So You Want To Event?

EVER thought about trying the sport of eventing but unsure about where to start, what levels you can achieve and how to get there.  Here EquestrianClearance.com sponsored event rider Harriet Morris-Baumber offers advice.  Read on to find out more......

 

You may think that the Europeans, World and Olympic championships are the highest level in the world of eventing but in fact in terms of difficulty they are held at CCI *** (3 star) level.

Badminton, Burghley, Luhmuhlen, Kentucky and Pau are run at CCI**** (4 star) standard and are the only events in the world at this level of difficulty.

 

A CCI is an international three day event, whilst a CIC is an international one day event (however these are sometimes run in the same format as a three day event). When a CIC is run with a three day format the main difference is that the cross country will be shorter and have fewer obstacles.

 

Dressage tests will start off with simple movements and as you progress up the level the tests will start to incorporate more advanced movements.

The heights of all spreads stated are at the highest points on the fence. The base width will be greater. 

The length of the cross country courses will become longer and horses will be required to go faster at each level they progress too. The number of fences and their technicality will also increase.

Only one upright and one spread can be of maximum height for the show jumping. All other fences will be 5cm lower than the maximum height.

 

Before entering an event please consult with the BE rule book or alternatively ring someone at British Eventing to answer your questions.

 

Introduced in 2009, BE80(T) classes have been designed to help introduce riders into the world of eventing and help them get started. Since their introduction these classes have been growing in popularity. A BE accredited trainer is there to guide competitors through the competition by giving advice on course walks and helping warm up competitors. The maximum size of the cross country fences are 80cm with a maximum spread of 90cm. The maximum size of the show jumping course is 85cm with a 80cm spread.

BE90

Previously called Intro, this popular class is great for young horses or novice riders starting out in Eventing. Riders that have competed at advanced are not allowed to ride competitively making the class a true amateurs competition. Horses with points cannot take part competitively but horses can be downgraded for less experienced riders. By competing in BE90 classes you have the opportunity to qualify for the BE90 Championships held at the Grassroots Festival.

The maximum size of show jumps are 95cm with a 1.10 metre spread. On the cross country course the maximum height is 90cm with a spread of 1m.

 

Previously called Pre-Novice, the BE100 is a very popular class. Horses with points cannot compete competitively but they can be downgraded for less experienced riders. The maximum height of show jumps is 1.05m with a spread of 1.20m. The cross country course will consist of jumps with a maximum size of 1.10m.

 

At some competitions you will find a BE100 Plus section.  BE100 Plus classes are open to grade 3 and 4 horses i.e. the horse can have up to 20 points and compete competitively.  In these classes riders will be required to jump the same cross country course as competitors from BE100 but have to perform a novice dressage test and tackle a show jumping course with the maximum height of 1.10m.

 

Novice level allows horse to be awarded points for their successes. Horses eligible to compete at novice level cannot exceed 20 BE points. Open classes are no bigger than normal novice classes but horses with more points can compete competitively. The is an opportunity to qualify for the Novice championships.

The maximum height of the Novice cross country is 1.10m with a spread of 1.40m and the maximum height of the show jumping course is 1.15m with a maximum spread of 1.40m.

Intermediate Novice classes ask riders to perform an Intermediate dressage test, Novice cross country course and a show jumping course that is allowed to be 5cm bigger than a normal Novice track.

 

Horses with an Intermediate classification will have accumulated 21 to 60 BE points. To compete in Intermediate classes the horse must have completed five clear rounds at Novice level with no more than 16 show jumping penalties. The rider must have also achieved the same standard. OI Under 21 classes are used for selection trails for Junior and Young Rider teams. Open Intermediate classes are the same size as Intermediate classes but horses with more points can compete in them.

Intermediate show jumping tracks have a maximum height of 1.25m with a maximum spread of 1.50m. The maximum height of the cross country jumps are 1.15m with a spread of 1.40m.

 

For a horse to be classified as an advanced eventer they must have accumulated more than 60 BE eventing points. To compete at this level both horse and rider must have completed five Intermediate cross country courses clear with no more than 16 show jumping penalties This is the top level you can compete at.

The maximum height of an Advanced show jumping course is 1.35m with a spread of 1.60m. The cross country has a maximum height of 1.20m with a spread of 1.80m. 

Advance Intermediate classes jump the same show jumping and perform the same dressage test as the advance class but will jump the intermediate cross country track.

 

For further information please visit www.equestrianclearance.com