One day eventing

[Em 1]

Can anyone explain one day eventing to me please?! I know that it consists of dressage, showjumping and cross country but I don't understand the scoring of these. Also what do the different classes mean e.g. novice? Do classes within novice i.e. A, B, C also indicate standard or are these just to group competitors? Please help, I want to go and watch some events but would like to have at least a vague idea what was going on! Thanks.

[Kerry's Partner!!]

If the reply isn't too late, I think you can get some of the info you need via the BHS site.

[Lgd]

One day event runs in order of Dressage test, showjumping, crosscountry. Dressage test is scored as normal and then the marks are converted into penalty points -'The dressage score'.
Showjumping penalties are 5 for a knock down and I think 10 for a refusal, time penalties also operate.
Crosscountry penalties 20 for a refusal or run out, it used to be 60 for a fall but I think you are now eliminated if you fall. Time penalties if you go over the optimum time. Average speeds are set in metres/minute and depend on the grade of competition (gets faster as you go up the grades).

Three day events run as one discipline per day and there is a steeplechase and roads and tracks phase on the crosscountry day as well.

Penalties are all added up and the combination with the fewest penalties wins.

Because there will be loads of entries they divide them into sections of about 25- 30 riders to give people a better opportunity to win or be placed and gain event points. A recent ODE near us had over 200 competitors.
The grades are (I think - it's a long time since I evented):
Pre-Novice
Novice
Intermediate
Open Intermediate
Advanced Intermediate
Advanced - the Advanced events are also given star ratings from 1 - 4 to show their difficulty. Eg Badminton is a 4* event.
The dressage tests get harder at each level so that the FEI three day event test is about equivalent to an Advanced Medium dressage test, although the judging is much more lenient than pure dressage.
Hope that clarifies things a bit.

[lamprellsarah]

we don't even have 1 day eventing near us, we do have a show jumping and x country show where you get marked indivudaually but not all 3 disiplines, i would seriously fail the dressage, i just can't do it, i can be in balance get all the gaits right but not travers, or flying changes or anything like that!!

[lamprellsarah]

oh also u are elimentated if you fall!! 3 stops at the same jump is elimentation,

[Lgd]

I wouldn't worry about travers and flying changes Sarah - none of this until FEI level - the Pre-Novice is like Prelim level dressage requirements. No lateral work at all until Intermediate and that is only shoulder-in.

[lamprellsarah]

oh well thats not bad, well i certainly want to do more dressage and everything, but i am not going to put my older horse though this now she doesn't really like it, and although she can be good, she has a thing about doing this around other horse, she doens't like sharing her space with them, her space being like the whole arena!!!
i take her to a show and it's murder getting her to move, and when no ones around it's like fantastic!!

[sweetbriar]

I do combined training competitions which is a dressage test and a round of showjumping. The dressage score is carried over to the showjumping and its 10 penalites for a knockdown.

I'm hoping to do a ODE this year. It will be our first one and this post has been very helpful.

[LindaAd]

I think LGD is talking about affiliated competitions; unaffiliated ones can be smaller, for riders and horses that aren't up to pre-Novice yet. They're called novice (small n), or restricted classes - the smallest I've seen is about 2'6". Oh, and there isn't always a roads and tracks or steeplechase section.

[cvb]

There is also something called a 2 day event but I've only seen the rules for these in Pony Club, and seen one run in Surrey (at Kenilworth by one of the local clubs).

The 2 Day Event adds in some roads and tracks to the 1DE format.

[Lgd]

Unaffiliated can be really small - a couple of our local x-country courses have a minimus section with fences up to 18" max. height - really good for getting started if you haven't done any before. The fences in even Pre-nov affiliated are pretty imposing, if I remember rightly the max heights for that are 3'6" for show-jumping and 3' for x-country.

[Rachel C.]

Few more things to add=

1. The new rules regarding falls are if the HORSE falls over then you are eliminated. If YOU fall off, but the horse stays on its feet, you can carry on! Very Confusing!

2. If you want to start BHTA eventing (ie. affiliated) but not as high as pre-novice (which is 3'3'' to 3'6'' !!!) there is now BHTA Intro level which is 3' and much simpler courses.

Local events as others have said, will start at 1'6'' and have a number of classes ranging from 2'3'' to 3'6'', with something for everyone, with some classes restricted to novices or younger children, or under 14.2hhs!

Hope that helps!

[Cochise]

Well in New Zealand our levels and scoring are a little different. We have Pony club levels, which are open to any age of rider and any horse, provided that they are not graded...ie/ registered and pointed with the NZEF. The Pony Club levels are mainly one day events, which you have been asking about.
They start at Kindergarten = 40cm
Introductory = 68cm
Pre training = 85cm
Training = 95 cm
Open = 1.05m

Don't know if this is any help, but it still might interest others around the world who want to know how our pony club eventing scene works in New Zealand.......Plus the lowest score wins here

[cvb]

going back to the original question so I could see what the thread was about (haven't been in for a few days)...

The sections are there because every dressage test takes around 3-5 minutes depending on level etc. If you had all the riders going in front of the same judge, one after another, it would take forever !

So once it gets to a certain number, they will split the class. However, then you have different judges. And you can not make a direct comparison between two judges - i.e. if one judge gave '8's on a particular day, another judge might only see it as a '7'. So the results are within people judged by the same judge.

Ok ?

Also as in NZ, ODE's are based on PENALTIES not points, so lowest score wins. I think combined training is the same... ?

[Very new]

Em 1,

Assuming that you are from Hampshire UK then Wokingham Equestrian Centre may not be too far for you to get to, they have lots of ODE and training days - the web site is www.wokinghamequestriancentre.co.uk if you want to find out more.

My daughter competes in ODE and we live on the Surrey/Hampshire Boarders so PM me if you want a list of local events.

[maverick927]

Due to not being able to do dressage I do Two phase events which I love. you should maybe try one of them first before adding the nerve racking dressage in. the tend to have tiny classes. In the one i did the tiny class had no age or height limit which was good as 2ft 9 on a XC course is just too high for me.