Eventing - What is it?

Eventing could be called an "equestrian triathlon".

It involves working with your horse both on the flat and over jumps. Over the centuries it has developed from the tests for the ideal military charger. Today, the sport is most known for its cross-country phase where horse and rider gallop over an outside course of solid obstacles which the horse has never seen before.

At the uppermost level of competition, Olympic or World Championships, the events run over three-days: a Dressage day, Endurance day and a Show-Jumping day.
The endurance day consists of:

  • Phase A - Roads and Tracks, approximately three and a half miles of walk and trot as a warm-up;
  • Phase B - Steeplechase approximately two miles at a gallop over eight or so steeplechase fences;
  • Phase C - more Roads and Tracks approximately seven miles of walk and trot as a cool down from steeplechase, and
  • Phase D - the Cross-Country approximately five miles at a gallop over a maximum of fourty-five obstacles that can be up to four feet high and ten feet wide (at the base). The horse's speed on this phase is over twenty miles per hour.

Most Pony Club events, however, are run over one day - with three parts - each designed to test different areas of your riding abilities:

  1. Dressage

  2. Cross-Country

  3. Show Jumping

Dressage

The First test is called a "dressage" test.

Originally designed to show the horse's capability on the parade ground in performing various movements involved with reviewing troops, today the dressage test comprises a set series of movements performed in an enclosed arena.

The purpose of the dressage test is to demonstrate the training the horse and rider have achieved to perform each movement with balance, suppleness, and precision timing. Ideally it should look as if the horse is performing of its own accord, carrying its rider in complete harmony.

The Dressage ArenaThe Dressage test is ridden in a rectangular arena which is 20 metres by 40 metres.

It involves riding set movements which you can learn from the dressage sheet at home.
To see an example of a dressage sheet click here.

Score
What it means
10
 Excellent
9
 Very Good
8
 Good
7
 Fairly Good
6
 Satisfactory
5
 Sufficient
4
 Insufficient
3
 Fairly Bad
2
 Bad
1
 Very Bad!
0
 Not performed

The movements will be at walk, trot and canter around the arena at letters as shown on the left.

At one end of the Arena will be a judge who will watch your dressage test and award up to 10 marks for each movement.

It is very, very rare if you get 10 in a movement, in fact you've done well if you score above 6!

These are converted into a percentage of the Maximum total. Then converted into penalties by subtracting them from 100.

An animation of a dressage test is shown below

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Show Jumping

Show jumping is normally the second part the event - but at Pony Club Area competitions the Cross-Country may be run second.

There are normally 7 - 10 obstacles to jump in the course which have to be jumped in number order.

Please note branch competitions may not use rules on speed/timing for Show-Jumping
Mistake
Penalties
Knocking a fence down
4
First disobedience of horse
4
Second disobedience of horse in whole course
8
Second disobedience of horse in whole course
E
Fall of rider
8
Second Fall of rider
E
Fall of horse
E
Every 4 seconds over time allowed (325 m per minute)
1
Exceeding 24 jumping penalties (not including time penalties)
CR*
Exceeding time limit
E
Error of course not rectified
E
Ommission of obstacle or boundary flag
E
Jumping obstacle in wrong order
E

Watch out for the height of the jumps which should be given on the schedule for the event - there may be a different maximum height for the S.J. and Cross-Country.

Also remember that there will only usually be two or three fences that are built up to this height, with the first couple probably pretty low to get you going!

Note that the scoring is different for the show jumping in Eventing, with larger numbers of penalties for each mistake made - see the table on the right for a summary.

*CR = Compulsory Retirement



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Cross-Country

Rachael Rodman at Area Novice ChallengeCross-Country is usually the final part of the event - jumping over solid fences, like the ones below, across the countryside

This is a demanding part for your horses, for which they need to be pretty fit to complete in.

You must wear medical armbands for cross-country - click here for details.

XC Fences - remember - red flag to right, white to leftThe fences on the course, and some points will be marked with red and white flags which you must pass between to complete the course.

The maximum height of the Cross-Country will be given on the schedule.
Please note timing rules are only correct for Area level competitions - branch competitions may use different rules on speed/timing.
Mistake
Penalties
Starting before Starters signal
2
First disobedience (i.e. refusal, run-out, circle of horse) at obstacle
20
Second disobedience at same obstacle
40
Third disobedience at same obstacle
E
Four disobedience on the cross country
(Area level and above)
E
Juming the 'L' Alternative Obstacle
15
Fall rider at obstacle (ie. penalised)
60
Second Fall rider on course
E
Fall of horse at obstacle
E
Error of course not rectified
E
Ommission of obstacle or boundary flag
E
Retaking an obstacle already jumped
E
Jumping obstacle in wrong order
E
Every commenced period of 3 seconds in excess of the optimum time
1
Every commenced period of 3 seconds under the minimum time
1
Horse resisting rider for 60 consecutive seconds anywhere on course
E
Exceeding the time limit (twice optimum)
E


 

Remember to leave plenty of time to walk round the course - either on the day or the day before - the course should be flagged and ready to walk by lunchtime on the day before.

Penalties in cross-country are a lot higher than any other discipline - making it important to jump a clear round.

 

Some of Auchinleck's fences which are used by Pony Club are shown below - courses range in height from 2' to 3'3"
Height Conversion Tool

Also try this link to see a full Cross-Country course at Auchinleck over a larger and more technical course.

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Finally

At the end of the competition, each test is scored individually and the penalties are added together for the final results.

The lowest score is the winning score.

In the case of a team competition, the individual scores of each of the four team members are added together. If all four team members have completed the competition the best three scores count and the team with the lowest team total is pronounced the winner.

 

Eventing Links

Get Pony Club dressage tests online

Special offer to Pony Club members from British Eventing

Tips form Top riders

PCUK eventing area

British Eventing Web-Site

Auchinleck Horse Trials Web-Site

 

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