Ride your course to find the best place for obstacles you have previously thought of using and to find other obstacles along the trail. Ride it several times to see if you want to make any changes, need to do any trail work and to see exactly where you want to put up any signs. We recommend that you have as wide a variety of obstacles as possible. However, emphasis should be placed on having natural obstacles. Besides ribbons, which are usually given to 1st through 10th place, you can pick awards, such as buckles, gift certificates, cash awards, items for horse or rider, etc.
Small plaques are also popular.
You may want to have a poker ride in conjunction with your trail trials for contestants and anyone else just wanting to ride the trail and non-riders who want to try their luck. Any horse and rider team finishing 5th or better in any three E.T.I. Sanctioned trail trials, MUST move up to the Open division by January 1 of the following year. Any team may enter this division, experienced or not, at any time. Except for a team that has qualified in the Novice division for the Invitational and has competed, but not qualified in the Open division of that year may still compete in the Novice division of that year's Invitational. A team that qualifies in both divisions, MUST compete in Open at the Invitational.