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.
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.
Finishing Score Zones
Per-Phase Zones
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.
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.
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.
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).
Lastly, we have pulled the 2019 record dressage scores and record finishing scores from the Novice level. These are some very impressive 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.
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.
As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
There is so much more to proper grooming than keeping your horse picture-perfect for the horse inspection. Good grooming practices are critical to proper horse management, no matter if you are planning for your next FEI appearance or your Starter level debut. To help you maximize your knowledge of grooming practices, we opened up the opportunity for USEA members to submit any questions they might have on our Instagram and Facebook stories. In this week's episode, Host Nicole Brown sits down with three of the highest-regarded grooms in this industry, Max Corcoran, Emma Ford, and Stephanie Simpson, and asks them all of your questions and more to help you perfect the art of grooming.