What exactly is the Red Bull Foxhunt?

We’ve been hearing a lot about the Red Bull Foxhunt as of late, but we want to know what exactly all the fuss is about?

The Red Bull Foxhunt takes place from October 4 to October 6 (this coming weekend) in Co. Down, so before the festivities kick off we want to know what is going on? So what is the Red Bull Foxhunt all about? Will there be any actual foxes involved? Firstly, no. No foxes will be harmed during the course of the Red Bull Foxhunt – unless a fox is stupid enough to run out in front of a competitor, but we doubt that will happen. The Red Bull Foxhunt is a mass start downhill/enduro cycling event that will see 400 competitors battling it out to win the title of 2013 Red Bull Foxhunt champion. So why is it called the ‘Foxhunt’? Red Bull has turned the traditional and somewhat controversial past-time of foxhunting on its head by turning the ‘hunted’ into the ‘hunter’. Mountain biking pro Gee Atherton will act as ‘The Fox’ for the event and will set off AFTER the rest of the pack. It’s his job to hunt down as many competitors as possible, as he will be looking to win the title as much as the next rider. Where is the Red Bull Foxhunt taking place? This year’s event will take place on a course incorporating the Rostrevor Mountain Bike Trails and additional sections. The chase will begin on top of Slieve Martin, descending through a variety of conditions (wet grass, hard gravel, soggy marsh) to the sprint finish in Kilbroney Park. Here’s a rider’s-eye-view of the course featuring Paul Cummins and Dan Wolfe. It certainly doesn’t look suited to the unfit or the faint of heart. Who won last year’s event? While Gee Atherton (also last year’s ‘fox’) put up a good fight, Dubliner Greg Callaghan (pictured below) won the Red Bull Foxhunt last year. After a fierce battle between Greg and Gee, Greg managed to pull ahead to claim the title. You can find out more about Greg and last year’s event in the video over here. So there you have it. The 2013 Red Bull Foxhunt won’t feature any real foxes, but it will feature 400 ballsy mountain bikers all eager to reach the bottom of the course as fast as possible. For more on the Red Bull Foxhunt, click here.