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One Day Events - Horse Trials
This page is a short introduction for interested newcomers and is not intended for detailed reference purposes - if you have in-depth questions please consult the current IPC Horse Trials rule book, which is available from your club, or ask your club's secretary. For competition ages, height of jumps, etc. please consult the Irish Pony Club Guide to Competition Ages.
What are Horse Trials?
Objectives & Prerequisites
Age groups & Eligibility
Dressage Part
Show Jumping Part
Cross Country Part
How to enter
List of the 2008 IPC Horse Trials (.xls file)
Championships
More rules
What are Horse Trials?
One Day Events (ODEs) and Horse Trials are two different names for the exact same thing. They are usually referred to as Horse Trials, One Day Events (ODEs), or simply Events. ODEs are competitions that consist of three parts: a dressage test, a round of show-jumping and a cross-country course but take place on one day - hence the name. The championships take part over two days.
The scores from all three phases are taken and added, and the winner is the one with the lowest penalty score in dressage, with the fastest clear across country, and clear showjumping.
Back to top Objectives and Prerequisites
Eventing provides the Irish Pony Club with a competition requiring Courage, determination, and all-round riding ability on the part of the rider, and careful and systematic training of the horse. Its object is to encourage a higher standard of riding throughout the Irish Pony Club, and to stimulate among the future generation a greater interest in riding as a sport and as a recreation.
There are very strict rules about tack and dress, which are explained fully in the manual, and which will be circulated before anyone enters for their one day events. To be eligible to compete in Associate, Member, Intermediate and Junior classes, you must have passed your C test. In the Under 12 class, riders should have passed the D+ test. All riders must be active members of their Branch and be paid up members of the Irish Pony Club. They must have participated at three appropriate rallies since 1st June of the previous year, two of which should be cross country and on the horse on which they now wish to event. District Commissioners have discretion in this regard, and have to sign off on the form that this particular child is able to go cross country.
Back to top The age groups for eventing are as follows:
Ponies and horses must be 5 years old or over for all competitions, there is no height limit for horses but a horse/pony is only allowed to go under one rider at one event. It must not go eventing again the next day!
Consult the Irish Pony Club Guide to Competition Ages for up-to-date information.
Also keep in mind that the rider must have participated in at least 3 rallies since 1st June in the previous year.
U12 - children who are under 12 years of age on 1st January of current calendar year; must have D+ Test to participate. U12s cannot qualify for the IPC ODE championships, which are held in a different location each year at the end of August! The maximum height of jumps is 75cm for show jumping and cross-country.
Juniors - children who are under 15 years of age on 1st January of current calendar year; competitors must have C-Test! Teams of 3 or 4 can participate in the IPC ODE championships. The maximum height of jumps is 90cm for show jumping and 95cm for cross-country.
Intermediates - participants must be under 21 years of age on 1st January of current calendar year; competitors must have C-Test! Teams of 3 or 4 can participate in the IPC ODE championships. The maximum height of jumps is 1m for show jumping and cross-country.
Members - must be under 21 years of age on 1st January; competitors must have C-Test! Teams of 3 or 4 can participate in the IPC ODE championships. The maximum height of jumps is 1.10m for show jumping and for cross-country.
Senior Associates Individual Section B - must be under 23 years of age on 1st January; competitors must have C-Test! Teams of 3 or 4 can participate in the IPC ODE championships. The maximum height of jumps is 1m for show jumping and for cross-country.
Senior Associates Individual Section A - must be under 23 years of age on 1st January; competitors must have C-Test! Teams of 3 or 4 can participate in the IPC ODE championships. The maximum height of jumps is 1.10m for show jumping and for cross-country.
Back to top ODEs consist of the following competitions:
1. A dressage test (if you don't know what a dressage test is please consult our pure dressage page)
General: The dressage test must be ridden from memory and is available from your club secretary. There is no time limit, and the movements of the test must follow in the order laid down. The arena for these tests is 20 metres by 40m, (the size of the arena will be specified on the test - higher tests are often ridden in a 20m by 60m arena) and the boundary will be marked. If the pony goes outside of the boundary during the test, marks will be deducted, or elimination may follow. If you get mixed up, or make a mistake while riding the test, marks are deducted. You may carry a whip, but use of your voice for encouragement or anything else is prohibited! When your test is finished, the judge will mark the sheet and hand it back to you as soon as possible. Whips are not allowed at the championships!
There are different dressage tests for the different age groups but the same test is used for all pony club ODEs during the same calendar year. They might change from one year to another so please check with your club secretary. The dressage test is always the first of the three parts of a ODE. Note: You will get a dressage time from your own club a few days before the ODE which must be adhered to! There are usually many competitors and for organisational reasons if you are too late you will not be allowed to ride your dressage test!
Tests: The IPC Eventing dressage test is now usually identical with the Combined Training dressage test for the year, however make sure you this is so in case the rule is changed again. Please consult the Irish Pony Club Guide to Competition ages for the current tests.
