Equestrian competition how many disciplines

Enjoy the events even more with our TV guide and Jargon Buster! Eventing evolved from military and hunting riding, in the same manner that Dressage and Jumping did.

Like these other disciplines, Eventing became popular as a sport itself in the 19th century, when competitions began to be organised for fun and as a way to demonstrate the attributes of various horse breeds. The discipline made its Olympic debut at the Stockholm Games and at that time was only open to amateur military riders to highlight their prowess in the saddle. Another huge advance in the popularity of Eventing was the establishment of the Badminton Horse Trials in the s by the 10th Duke of Beaufort.

Eventing then was still more of a combination of steeplechase and endurance. Today, men and women compete in equal numbers with both standing atop the podium to receive medals.

Dressage is always done first, with jumping and cross country to follow, in either order. You could call Eventing the triathlon of equestrian sport. The jumping and dressage segments are just like the individual disciplines in which other riders compete. The cross country day is a bit like an old-fashioned steeplechase, but instead of the riders racing each other in a pack, they race against the clock. Athletes are released from the start gate at intervals to avoid collisions on the course, which is orchestrated by a professional course designer.

Cross Country courses include fallen trees or obstacles intended to look like natural elements, such as water ponds and hedges.

Scores are carried forward across all three days of competition, and the rider with the lowest score at the end wins. In Eventing at the Olympic level, you will occasionally see a top rider finish on only their dressage score, a badge of honour meaning they picked up no penalties in the other two days of riding.

Duos can be eliminated for falls or refusals, and they may also elect to retire if they feel their horse cannot finish on any given day. Three-member teams will be the format used for the Tokyo Games, with no discard score, meaning every penalty counts, and the thrills will be ratcheted up a notch for the 15 teams competing. There will be two sessions of dressage on Friday and another on Saturday morning, with a brand new Olympic test, taking just under four minutes to complete, performed for the very first time.

The horses are then transported for a sleepover at Sea Forest in Tokyo Bay where the cross-country phase will take place early on Sunday. They return to Baji Koen that afternoon and on Monday the final Jumping phase. The Individual Final Jumping test will take place after the Team Jumping Final on the same day 2 August , with the top 25 battling it out for the medals. Who will win the top honours at Tokyo this summer? The door is open for surprises, but a few seasoned Eventing athletes are among the favourites.

At this moment, Oliver Townend of Great Britain -- who is second to perform in the dressage on Friday -- is the world No. Not surprisingly, horses ridden in Eventing need to be versatile and hardy. They must have the balletic skills requested in dressage with the speed and scope to succeed in jumping and cross-country.

Dressage is the discipline for every horse and rider. Dressage promotes harmonious riding and training to form a trusting partnership. Dressage develops willingness, expression, flexibility, balance, and power in the horse. These qualities make riding more enjoyable at every level in the discipline of your choice. The challenge of driving is that the drivers can control the horses only though their voice and hands,.

An endurance ride is an event in which the same horse and rider compete together over a marked trail, within a specific maximum allowed time. There is no minimum time requirement. The horses are examined by veterinarians before the ride, throughout the competition at regular intervals, and after the ride to assure their health and safety. To be successful the competitor must have knowledge of pace and efficient and safe use of his or her horse across country.

Eventing is often described as an equestrian triathlon, featuring three very different types of tests over three days. The Dressage test is followed by Cross-Country which is a course of solid obstacles specially constructed from materials such as wooden logs and stone walls with natural elements, including ditches and water increasing the technical difficulty.

Cross-country tests the speed, stamina and jumping ability of the horse. Penalties are incurred for refusing an obstacle and exceeding the time allowed. Jumping is held on day three which consists of a course of obstacles designed to fall down when knocked in order to test the accuracy and jumping technique of horse and rider. Traditional jumping rules apply, with penalties incurred for knocking down or refusing obstacles, and exceeding the time allowed.

Hunter divisions include over fences classes jumping obstacles and hack classes gaits, including walk, trot and canter. A timed Western event that features a horse and mounted rider running a weaving or serpentine path around size poles arranged in a line. It provides for both individual and also for team participation in sport.

Vaulting improves a rider's seat, balance, rhythm and coordination as well as their confidence on the horse.

In many clubs in Europe, a period of vaulting is a prerequisite to riding. Vaulting is one of the most spectacular, and at the same time safest, of the equestrian sports.

It is an ancient sport dating back to the Minoan period demonstrating flexibility and mobility whilst on horseback. Skip to main content. Toggle navigation MENU. Disciplines showcased at WEG.