The 2026 version of the Mule Trail—what’s that all about?
Hi everyone!
It’s your friendly IT muleteer here, and I’m here to introduce you to the Mule Trail – 2026 Version.
A quick reminder
The Mule Trail is a discipline designed to showcase the qualities of the mule. Through two events — a ridden event and an in-hand event — the discipline aims to demonstrate just how versatile this animal can be.
The first edition, in 2025, was mainly inspired by Mountain Trail. This year, building on the work done by Carole Drogoul, I’ve added a little bit of what I know a bit better: TREC, while also trying to incorporate the feedback we received last year. All of this has been developed with the valuable critiques and suggestions from Muriel Herion and Carole.
But then… what exactly is it?
The two events
The Mule Trail consists of two events.
The In-Hand Event
On foot, the muleteer guides their mule through the various obstacles and exercises. This event allows us to assess the animal’s confidence, calmness, responsiveness, and the quality of communication between the mule and its muleteer.
Presenting a packed mule or working the mule in long reins is rewarded with bonuses throughout the course.
The Ridden Event
When ridden, the participant must negotiate the various obstacles using subtle and precise aids. The mule is assessed on its manoeuvrability, responsiveness, and balance.
Once again, speed is never an end in itself. The aim is to complete a controlled and well-executed course, where the quality of the partnership and the accuracy of the rider’s requests are essential.
The discipline can also reward the presentation of an additional animal led alongside the rider (de facto), with bonuses throughout the course.
The different categories
The Mule Trail is open to both beginners and experienced competitors. In order to allow everyone to progress at their own pace, three levels of difficulty are offered.
We have chosen to call them Bell 1, Bell 2 and Bell 3, as a nod to the history of the bells traditionally worn by army mules.
The three levels correspond to increasing degrees of difficulty:
Bell 1: for beginners;
Bell 2: for partnerships that have already gained some experience;
Bell 3: for experienced competitors.
For this first edition in this new format, all competitors will complete the same course. The difference between the categories will be determined by the specific requirements for each obstacle.
For example, a ridden slalom must be completed at walk for Bell 1, at trot for Bell 2, and at canter for Bell 3.
The aim is to allow everyone to participate within a framework suited to their level, while sharing the same course, making the event easier to organise.
The obstacles
The Mule Trail course can include a wide variety of obstacles and exercises inspired by situations encountered in everyday mule work and outdoor disciplines.
For the time being, the main inspirations are TREC and Mountain Trail, along with a few home-made creations.
Bridges, slaloms, gates, rein-backs, halts, corridors, poles and natural obstacles… The complete list of available exercises is presented in the technical sheets.
Each exercise is designed to assess one or more qualities of the partnership.
It is not simply about getting over an obstacle, but about showing how the mule and its handler work together when faced with a particular situation.
Calmness, confidence, precision and the ability to think and work together are therefore at the heart of every exercise.
The awards
For the prize-giving, three rankings will be established in each category:
Ridden ranking;
In-hand ranking;
Combined ranking, combining the results from both the in-hand and ridden events.
This will allow us to reward both partnerships that specialise in one discipline and those who want to demonstrate their versatility.
Scoring that rewards quality of work
Each obstacle is scored out of ten points.
The scoring takes into account:
precision;
safety;
smoothness;
the quality of the relationship between human and animal;
compliance with the requested exercise.
The scoring system is detailed in the rules. The scoring criteria for each obstacle are available in the technical sheets at the end of this article.
The scores are then entered into a scoring grid, which can also be found at the end of the article.
The same judging panel, made up of two or three people, will judge the entire course in order to ensure consistency in the evaluation.
(And also because it means fewer judges to feed hahaha.)
But why do all this?
Beyond the competition itself, the Mule Trail aims to help people better understand and appreciate the qualities of an animal that is still far too often misunderstood or overlooked.
But above all, the goal is for everyone to have a good time.
The Mule Trail is first and foremost an opportunity to get together, share experiences, improve our skills, and showcase the relationship between mules and their humans.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced competitor, whether you come for the competition or simply to take part and discover the discipline, the most important thing is to enjoy working with your animal.
The Mule Trail is a discipline, a challenge… but above all, an excuse to get together and eat.
Where and when?
The Mule Trail 2026 will take place in Seyne-les-Alpes, at La Maison du Mulet, on 30 August 2026.
How do I register
You can register via HelloAsso:
You can choose to take part in:
the ridden event;
the in-hand event;
or both events.
It’s up to you to choose the formula that suits you best!
The Mule Trail documents
Attached you will find the documents that make up the Mule Trail regulations:
General Rules;
Technical Sheets for the Obstacles;
In-Hand Scoring Sheets;
Ridden Scoring Sheets.
We’re doing all of this on a voluntary, non-professional basis, so please don’t hesitate to let us know if you spot any inconsistencies or things that could be improved.
It’s the first time I’ve written something like this, so there are almost certainly a few mistakes in there hahaha!
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