United States Eventing Association

Each year at the USEA Convention, the Rule Change Open Forum looks to the future to discuss changes to the USEF Rules for Eventing for the upcoming competition season. Convention attendees have the opportunity to hear which changes are coming down the pipeline and have their questions answered.

The third phase of eventing is show jumping, where horses and riders demonstrate their ability to continue with the competition after the grueling cross-country test. A jumping course consisting of colored rails is set and horse and rider must navigate the course without knocking down the fences and incurring penalties.

There are a number of ways to incur penalties on cross-country, from refusals and run-outs to exceeding the optimum time, and they sometimes vary depending on the level of competition. Make sure you're up to date with all the different ways to earn penalties on cross-country before you next step out of the startbox.

Each year, the FEI distributes proposed changes to FEI Eventing Rules to National Federations for review and comment. Proposed changes will be reviewed during the meeting of the FEI General Assembly, November 16-19, 2019, in Moscow, Russia.

There are many rules that dictate the cross-country obstacles, from the height of the roof above a fence to the types of flags that must be used on certain types of jumps. It is important to understand these rules so that, as a competitor, you can be aware of what is and is not permitted on the cross-country course.

The cross-country test is what sets eventing apart as a sport. Horses and riders ride across the country, demonstrating “speed, endurance, and jumping ability” while negotiating obstacles including banks, ditches, and water. Penalties accrued during this phase are added to the penalty score carried forward from dressage.

Dressage tests contain a set of movements to be performed by horse and rider in front of a judge who then gives each movement a mark out of 10. Following the completion of the test, the total number of good marks are divided by the total possible good marks to achieve a percentage, which is then subtracted from 100 to achieve a penalty score.

It is a common misconception that you must enter a popular event at midnight on the opening date to ensure your place on the entry list. All entries received from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on the opening date of the event are all treated as received at the same time.

The dressage test is the first of the three phases in eventing. Intended to demonstrate "the harmonious development of the physique and ability of the horse," the dressage test contains a prescribed list of movements to be carried out in front of a judge, or judges, and which is then given a penalty score that horse and rider carry through to the end of the competition.

Dressage, cross-country, and show jumping – the three phases that make up the sport of eventing. Whether you’re new to eventing or have been a competitor in the sport for many years, it is important to be familiar with the purpose and intent of each of the three phases and the rules by which a winner is selected.