Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge, developed by Australian studio IR Gurus Interactive in 2006, is now available on Steam. Originally published by Red Mile Entertainment on PC and PlayStation 2, the game recreates the experience of competing in the Grand Slam of Eventing, under the tutelage of the famed Lucinda Green.
EQUESTRIAN CHALLENGE: HEADFIRST INTO EVENTING
The equestrian sport of Eventing consists of three separate disciplines, held over the course of three or four days. Horse and rider must pass a dressage test, a cross-country course and a showjumping round. The scores from each phase are then combined to select the winning pair. At international level, trials sanctioned by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) are marked with up to four stars, with the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, the MARS Badminton Horse Trials and the Defender Burghley Horse Trials making up the Grand Slam of Eventing. Equestrian Challenge also features the Mitsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials (now the Adelaide Equestrian Festival), with great effort to recreate these iconic locations in great detail.
Olympic medallist Lucinda Green serves as the tutorial voice, instructing the player on how to become an elite rider. Upon arriving at her stables, they will receive their first horse and begin training. Eventually, they will be able to compete in higher-level circuits, unlocking stable slots and equipment for both horse and rider.
Equestrian Challenge‘s core gameplay loop focuses on training your horse for the different events.
Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge © IR Gurus Interactive
THE AUSSIE FACTOR
IR Gurus was no stranger to the equestrian gaming world. From 1998 to 2000, the studio partnered with fellow Australian companies Blue Tongue Entertainment and Tantalus Interactive to produce Mary King’s Riding Star and Equestriad. Two years later another licensed project, based on the beloved Canadian-Australian children’s show The Saddle Club, saw the light. Featuring a rudimental but fairly expansive open world and a fully voiced storyline, Willowbrook Stables became the best-selling PC game in Australia in 2003. Unfortunately, Equestrian Challenge would be their last foray into the equestrian world. The studio was sold in 2008, under the name of Transmission Games, before shuttering for good a little over a year later.
Capitalizing on the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Equestriad 2001 featured many famous riders of that time,
with Lucinda Green and Russ Withers providing the technical commentary.
Equestriad 2001 © IR Gurus Interactive & Tantalus Interactive
PROGRESS AND PRESERVATION
The world of equestrian simulations is a fascinating topic indeed. A more structured—dare I say mechanical—approach could, in theory, help rejuvenate the genre. However, the lack of an overarching reason for the player to bond and care for their horse will quickly result in the whole affair overstaying its welcome. In this regard, Equestrian Challenge tries to strike a balance between the two, with a reasonable degree of success. Its marketing also features some noteworthy details, such as the replay camera.
There’s also another angle to consider. Although Steam saw its fair share of controversies (The Day Before, anyone?), it still remains a reliable platform for indie titles. As I’ve mentioned before, many iconic horse games of the past are not only hard to come by, but often poorly optimized for modern systems. However, Steam can offer a means of preservation for many of them, which in turn could inspire new and better titles. As such, this re-release can be a good chance for the uninitiated to get a taste of high-level equestrianism, or to relive some good old early 2000s nostalgia.
Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge is available for purchase on Steam, at a 20% discount until the 10th of January.
