In France, there are over 200 cross country races each year spread across many of the provincial tracks.
In the other European countries that make up the Crystal Cup, more often than not, the racecourse is the only one in its country practising the sport. The last racecourse to create a cross country track was Cheltenham, which launched the new track in 1995.
In eastern Europe, where Jump racing is rare, there is little differentiation between cross country and orthodox steeplechasing. Pardubice has 3-4 steeplechases over the Pardubicka course in preparation for its big race each autumn, whilst the number of steeplechasers in training in Poland is less than 100, accentuating the importance of being part of the Crystal Cup challenge.