Jumping classes in Europe ...

[wonderpony]

Just wondered if anyone here had experience of jumping in national SJ classes in Europe.
We're just trying to get to grips with the structure of competition, and e-mailing locally riding societies isn't bearing much fruit (not much of a winter season apparently). (Will have to pick up that telephone and brave my French, I know, but in the meantime ...)
In the UK, were jumping juniors at novice and newcomer level (85cms to 1 metre 10). Have found some schedules, but they generally refer to classes as A, B, C, D. E etc and also often mention speed.
We're in Luxembourg, but Belgium, France and Germany are all less than an hour's drive away.
Any pointers would be much appreciated!!!

[hel88]

i live in belgium and compete - but i don't do national level competitions, due to a lack of horse! :( - but there is a national competition held every summer and one in the autumn at a stables just down my road ... the season tends to be only in the summer unfortunately .

[wonderpony]

I'd love to know more about the competitions you've found to do in Belgium.
I put national competitions in my post because when we started applying for a licence we were asked if we wanted to do national or international classes ... and we're certainly not an international standard!!! We just want to find some nice tracks to jump, get some more experience and hopefully have some fun and meet nice fellow enthusiasts into the bargain.
Luxembourg is a little country - 500,000 people! in all - so a national class here may not be all that big. I just don't know.
Do you jump horses or ponies? Do you know what the letters - A, B, C etc mean?

[hel88]

i jump unaffiliated (never got round to getting affiliated!) - what height of class are you looking for? i tend to jump at shows which have classes between 60cms and 105cms (i do the 60cms and the 80cms as my horse is still a bit green - well hes not mine, but i'm the only one that competes him!)

i'm not quite sure what A,B,C,D mean ... i faintly recognise them from when i jumped the small classes (+/- 1m) at huuuge shows on my ickle 12.2hh (jumped 1m30 i'll have you know :D)!

will try to find out for you... anyway belgiums a great place for show jumping comps - i find they are cheaper to get into than in the UK - at the national comp down my road you get in free :o !

[shaka]

I live in Portugal and compete in National classes.

Here we don't have pony classes, so you can jump whatever height horse or pony you want at whatever age you are. To egt a National license here having NOT jumped with the BSJA you take a simple exam called the Selle 4. After that you can take an International exam for Selle 7.

The classes here work on a point system. If say, you started jumping at 1m then to move up to 1m10 you would need to get 15 points. You can only really get 2 points a day though as that height is the only height you can compete on with any horse and you get 2 points for jumping double clear.

When you have competed at 1m and moved up you can then compete at 1m again with a different horse, but you won't get the points.

The A, B, C etc could be there with reference to points, I'm not to sure on that either though.

Nationals I believe, start at 85cm and Internationals start at 1m10.