Scoring: The theoretical maximum score in a dressage test is 100%. However, this score is never reached - not even at the Olympics! You can collect your dressage scoring sheet at the end of a ODE and this is highly recommended because the judge's comments tell you what you are good at and what you might want to improve on. Your test will say something like 46.2 - these are faults and means you scored 53.8% in your dressage. Since the dressage scores will have to be combined with those from the jumping disciplines your score is deducted from 100 to give the faults so the lower your score the better!
Back to top 2. A round of show-jumping
General: A regular round of show jumps is jumped in an arena in a field. Jumped under SJAI rules, with a few modifications. There is only one round, no jump-off. The course consists of seven to ten numbered showjumps, at least three of which will be spreads and will include a double combination. Practice fences will be provided. There is a time allowed and a time limit in operation. The showjumping course should also be carefully walked on foot, and a note taken of where the start and finish are.
The difficulty of the jumps varies for the different age groups. Please contact your club's ODE secretary for more information. For heights see the Irish Pony Club Guide to Competition Ages. The IPC Eventing Rule Book will specify the size of the jumps in detail and will tell you which kinds of jumps are allowed for which age group. Ask your club secretary for a copy since it is important to know all the rules before going eventing.
Scoring:
Penalties: There are lots of different things that can incur penalties or even elimination as you will probably know from having done show jumping before. However, don't assume that IPC show jumping always follows the SJAI rules - it doesn't necessarily! Again please check the IPC Horse Trials Rule Book for details.
The total faults are added to the dressage score.
Back to top 3. A cross-country course
General: This is most people's favourite part of the day. However, the fences are very solid, and you must have done some training, or at least have hunted, before entering for a one day event. The fences are solid, fixed and imposing, and can include water, banks, drains, skinny fences, and almost anything else. Obstacles are numbered and flagged, with the RED flag on the RIGHT, and the WHITE flag on the LEFT, always. You must walk the course at least once before riding over it, preferably with a knowledgeable adult, and as few chattering companions as possible, as you need to concentrate and pay careful attention to your own jumps! These are always colour coded, and you will have to find out at the start which is yours, e.g. U12 yellow on a white background, junior green on a yellow background (this will vary from one Horse Trial to another). You can often see a course plan at the Secretary's tent. There is always a time allowed for the cross country, and if you are very slow or have a problem with a jump, you will also probably have time faults. Heights for the cross country are in the IPC Horse Trials Rule book, which you can get from your club's secretary.
Also see the Irish Pony Club Guide to Competition Ages.
Cross country is run in numerical order, so you have to be careful to be ready when it's your turn, with your horse warmed up and ready to go. The start is usually in a square timber enclosure, and you are counted down from ten to GO!, which is when things get a bit tense! If you have problems on the course, you MUST GIVE WAY to a competitor who has caught up to you. It is very unfair to make another competitor stop in front of a jump because you haven't got out of the way in time. Apart from anything else, it will make you extremely unpopular as you've ruined their chances for the day. You will be eliminated also for outside assistance from parents or anyone on the ground, and in championships, this includes verbal instructions.
Penalties:
First refusal, run out or circle at obstacle 20 penalties Second refusal, run out or circle at obstacle 40 penalties Third refusal, run out or circle at obstacle Elimination First fall of rider Elimination Fall of horse Elimination Omission of obstacle or boundary flag Elimination Jumping fence in the wrong order Elimination Horse resisting rider for 60 seconds Elimination Exceeding time limit Elimination Continuing course with chinstrap unfastened or without hat
Elimination Forbidden assistance Elimination There are a few more, but these should cover all the faults which will lead to elimination.
Scoring: Cross-country obstacles are solid and can usually not be knocked. There is a penalty of 20 faults for the first refusal of a fence. You will get an additional 40 faults for the second refusal on the same fence (i.e. 60 faults altogether) a third refusal of the same fence will lead to elimination - if this happens you must dismount immediately and lead your pony back!
Back to top How to enter
ODEs must be booked through your own pony club. So don't contact the organising club yourself because your DC must send in your entry on a special form. Your club needs the name of the rider, the passport name of the pony and the competition you want to enter for.
Headquarters have asked us to ensure members do not enter for One Day Events themselves - ODE entries must be approved by our DC and sent in on a special form together with payment so please enter through our club by texting the ODE you would like to enter for AND the child's name AND the pony's name to the club phone AND sending a cheque to our treasurer.
Please remember to send a cheque to our treasurer when you book an IPC One-Day-Event over our club mobile. The bookings may only be sent on by our DC and need to be paid at the time of booking, i.e. in advance!
This year's ODEs
A list of the current year's pony club ODEs is usually available from the IPC website and from your club's ODE secretary.
Back to top ODE Championships
Junior: Must have completed two approved IPC ODE's , one clear and the other with not more than 20 cross country penalties.
Intermediates: Must have competed in 2 IPC one day events one of which must have been completed without cross country jumping penalties, and one not more than 20 jumping penalties.
Members: Have to complete all section of Members competition at two IPC one day events. (More ways to qualify in Rules)
Horse Trials Rules:
Note: Not all rules could be dealt with here since this is just a short reference page. If you decide you are interested in Eventing please make sure you are familiar with the full IPC Horse Trials rule book. This is available from the IPC website now.
Back to top