Horses and Courses
Show jumping 101
by Barb Hento
Last month, we looked at the traditions for horse and rider in the hunter discipline. This month, we'll take a look at the jumper ring, which has long been a crowd favorite. This colorful venue offers the viewers thrills as they cheer their favorite competitor to the winner's circle.
A jumper can be any breed and size of horse. The only requirement is that the individual must be athletic and like to jump. The equipment used on the horse varies with no discrimination as long as it is humane. The rider’s dress is more casual than that of the hunter rider. Polo shirts, breeches and boots (plus the required helmet) are the favorite apparel in the lower level classes. Formal dress is worn in the Grand Prix ring and at derbies.
Scoring the Jumper
The basic scoring in jumper competitions is easy to track:
· Knocking down a rail equals 4 faults
· A horse's first refusal to take a jump equals 3 faults
· The second refusal is 6 faults
· A third refusal is elimination
· The clock (the time it takes to do the course) speaks for itself
When a horse finishes the course, everyone ringside knows where the horse and rider team stands in the placings. The judging is totally objective and done mathematically—the faster the time and the lower the fault count, the better the score. Large jumper contests have a panel of people, called a jury, who score the horse’s round.
Where the hunter is judged on a smooth, even pace over the course, the jumper merely has to maintain a forward motion, but the time a jumper takes to complete a course is figured into the score. Most courses have an announced time in which the course must be finished. Time faults are incurred for each portion of a minute the horse takes past this stated time.
After all entrants have jumped the course, a "jump off" is called for if any horses are tied for first place. In this round, the horse must not only go clear (fault free), but it must also go fast. For a detailed study of jumper scoring, look at the tables of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF, formerly AHSA) and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) associations. To find the tables, contact the USEF (http://www.usef.org/) or the FEI (http://www.fei.org/).
The Jumper's Course
Unlike a hunter course, which is designed to be ridden smoothly and look natural, a jumper course is designed to present a challenge of lengthening and shortening the horse’s stride. Vertical fences require a horse to collect in order to spring upward; spread jumps require speed to let the horse fly over. The course designer builds the jumps in combinations (e.g., a spread jump moving into a vertical jump, then into a spread) that require the rider to make adjustments in order to successfully complete the course.
Combinations and distances between jumps can vary in uneven measurements. When this happens, the rider must decide if he will ride in short or long strides. The horse must be well broke and allow itself to be guided through the course.
The jumps that the horse faces are colorful and varied. Each jump is numbered, and each style of jump presents its own mental problems for the horse and rider. In combinations (two or more jumps set in a close line), jumps are not only numbered, but lettered (1a, 1b, 1c), making the set of jumps an unit that must be ridden without stopping. Each jump is also flagged to show the direction of travel: red flags are on the right and white flags on the left.
Preparation and Trust
Before competing, the rider walks the jumper course to study the lines leading up to each jump. Often, the rider’s trainer or coach will also walk the course. As the rider walks, he visualizes the takeoff and landing for each jump, and then calculates the number of strides to the next jump. This allows participants to plan the ride and prepare for the challenge in order to properly guide the horse.
To be successful in the jumper ring, there must be complete trust between the horse and rider. Both members of the partnership must also be brave to navigate a course that presents many challenges to their ability to make quick decisions and adjustments.
by Barb Hento
Last month, we looked at the traditions for horse and rider in the hunter discipline. This month, we'll take a look at the jumper ring, which has long been a crowd favorite. This colorful venue offers the viewers thrills as they cheer their favorite competitor to the winner's circle.
A jumper can be any breed and size of horse. The only requirement is that the individual must be athletic and like to jump. The equipment used on the horse varies with no discrimination as long as it is humane. The rider’s dress is more casual than that of the hunter rider. Polo shirts, breeches and boots (plus the required helmet) are the favorite apparel in the lower level classes. Formal dress is worn in the Grand Prix ring and at derbies.
Scoring the Jumper
The basic scoring in jumper competitions is easy to track:
· Knocking down a rail equals 4 faults
· A horse's first refusal to take a jump equals 3 faults
· The second refusal is 6 faults
· A third refusal is elimination
· The clock (the time it takes to do the course) speaks for itself
When a horse finishes the course, everyone ringside knows where the horse and rider team stands in the placings. The judging is totally objective and done mathematically—the faster the time and the lower the fault count, the better the score. Large jumper contests have a panel of people, called a jury, who score the horse’s round.
Where the hunter is judged on a smooth, even pace over the course, the jumper merely has to maintain a forward motion, but the time a jumper takes to complete a course is figured into the score. Most courses have an announced time in which the course must be finished. Time faults are incurred for each portion of a minute the horse takes past this stated time.
After all entrants have jumped the course, a "jump off" is called for if any horses are tied for first place. In this round, the horse must not only go clear (fault free), but it must also go fast. For a detailed study of jumper scoring, look at the tables of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF, formerly AHSA) and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) associations. To find the tables, contact the USEF (http://www.usef.org/) or the FEI (http://www.fei.org/).
The Jumper's Course
Unlike a hunter course, which is designed to be ridden smoothly and look natural, a jumper course is designed to present a challenge of lengthening and shortening the horse’s stride. Vertical fences require a horse to collect in order to spring upward; spread jumps require speed to let the horse fly over. The course designer builds the jumps in combinations (e.g., a spread jump moving into a vertical jump, then into a spread) that require the rider to make adjustments in order to successfully complete the course.
Combinations and distances between jumps can vary in uneven measurements. When this happens, the rider must decide if he will ride in short or long strides. The horse must be well broke and allow itself to be guided through the course.
The jumps that the horse faces are colorful and varied. Each jump is numbered, and each style of jump presents its own mental problems for the horse and rider. In combinations (two or more jumps set in a close line), jumps are not only numbered, but lettered (1a, 1b, 1c), making the set of jumps an unit that must be ridden without stopping. Each jump is also flagged to show the direction of travel: red flags are on the right and white flags on the left.
Preparation and Trust
Before competing, the rider walks the jumper course to study the lines leading up to each jump. Often, the rider’s trainer or coach will also walk the course. As the rider walks, he visualizes the takeoff and landing for each jump, and then calculates the number of strides to the next jump. This allows participants to plan the ride and prepare for the challenge in order to properly guide the horse.
To be successful in the jumper ring, there must be complete trust between the horse and rider. Both members of the partnership must also be brave to navigate a course that presents many challenges to their ability to make quick decisions and adjustments.
Labels: barb hento, In Plain English, October 2008
posted by NWHS at
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