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Equestrian Show Jumping

Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping" or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows are limited exclusively to jumpers, sometimes jumper classes are offered in conjunction with other English-style events, and sometimes show jumping is but one division of very large, all-breed competitions that include a very wide variety of disciplines. Jumping classes may be governed by various national horse show sanctioning organizations, such as the United States Equestrian Federation in the USA. However, international competitions are governed by the rules of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).

History

Show jumping is a relatively new equestrian sport. Until the Enclosure Acts which came into force in England in the eighteenth century there had been little need for horses to routinely jump fences. But with this act of parliament came new challenges for those who followed fox hounds. The enclosures act brought fencing and boundaries to many parts of the country as common ground was dispersed amongst the wealthy landowners. This meant that those wishing to pursue their sport now needed horses which were capable of jumping these obstacles.

In the early shows held in France, there was a parade of competitors who then took off across country for the jumping. This sport was, however, not popular with spectators as they could not watch the jumping. Thus, it was not long before fences began to appear in the arena. This became known as Lepping. 1869 was the year ‘horse leaping’ came to prominence at Dublin horse show.[1] Fifteen years later, Lepping competitions were brought to Britain and by 1900 most of the more important shows had Lepping classes. Women, riding side-saddle, had their own classes.

At this time, the principal cavalry schools of Europe at Pinerolo and Tor-di-Quinto in Italy, the French school in Saumur and the Spanish school in Vienna all preferred to use a very deep seat with long stirrups when jumping. This style of riding was perhaps more secure for the rider, but it also impeded the freedom of the horse to use its body to the extent needed to clear large obstacles.

The Italian Instructor Captain Fiederico Caprilli heavily influenced the world of jumping with his ideas that a forward position with shorter stirrups would not impede the balance of the horse negotiating obstacles. This style, now known as the forward seat,is commonly used today. The deep, Dressage-style seat, while useful for riding on the flat and in conditions where control of the horse is of greater importance than freedom of movement, is sometimes referred to with disparagement as a "backward" seat in some jumping circles.

The first major show jumping competition held in England was at Olympia in 1907. Most of the competitors were members of the military and it became clear at this competition and in the subsequent years that there was no uniformity of rules for the sport. Judges marked on their own opinions. Some marked according to the severity of the obstacle and others marked according to style. Before 1907 there were no penalties for a refusal and the competitor was sometimes asked to miss the fence to please the spectators. The first courses were built with little imagination; many consisting of only a straight bar fence and a water jump. A meeting was arranged in 1923 which led to the formation of the BSJA in 1925. In the United States, a similar need for national rules for jumping and other equestrian activities led to the formation of the American Horse Shows Association in 1917, now known as the United States Equestrian Federation.

Show jumping was first incorporated into the Olympic Games in 1912 and has thrived ever since, its popularity due in part to its suitability as a spectator sport which can be viewed on television.

Rules

The international governing body for most major show jumping competitions is the Federation Equestrian Internationale (FEI). The two most common types of penalties are jumping penalties and time penalties.

• Jumping Penalties: Jumping penalties are assessed for refusals and knockdowns, with each refusal or knockdown adding four faults to a competitor's score.
  
  
• Penalties for knockdowns are imposed only when the knockdown changes the height of the jump. If a horse or rider knocks down a bottom or middle rail while still clearing the height of the obstacle, they receive no penalties. Penalties are assessed at the open water when the horse touches the water or white tape with any of his feet. If a rail is set over the middle of the water, faults are not accumulated for landing in the water.
  
  
• Refusals: Refusals now are penalized four faults, up from three. Within the last several years, the FEI has decreased the number of refusals resulting in elimination from three to two, and this rule has trickled down from the top levels of FEI competition to all levels of horse shows (at least in the United States).
  
  
• A refusal that results in the destruction of the integrity of a jump (running into the fence instead of jumping it, displacing poles, gates, flowers, or large clumps of turf or dirt) will not receive four faults for the knockdown, but instead the four faults for a refusal and an additional penalty while the timer is stopped for the repair or replacement of the jump. A refusal inside a combination (one- or two-stride) must re-jump the entire combination.
  
  
• Time Penalties: In the past, a common timing rule was a 1/4 second penalty for each second or fraction of a second over the time allowed. Since the early 2000s, this rule was changed by the FEI so that each second or fraction of a second over the time allowed would result in 1 time penalty (e.g. with a time allowed of 72 seconds, a time of 73.09 seconds would result in 2 time faults).

Types of Jumps

Show jumping fences are often colorful, sometimes very elaborate and artistic in design, particularly at the highest levels of competition. Types of jumps used include the following:

• Vertical - a jump that consists of poles right above each other with no spread, or width, to jump.
  
  
• Oxer - Basically two verticals close together, to make the jump wider. Also called a spread.
  
  
• Triple Bar - Is a spread fence using three elements of graduating heights. It is a relatively easy jump although usually very wide.
  
  
• Crossrail- not commonly used in sanctioned horse shows, two poles crossed on jump standards so that the center is lower than the sides. Used at small shows and for schooling purposes to help the horse jump in the center of the fence.
  
  
• Wall - This type of jump is usually made to look like a brick wall, but the "bricks" are constructed of a lightweight material and fall easily when knocked.
  
  
• Hogsback - A type of jump where the tallest pole is in the center.
  
  
• Filler - This is not a type of fence but is a solid part below the poles, such as flower boxes or a rolltop. It can also be a gate.
  
  
• Combination - usually 2 or 3 jumps in a row, with no more than 2 strides between each. 2 jumps in a row are called double combinations, and 3 jumps in a row are triple combinations. If a horse refuses the second or third element in one of these combinations, they must jump the whole combination again, not just the obstacle(s) they missed.
  
  
• Fan: the rails on one side of the fence are spread out by standards, making the fence take the shape of a fan when viewed from above.
  
  
• Open water: a wide ditch of water
  
  
• Liverpool: a ditch or large tray of water under a vertical or oxer
  
  
• Joker - a tricky fence comprising only a rustic (or unpainted) rail and two wings. The lack of filler makes it difficult for a horse to judge their proximity to the fence as well as the fence's height, making it a tricky obstacle usually found only in the upper divisions, and illegal in some competitions.