This Canadian resort is hosting three days of downhill racing starting Friday

Horseshoe Resort, in Barrie, Ont., just wrapped up a successful six-week DH race series. On Wednesday nights, riders took on different courses at Horseshoe and enjoyed post-race beers and food on the resort’s 50,000-square-foot patio. There’s more DH action to come.

Trail Showdown week 6 on Trail 1. Rider – Simon Graham. Photo: Zak Ridge

Cyclists drove up from all around the Barrie and Greater Toronto areas to take part in races for riders of all ages.

“It grew super fast,” says Matt Konings, the bike-park manager. “We were expecting 40 to 50 riders. The first week, we had 62 and by the second week we had to put a cap of 100 riders to follow Ontario’s guidelines for outdoor gatherings.”

As far as cycling disciplines go, downhill racing is probably the easiest for following public-health guidelines. When riders start 30 seconds apart and physical distancing is enforced in the lift line (along with increased sanitization measures), it’s easy to feel safe and spread out.

The resort is aiming to continue the downhill momentum it’s seen this summer, planning a full DH race weekend on Sept. 18-20.

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Alright, more Triple Showdown details coming your way! If you haven’t cleared your schedule yet, this should convince you! Date: September 18th-20th, 2020 Friday night: DH Pump Race on Little Ripper. Saturday: Youth DH race on Trail 1 and seeding run for Pro, Amateur and Master categories on Trail 2. Saturday night: Dual Slalom race presented by @cachetbikes under the lights. Sunday: Pro, Amateur and Master 40+ DH race on Trail 2 and a women’s ride with @minii_adventures Plus, throughout the weekend we’ll have live music, a vendor village and awesome prizes! Hit the link in our bio for the full schedule and event details.

A post shared by Horseshoe Bike Park (@horseshoebikepark) on Aug 29, 2020 at 6:08am PDT

Three types of events

The Horseshoe Triple Showdown DH race weekend will consist of three types of events.

Downhill racing will take place on Saturday and Sunday at Horseshoe Resort. Youth categories (U10, U14 and U18) will attempt to put down the fastest time on Trail 1.

Pro, amateur and master (40+) categories will get the chance to race down Trail 2, one of the more technical trails of the park. “It has everything,” says Konings, “from machine-built sections to rooty singletrack sections with a mixture of rock gardens and tight turns.” Riders will get a seeding run on the trail Saturday and two race runs Sunday.

The new dual slalom course. Photo:Matt Konings

On the Friday night, participants will have the chance to test their ability to carry momentum on the rollers and berms of Little Ripper in the pump track challenge. Riders will have two chances to get the best time on the course.

Saturday night, riders will get to check out Horseshoe’s new dual slalom course. They will race head to head, with the faster of the two competitors moving on to the next round. If there are more than 16 riders in a category, each rider will get a timed qualifying run and the top 16 move into elimination heats.

Triple Showdown tickets, which include all events and chairlift access, are $95 for youth and $110 for adults. Cyclists can also choose to pay for races individually if they can’t make it for the entire weekend.