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A Horse Trial aims to be a test of all-round horsemanship. Auchinleck Horse Trials, which is a One-Day Event, consists of three phases: Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross-Country. Auchinleck has 4 different levels of difficulty varying from Pre-Novice to Advanced - allowing competitors with different levels of experience to take part. Each has its own difficulty of Dressage test and height and complexity of fences.
The test has sequences of movements at walk, trot and canter. Judge(s) award marks from 0 to 10 for each movement. Penalties are converted to a percentage - therefore the highest placed horse will have the lowest score. No one has ever scored full marks for the complete test, so it safe to assume that everyone will incur penalties in this section. Examples of the tests which are being used in last years horse trials
are shown below using Flash. Try them by clicking on the links below.
In a One-Day event, Show Jumping is usually the second phase.
There will be 8 to 12 obstacles laid out in an arena, which will be in front of Auchinleck House. At least one of these will be a double or treble combination of fences. Heights of the fences and speeds are shown in the table on the left.
In eventing jumping penalties are given for mistakes and disobedience, so knocking over a pole or a refusal at a fence incurs 4 penalties.
The third section of a one-day horse trial is the Cross Country, in which the jumping potential, speed, courage and endurance of a well schooled fit
horse is tested over a course of 1 to 3 miles long. Jumps are imposing
and intended to test the riders' confidence in their horse and prove the
riders' judgement of speed over natural country. In each case, jumping
ability is essential.
Mistakes are severely penalised with 20 penalties for the first refusal
to jump a fence and 40 for the second at the same fence. There are 65
penalties if the rider falls from his or her horse - 70 penalties if both
horse and rider fall. It is not a race, but the speed and judgement of
pace are very important as there is an optimum time set for the cross-country.
Click here to see our Courses. The penalties for all three phases - Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross-country are totalled and the competitor with the lowest score, i.e. least number of penalties, is the winner. The current scores on the day can be viewed in the marquee, near the
show jumping arena, on the day of the event. The scores will also be available
on this site on the next day.
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The
Dressage test is ridden in a rectangular arena, like the one shown on
the right.