Jul 17, 2022

Rule Refresher: What Will Be Expected of Me at the Preliminary, Intermediate, and Advanced Level?

By Meagan DeLisle - USEA Staff
USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo

Preparing for your first horse trial and not sure what is expected of you at each level? In the last few editions of Rule Refresher we will be diving into each level and the performance expectations of each phase and in this final edition we outline the Preliminary, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. Want to better prepare yourself or your students for their first competition or a move-up? The USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels is a free resource to all USEA members that outlines clear and consistent guidelines for riders and trainers to refer to when navigating their way through the competition levels. You can access this guide by logging into your online services account.

Text has been taken directly from the USEF Rules for Eventing with emphasis added by the USEA.

For an additional description of the types of obstacles that may be presented at a given level, please refer to the USEA Cross-Country Obstacle Design Guidelines, which are not specifically incorporated by reference.

APPENDIX 1 - LEVELS OF HORSE TRIALS

5. Preliminary: The Preliminary Level is a moderate examination of competitors and horses in a regular training program preparing for Two Star Events.

a. Dressage: The dressage test may include medium paces at the trot and canter, as well as the
introduction of leg yielding, shoulder in, rein back, and changes of lead through the trot
.

b. Cross-Country: The cross-country should include tests of accuracy, agility, boldness, control, judgment and jumping ability. Obstacles may be on a bounce distance.

c. Show Jumping: The jumping course must include either (i) two or three doubles; or (ii) a double and a triple combination.

  1. The jumping course should be more technical than the Training Level and may require lengthening or shortening of stride.

6. Intermediate: The Intermediate Level is an examination of increasing technical difficulty, preparing competitors and horses for Three Star Events.

a. Dressage: The dressage test may include canter to halt and walk to canter transitions, as well as turns on the haunches, simple changes, counter canter and half pass.

b. Cross-Country: The cross-country should now combine in more elaborate settings the tests introduced at the Preliminary Level, such as combinations with more than one question to be solved.

c. Show Jumping: The jumping course must include either (i) a double and a triple combination; or (ii) three doubles, with more related distances, and technical questions than the preliminary.

7. Advanced: The Advanced Level is the highest national level of Horse Trials. It offers tests of significant difficulty designed to prepare competitors and horses for either Four or Five Star Events.

a. Dressage: The dressage test may include extensions in all three paces, half pass at the trot and/or
canter, and single flying changes
.

b. Cross-Country: The cross-country should be clearly a test of boldness and scope as it now combines size with technical difficulty.

c. Show Jumping: The jumping course must include either (i) a double and a triple combination; or (ii) three doubles. The jumping course must be the most technical Division of the national competition.

Want to catch up on past rule refreshers? Click here.

Sep 27, 2023 Competitions

Fast Facts: 2023 USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships

With the goal of creating a pathway for young horses in the U.S. and participants of the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Program, earlier this year the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and USEA joined forces to launch the USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships for 6- and 7-year-olds.

Sep 26, 2023 Eventing News

The Race to Le Lion: Gina Set to Receive 2023 Holekamp/Turner Grant

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce that Gina, owned by Corwin Sport Horses, LLC, is the likely recipient of the 2023 Holekamp/Turner Grant and The Dutta Corp. prize. Gina (Gentleman x Ballerina) is a 7-year-old Hanoverian mare ridden by Chris Talley and was bred by Hartwig Von Holten in Germany.

Sep 26, 2023 Competitions

Start Your Engines—Starter Level to Be USEA Recognized for 2024 Eventing Season

At the August USEA Board of Governors meeting, a proposition was brought forth to officially recognize what is commonly referred to as “Starter level” as a USEA division. For many years now, Starter level has been offered as a test at USEA approved events. The decision to recognize the level officially would allow those competing in Starter level divisions to receive recognition on the USEA Leaderboards and to compete at the Starter level at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) in the future. The motion was approved to recognize this level, and the USEA staff have been hard at work preparing all of the rules, guidelines, and standards that will go along with this level’s recognition for the 2024 season.

Sep 25, 2023 Eventing News

Four-Star Victory by Karma and Alliston Have Them Ready to Take on the World

Karma is developing into one of the fastest and most-reliable cross-country horses in the West. The 9-year-old bay Oldenburg mare and James Alliston won their third-straight blue ribbon together at either the four-star or Advanced level in the CCI4*-S at the Twin Rivers Fall International in Paso Robles, California, with the only double-clear cross-country round on Saturday.

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