AS A PART-TIME riding instructor and long-time eventing enthusiast, I can tell you that there’s nothing as thrilling as galloping around the cross-country course—the adrenaline rush is addictive.
    Albuquerque riders can experience the thrill of riding cross-country right here in the city at the Boca Negra Horsemen’s Complex on the West Mesa. At a time when public riding facilities are under pressure from development and lack of funding, Boca Negra is a small jewel in the City of Albuquerque’s Open Space collection, a treasure for local horsemen even if they don’t know about it.
    With trails, two huge arenas, a clubhouse with a kitchen, and three miles of cross-country jumps, Boca Negra has something for nearly every equestrian in New Mexico. Probably the most unique element is the crosscountry course. Maintained by the Watermelon Mountain Pony Club in a lease agreement with the city, the jumps range from 18" to 3'9" in height and contain interesting questions for riders of all levels—logs, drops, banks, roll-tops, even a water obstacle. The course makes up one leg of the three-legged stool of eventing, the triathlon of horse sports.
    “It is a real neat thing that it is right in the middle of the mesa,” says Tony Barron, assistant superintendent for Open Space. “It’s a really good facility, and there’s a lot of participation for those looking for a venue for horses.”
    The Southwest Roping Club and Watermelon Mountain Pony Club both have lease agreements for the complex, with the roping club managing the roping arena and the pony club, which is affiliated with the U.S. Pony Clubs, maintaining and organizing the crosscountry course as well as the annual horse trials.
    “The city doesn’t make profit on these programs. We try to provide more nature and open spaces to the residents,” says Barron.
    Every year on the first weekend of May, event riders come from all over the state and southern Colorado to test their skills at the Watermelon Mountain Pony Club Horse Trials. This year’s event attracted 42 riders from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, plus Durango and Cortes, Colo. The finish line always has an impromptu cheering squad that claps and whoops as each rider finishes. There are trainers riding big warmbloods, there are backyard horse people with their Quarter Horses, there are kids on ponies. Everyone has fun, whether or not they win a ribbon.
    If you’re not familiar with horse trials, think of them as the triathlon of equestrian sports. Riders compete in a dressage test, where they are given their base score. The dressage takes place at Expo New Mexico. Later that afternoon, they complete a round of jumping in the arena. On Sunday morning, the whole show moves out to Boca Negra, where riders aim to complete the crosscountry course with as few faults as possible within the time allowed.
    Learning to ride and jump obstacles outside of the arena is a great skill builder, even if you never compete. You and your horse can work on traversing water, dropping off the sides of banks, and walking calmly over logs and other natural obstacles. Riders who are already jumping in the arena benefit from having more room to gallop forward, learning to jump in a different style, and navigating a variety of unusual obstacles that will make your horse bolder and teach him better balance and athleticism.
    The Boca Negra course has been maintained for years by Open Space staff and Watermelon Mountain Pony Club. This year there is a new introductory course, refurbished footing, and a couple of newly built trails. The fee is $25 a day or $60 for the year, which goes back into maintaining the course. For a day pass, contact Holly Dietz, (505) 980-1538 or hdalger@aol.com.

Emily Esterson has been writing about horses, business, and the business of horses for two decades. She runs a small private eventing and dressage barn in Albuquerque’s South Valley: www.emilyesterson.com