For the hunters, a fault can be as major as a refusal, or as minor as a lazy lead change. Not all horses are judged equally. Show jumping is all about the numbers. There are two types of show jumping classes that are most common: timed first round and power and speed.
Timed first round is pretty self-explanatory. The first round is timed and the riders must jump clean no rails within that time allowed. If they accomplish that, then they move into the jump off. For the jump off, they must jump clear and fast, with the fastest clear or faulted if no one jumps clear round winning. Power and speed is slightly more complicated, but still simple enough.
The first part of the course is power, which means that the rider must jump clear. In every class, ribbons are assigned point values with first being the most.
The points earned from the classes accumulate towards the championship, and the horse and rider with the most wins the championship. Horses and riders can compete in a jumping, or over fences, class or a flat class. In over fences classes, the horses compete one at a time and demonstrate their skills over a series of jumps. In flat classes, all of the horses are gathered in the ring and judged in a group at different paces- walk, trot, and canter. Awards and Ribbons At one day horse shows, usually class ribbons are awarded for first through sixth place.
In special classes, ribbons can be awarded beyond 8th place. Trophies are often given, but they vary from show to show. Traditional trophies are generally engraved silver cups, bowls, plates and trays. In the United States blue is first place, red is second place, yellow is third place, white is fourth place, pink is fifth place, green is sixth place, purple is seventh place, brown is eighth place, grey is ninth place and baby blue is tenth place.
Championship ribbons are tri-colored: Champion is blue, red and yellow; Reserve champion essentially the championship runner-up is red, yellow and white. What is a hunter?
Hunters compete in classes where the horse is judged subjectively by one or more judges. In some classes the horses are judged on more specific features, such as "conformation, suitability and manners.
Conformation refers to how a horse is put together, i. For example, a horse that kicks out when asked to begin trotting would not have good manners, while another which perks his ears alertly and is obedient will be rewarded for good manners. Hunter divisions at horse shows are divided into numerous categories. Other divisions can be divided by the status of the riders who pilot the horses around the course, such as junior hunters for riders 18 and under, amateur-owner hunters for non-professional adult riders or short stirrup hunters for young children just learning to ride.
A typical hunter course is fences consisting of natural colored jumps, set on straight lines at various points around the ring. Some of the fences are set at related distances and are meant to be ridden as a set with a specific number of strides, or canter steps, in between them.
Hunter Derbies are often offered at horse shows. These special classes are independent of regular divisions. They are generally held on large rings or fields and usually consist of longer, more complex courses. Derbies are usually two rounds, with the winner determined by the cumulative scores from both rounds. What is a jumper? Jumpers compete in classes that are judged objectively.
This means that they are not judged on style. As a horse jumps around a course, the goal is to jump all of the fences without knocking any rails over.
Basically it can be pretty or ugly, but as long as all the jumps are left standing the horse has been successful. There are many different types of jumper classes. In other classes, the horses that were clear will exit the ring and return after the close of the first round for the jump-off.
All courses are timed, and in both rounds, time is the tie-breaker with the faster horse given preference. So in a jump-off, if two horses have 0 faults, then the one with the fastest time will win. Like hunters, the various jumper divisions are divided by categories. Other divisions can be divided by the status of the riders who pilot the horses around the course, such as junior jumpers for riders 18 and under, amateur-owner jumpers for non-professional adult riders or pony jumpers for children.
A typical jumper course is fences consisting of natural as well as brightly colored jumps. Unlike hunters, jumper courses tend to twists and turn. In jumpers, the horses also often are asked to jump water ditches and other more difficult obstacles. What is equitation? Equitation classes are a hybrid between hunters and jumpers. While the horse itself is not being judged, it can greatly influence how the rider looks and is perceived by the judge.
The majority of equitation classes offered are for junior riders. This stems from the fact that equitation is considered a good teaching tool in preparation for the upper level jumper divisions. It helps riders to learn to position themselves and ride correctly over difficult courses. Equitation classes begin at the lowest levels of competition, with short stirrup and lead up to the USEF Talent Search Final, used to seek out the most talented young riders for future international competition.
Equitation is one of the most popular junior divisions, with major national finals drawing hundreds of riders every year. When equitation classes began to be offered in the United States in the s, riders were awarded medals for their achievement in winning a class.
The nickname for equitation classes as 'Medal Classes' has stuck years later. That nickname, along with the newer phrase, 'the big eqs' refer to the classes which riders show in to qualify for several national championships, especially the historic and coveted USEF Medal and ASPCA Maclay Championships.
Those championships as well as several newer national year-end competitions are referred to as 'Finals. The evidence of the growth of the division has been seen in the creation of many new equitation championships, both on a regional and national level. That all changed with the creation of numerous new championships, including the United States Equestrian Team Talent Search Final in and the Washington International Horse Show Equitation Classic in , which have both become top tier national finals.
Amateur riders simply had no national medal classes to ride in at all until the s. Jumpers are judged by how quickly a horse can complete a course of jumps with the fewest errors, called faults. I also recommend these two short videos for more information on the difference between hunters and jumpers. And of course, we can count on Practical Horseman to have a great article or two on any equestrian topic including the difference between a hunter and a jumper. Contact Swan Training What is the difference between a hunter and a jumper?
Is a hunter horse ridden hunt seat? What is a jumping fault, a course, jump offs, optimum time? For the answers to those and many other horse related questions, contact Swan Training at Beka Swan, owner and head trainer, and her team will be happy to give you a tour, let you meet some of the horses, and answer questions.
She can truly say that has she been around horses for as long as she can remember. Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
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