A to C, circle at E
Red on right, white on left
Four strides make one stride
W
hile it may not make for great haiku poetry, eventing combines the
elegance of dressage with the
endurance of cross-country and
tops it with the power of stadium
jumping to create poetry in motion. The first recognized eventing competition was in 1902; when
it debuted at the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games,
the sport was still known as Cheval D’Arms due to
its origins in the French military. The first competition lasted five days, changing officially to the present three-day format (Dressage, Cross-Country,
and Stadium Jumping) at The Paris Olympics in
1924. Eventing will take place in Rio for the 2016
Olympics from August 6-19th.
Today eventing is a global phenomena with Australia, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, and the
United States having very similar programs. British Eventing (www.britisheventing.com) hosts 180
events throughout Britain that cater for nearly
94,000 entries per season (Mar-Oct). The United
States Eventing Association (USEA) (www.useventing.com) regulates 250 events throughout the
U.S. that host nearly 42,000 entries per year. All
of the organizations have various programs that
support riders from Beginner Novice through the
four-star level.
• Cross-Country Tests - consists of various
cross-country components.
• Combined Tests - two distinct tests during
which a competitor rides dressage and a
jumping component.
• Starter Event Rider Tests - open to riders
who have never competed in a horse trial.
The courses are shorter than a normal test.
• Eventing Equitation Tests - for junior riders,
each competitor will be judged on position,
seat, and effective use of aids.
• Young Event Horse Tests - specific to four
and five year old horses and involve a modified course as well as a final judging of horses
shown in hand for conformation, suitability and
presence.
In addition to these regulated tests many course
organizers run horse trials. Horse trials are a
shortened version of three-day eventing. A full
dressage test and jumping course are done along
with a cross-country course that covers a shorter distance. Horse trials are extremely popular
in the United States while combined tests and
cross-country tests seem to be more common in
the UK and Australia.
Eventing can get very complex; don’t get bogged
The USEA uses these guidelines for the maximum down in all the details, focus on your level. As you
page through the magazine you’ll see some tips
height of jumps per level.
from professionals as well as photos of Standardbreds who are currently competing. Competing
Beginner Novice - 2’7”
and placing! e
Novice - 2’11”
Training - 3’3”
Preliminary - 3’7”
Intermediate - 3’9”
Advanced - 3’11”
While dressage is the base for all disciplines,
many riders prefer to focus on the cross-country and stadium jumping. In addition to the above
mentioned divisions there are also different ‘types’
of eventing. For those who choose not to compete
at a full three-day format there are a variety of options including:
Photos
Dressage: Charlene Barry and West Point (aka
Westosterone) compete at pre-training level in Alberta, Canada. Photographer: Kelly Stasiuk
Cross Country: Sylvie Webby and Trixie come
out of the water jump at Barge Park, Whangarei,
New Zealand. Photographer: Lee Hannan
Stadium: Brittany Wrighton and ‘Sweet Serenity’
(aka Our Sandy Girl) jump a D Grade fence in
Australia. Photographer: Michelle Wrighton