Discipline?
The Eventing Horse Riding Competition is a discipline similar to the triathlon.
In fact, the discipline is made up of three events:
- Training: The rider and their horse perform a series of about twenty prescribed figures from a program called a "test" on a rectangular field of 60 x 20m. They will be evaluated by a jury who will score each figure out of 10 based on the ease and fluidity of the movements performed.
- The cross: This event is specific to eventing. It consists of a course of fixed, natural obstacles set up in a natural environment. The horse and rider must therefore jump obstacles of varying profiles over diverse terrain (water (called a ford), open fields, woods, etc.) over a long distance at a sustained pace. The combination of fixed obstacles and high speed guarantees a spectacular but challenging event, presenting risks for both horse and rider.
- Show jumping: The pair must jump a dozen movable obstacles without knocking down any rails or stopping in front of any obstacle. This final test is designed to assess the horse's freshness after the cross-country (a tired horse is more likely to make mistakes or refuse an obstacle).
The horses in this discipline must therefore be attentive, frank and enduring in order to be able to perform well during the three events.
The final ranking is given by the total points obtained following these three tests: the dressage score added to the number of penalty points obtained during the cross (horse's refusal to face the obstacle, exceeding the maximum time allowed) and show jumping (fall of a bar, refusal, exceeding the maximum time allowed). If the rider falls during one of the events, he is eliminated and will not be able to participate in the other events. The couple with the lowest total points wins.
The international competition:
During international competitions, the events take place over several days. Given the difficulty required of the couples during the tests, two veterinary visits are carried out during the competition: the first before the first test (dressage) in order to ensure that the horse's general condition allows it to compete at such a level. , and a second after the cross to ensure that the horse is not injured and is not too tired to perform the third and final test (show jumping).
Acronyms to know:
- CEC: Complete Equestrian Competition
- CCI: International Complete Competition
- 1*, 2*, 3*, 4* : The number of stars indicates the level of the international test (1* being the lowest at the international level and 5* being the highest level)
- S and L: S means short and L means long, this is an indication of the distance of the cross-country event. A short CCI therefore has a shorter cross-country than a long CCI. Also, on so-called "short" events, the Cross-country and show jumping can be run on the same day.
