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Aug 10, 2020
How Strong is Your Novice Game?
How competitive have your Novice results been? What’s a good final score? What’s a good dressage score? What does it take to win? In our third installment of this series, EquiRatings showcases the Novice level. Use these graphs and statistics to help evaluate your Novice game.
How are people scoring at Novice?
These graphs show Novice performance across the board, from sub-28 to DNF (Did Not Finish). Take a look to see what scores the Novice population is getting. What scores do you usually get? We give you some of our takeaways to get you started.
The Big Picture at Novice
Finishing Score Zones
- Sub-28 Zone: Over 1 in 20 Novice starters (6%) finish sub-28. This is the highest percentage of any U.S. national level.
- 60+ Zone: On the other end of the spectrum, 1 in 10 Novice starters (10%) finish with 60 penalties or more.
- 32 to 40: One-third of Novice starters (33%) finish in the 32 to 40 range.
Per-Phase Zones
- About half of Novice starters (47%) get a dressage score between 31 and 37.
- Half of Novice show jumping starters keep all the poles up and finish within the time.
- Nearly two in three Novice cross-country starters (63%) finish clear and within the optimum time. This is the highest percentage of any U.S. national level.
The Target Score for a Win at Novice
Eventing is about putting all three phases together to finish strong, but what is a strong finish at the Novice level? What types of tests and rounds are the top finishers producing? The graphs and tables below show you what it takes to win.
TOP FINISHING SCORES
- Almost half of Novice winners (45%) finish sub-28. This is the highest percentage of any U.S. national level.
- Most Novice third-place finishers (66%) score between 28 and 36.
Dressage - What Does a Strong Start Look Like at Novice?
|
Final Position |
Average |
Started as |
Started 10 Marks or Less From Dressage Leader |
Started More Than 10 Marks from Dressage Leader |
|
Winner |
28.0 |
50.0% |
49.0% |
1.0% |
|
Third Place |
31.8 |
4.8% |
85.2% |
10.0% |
Using 2017 – 2019 Novice data.
- Novice winners average a dressage score of 28.0. This is the only U.S. national level with a winner’s dressage average below 29.0.
- Half of all Novice winners are leaders after the first phase.
- Most Novice third-place finishers (nearly 9 in 10, 85.2%) are not the dressage leader but are within 10 marks after the first phase.
Show Jumping - Can You Afford to Knock a Pole at Novice?
|
Final Position |
0 Show Jumping Penalties |
1 to 4 Show Jumping Penalties |
5 or More Show Jumping Penalties |
|
Winner |
86.7% |
11.7% |
1.7% |
|
Third Place |
70.4% |
24.0% |
5.6% |
Using 2017 – 2019 Novice data. This table includes show jumping time penalties and jumping penalties.
- A clean show jumping round is critical for a win at Novice. Almost 9 in 10 winners (86.7%) keep all the rails up and finish under time.
- Nearly one in three third-place finishers (29.6%) do have show jumping faults but, of these, few have more than a pole.
Cross-Country - Do You Need to be Clear Inside the Time at Novice?
|
Final Position |
Clear Inside the Time |
Average Cross-Country Time Penalties |
|
Winner |
93% |
0.1 |
|
Third Place |
88% |
0.4 |
Using 2017 – 2019 Novice data. Clear Inside the Time includes all runs that were clear jumping with no time penalties (whether for going over the optimum time or for going too far under the time).
- A clean jumping cross-country round is critical to success, but it’s also important to get the time right. Almost all Novice winners (over nine in 10, 93%) finish cross-country clear and without time penalties.
- Almost nine out of every 10 third-place finishers (88%) complete cross-country clear and without time penalties.
What are the 2019 record performances?
Lastly, we have pulled the 2019 record dressage scores and record finishing scores from the Novice level. These are some very impressive numbers!
How Can You Use These Numbers?
Have these statistics given you some clarity? They’re here to help you set goals. Of course, long-term goal-setting is not about comparison; you have to stay in your lane or risk being robbed of joy. If your main goal is to have fun with your horse and put your game face on every once in a while, that is awesome! Use these numbers just for fun. If your goal is to be a bit more competitive, now you know what it takes and can set targets. Let each target serve as a stepping stone in your eventing journey.
Jan 24, 2022
Leaderboard
The USEA Lady Rider of 2021 is Leading the Charge in Elevating Eventing Competition on the West Coast
Tamie Smith’s year has been nothing short of action-packed as she packed up all 25 of her competition horses and made her way to the East Coast for the first part of the year before hopping on a jet to Tokyo where she served as the U.S. team reserve for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She then stayed overseas and competed abroad for a little while before returning home to the West Coast. While this year has been full of opportunities to show, her aspirations are bigger than just competition. The 2021 Bates USEA Lady Rider of the Year has been full steam ahead chasing goals in both her riding career as well as in her impact on the sport’s future.
Jan 23, 2022
Area Resources
Meet the USEA Areas: Area I
Get to know each United States Eventing Association (USEA) Areas a little better in this new series, Meet the Areas! This month’s feature is USEA Area I which is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Founded in the 1960s, Area I was the birthplace of the United States Combined Training Association (USCTA) which was founded in 1959 and would later evolve into the USEA in 2001. In 2021 just under 800 members made up the membership count in Area I.
Jan 22, 2022
Instructors
A Treasure Trove of Information: Get Another Sneak Peek at the USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels
Trainers, riders, parents, and more are in for a real treat when the all-new USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels is officially released. Those participating in the 2022 USEA Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP) Symposium at Barnstaple South Farm in Ocala, Florida on February 8-9 will be the first to set eyes on this all-encompassing guide that has been two years in the making.
Jan 21, 2022
Young Event Horse
Get Your Young Event Horses Ready: 2022 YEH Calendar and YEH Rule Change Updates Announced
The USEA established the Young Event Horse (YEH) program in 2004 to identify young horses that possess the talent and disposition to, with proper training, excel at the uppermost levels of the sport. While the goal of the YEH program is to identify horses that will be successful at the four- and five-star levels, horses with the potential for lower-level success are also showcased by the program.
