DEFINITIONS

Dressage: The art or method of training a horse in obedience and in precision of movement. The sport evolved from ancient military techniques for training horses for battle. A dressage test consists of a series of prescribed movements to be executed in a specified order within an arena. Riders and horses are judged on each movement with a score between 1 and 10, 10 being perfectly executed, and 1 being not executed. At the end of the test, the scores of all the movements are tallied and calculated to determine the percent of the total possible points the pair earned. Their score is presented as a percentage, the pair with the highest percentage wins the class.

Eventing: The sport of taking part in equestrian competitions with three phases; dressage, cross-country and show jumping. Eventing, like dressage, is evolved from the cavalry training techniques used to test their horses' obedience, bravery and endurance, and agility after two days of grueling competition. The dressage test is judged in the same way as in the sport of Dressage, but the final score is presented in a number of penalties. The horse and rider may incur further penalties on the cross country course and show jumping course by exceeding the optimum time, finishing the course within the speed faults time, refusing or running out of an obstacle, knocking an obstacle down, and more recently-triggering a frangible device on a cross country obstacle.

Show Jumping: Sometimes referred to as Stadium Jumping, it is a sport where horse and rider jump a series of fences in an enclosed arena. Spectator friendly and easy to understand, the object for the show jumper is to negotiate a series of obstacles, where emphasis is placed on height and width, and to do so without lowering the height (knocking down) or refusing to jump any of the obstacles. The time taken to complete the course is also a factor. The show jumping course tests a horse’s athleticism, agility and tractability while simultaneously testing a rider’s precision, accuracy and responsiveness. While its actual origins remain somewhat unclear, competitive show jumping has nonetheless enjoyed immense popularity worldwide since the early 1900s, and the discipline continues to enjoy growth and prosperity. In today’s show ring, horses and ponies of all sizes and breeds compete in classes representing varying levels of challenge. Likewise, classes exist for virtually every level of rider from the novice amateur to the seasoned international professional. To learn more about the thrilling discipline of show jumping.

Resources

Welcome to the TVDCTA’s Resources page!

For information about the Dressage classes offered at TVDCTA Schooling Shows please visit our Dressage Resources page
For information about the Combined Training classes offered at TVDCTA Schooling Shows please visit our Eventing Resources page
For information about the Show Jumping classes offered at TVDCTA Schooling Shows please visit our Show Jumping Resources page
Check out all the books and DVDs we have in our Library!

On each page you will find class descriptions, links to the dressage classes, and links to the USEF Rulebook for each discipline. It is the goal of the TVDCTA to foster a safe, fun and challenging learning environment for our competitors and members within the guidance of the rules from our governing organizations. Please ensure you are familiar with the appropriate set of rules before you come compete with us!

We try our best to cater our shows to those who are relatively inexperienced with showing horses in Dressage, Combined Training (Eventing), and Jumping. We frequently get questions regarding the “Rider Level” or “Division” section of the entry form.

Open (O) designates a rider that is deemed a professional by the FEI, USEF, or other governing organizations (links below)
Adult Amateur (AA) designates a rider over the age of 22 that is not deemed a professional by any Equestrian Organization
Junior (JR) and Young Riders (YR) are riders that are under 18 (Junior) or 22 (Young Rider) who are not deemed a professional.

For further questions regarding Amateur versus Open status, please read this handy article from Chronicle of the Horse!

If you have further questions about any of the classes offered or what to expect at a TVDCTA Schooling Show, please contact the Show Secretary at TVDCTA.ShowSecretary@gmail.com

The TVDCTA’s governing organizations

The United States Equestrian Federation

The United States Dressage Federation

United States Eventing Association

United States Hunter Jumper Association

Alabama Hunter Jumper Association

Federation Equestre Internationale – FEI