Scoring

There are four levels of competition in Eventing, designated by stars (one through four) with four stars being the most difficult.  Horses and riders must earn the right to compete at these levels.  At each successive level, a horse has to jump higher, run farther and faster, trust its rider more.  The overall winners of an eventing competition are determined by converting Dressage scores to penalties, and adding the penalties incurred in Cross-Country and Stadium Jumping.  The competitor with the lowest number of penalties wins.  There are competitions for both teams and individuals.

Phase One -

Dressage Competition

The Dressage test reflects the Cavalry officer's need for an obedient, attractive mount on the parade ground.  The objective is to demonstrate harmonious development of the horse's physique and balance.  Each horse/rider combination is required to perform a set of movements and three judges award marks for each movement, ranging from 0 to 10.  There are also collective marks for the horse's pace, impulsion, and submission to its rider's direction, as well as for each rider's position and use of the aids.  The test must be executed from memory.  Errors or incorrect sequences of movements are penalized by subtraction of points.

Phase Two -

Endurance (Cross Country) Test

The Speed and Endurance (Cross Country) test is the most exciting and challenging part of an eventing competition.  It is made up of four parts; short roads and tracks (phase A); followed immediately by a Steeplechase (phase B); which in turn is followed by a long roads and tracks (phase C).  There is a compulsory halt (10 minutes) for a veterinary check after chase C.  The final phase (phase D) is the Cross-Country, a test consisting of as many as 30 obstacles set in varied terrain.  Some obstacles may include four or five separate jumping efforts.  The four phases are separately timed, each requiring a different speed and offering varied and specific challenges.  In the Cross-Country phase, penalties are also incurred for jumping faults such as refusals and run-outs, in addition to time penalties.

Phase Three - Stadium Jumping

In order to compete, horses must have passed a required series of veterinary inspections after the Speed and Endurance phase.  Stadium jumping tests the horse's ability to retain the suppleness, energy, and obedience necessary to complete a jumping course without incurring penalties because of knockdowns, refusals, falls, or exceeding the time allowed.