for an open ditch because steeplechasing regulations say there should be at least 2 ditches per circuit.
I believe the cross fence/hurdle was termed as this was where the hurdle and chase course crossed, taking the hurdle or chase course from the outside on the back straight to the inside on the home straight. The modern convention is to keep courses on the same line, either outside or inside, for the entire circuit.
A few tracks still operate with courses that cross:
Carlisle – The chase course switches to the inside of the old hurdle course up the home straight.
Catterick – The chase course switches from the outside in the back straight to the inside in the home straight.
Chepstow – The chase course switches from the outside in the back straight to the inside in the home straight.
Hexham – The chase course switches from the outside in the back straight to the inside in the home straight.
Kelso – The courses cross down the side, but the hurdle course is completely separate in the back straight.
Leicester – The chase course switches from the inside in the back straight to the outside in the home straight. The cross ditch was moved into the home straight several years ago.
Musselburgh – The chase course switches from the outside in the back straight to the inside in the home straight.
Perth – The hurdle course is on the inside from the turn after the winning post until the third last cross hurdle where it switches to the ouside.
Sandown – The hurdle course crosses to the outside halfway down the back straight and back to the inside before the chase course diverges to the Pond fence.
Wetherby – The chase course switches from the outside in the back straight to the inside in the home straight.Although the courses don’t cross, the “cross fence and hurdle” at Newcastle have now been permanently removed.
In days gone by there used to be 2 hurdles and 2 fences on this section of the course. One of the hurdles was moved many years ago and the first fence down the side was also moved a few years ago.
Admittedly the remaining hurdle and fence were regularly omitted due to low sun, but we have enough obstacles being bypassed for various reasons without taking them out completely. I would have thought they could have resited the fence after the winning post, where the old water jump used to be.
No doubt there are cost savings involved in having fewer obstacles to maintain which will always influence the decision.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
This thread had lain dormant for nearly sixteen years.
@espmadrid – has Gamble hacked your account? 🤔@Gladiateur – I’m all for recycling!
Much prefer to add to an existing thread on the same subject, even if it is a few years old, instead of starting a new one and repeating previous views and opinions.
Not sure many posters bother to use the search facility to locate old discussions.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.