Eventing is a complicated and demanding sport. Not only do you have to become proficient in 3 different disciplines, you also must be aware of 3 different sets of rules.The U.S. Equestrian Federation Rules for Eventing is important to read and understand.

However here are the top 5 rules that often lead to elimination if not followed:

Your horse must wear an identification number once on the show grounds when being ridden or hand walked. Your horse can only be schooled by the rider, beginning at 3p.s. the day prior to the start of the event.

A hard hat must be worn on your head when riding your horse on the flat; your dressage competition phase headgear can be a velvet hunt cap or a harnassed helmet (at any horse trials level), or a top hat at intermediate and advanced, if you decide to wear tails.

Check the length of your dressage whip, many are too long for the new rule of 43.3 inches, including the lash. You do not want to be caught with a whip exceeding the length, as it leads to elimination.

Leave your cell phone in the stall. New rules are very strict about no chatting on the phone while mounted as this is an obvious safety hazard to you and others around you.

Make sure that you have memorized the correct test for your level. Many riders suddenly realize they learned the wrong test when watching the competitors before them…check the omnimbus and learn the correct test.

Know the bell type of your ring, once sounded, you have 45 seconds to enter the arena. It could be a car horn, whistle, horn, etc..if in doubt, do not hesitate to ask the judge if she has rung the bell.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 15th, 2006 at 10:34 am and is filed under Cross Country. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.