Photo by J.L. Parker 2000

WHAT IS GRAND PRIX?

The term Grand Prix comes from the French and means richest or greatest prize. The word is often used to designate the most challenging or sophisticated level of competition in a particular sport.

Second only to soccer as the most popular television sport in England, show jumping in America has seen remarkable growth in popularity in the past ten years. The Team Silver medal performance of the United States Equestrian Team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics has thrust the sport into the spotlight.

Show jumping is easy to understand. The challenge is simple and straight-forward: 15 - 20 obstacles. Should a horse fall, balk or down any portion of an obstacle (fence), penalty points, called faults, are assessed. Riders and horses must negotiate the course at the correct angle, height and speed to clear fences without incurring faults. Riders must also be mindful of the ever-ticking clock. The rider who races too fast may grow careless and knock down a fence; an overly cautious rider may incur time faults. The starting order, or line-up, is determined in a drawing before the class so that each rider has an equal chance of attaining a favorable position. Riders near the end of the starting order have the advantage of seeing how the first riders complete the course.

HISTORY
There are practically no references before the 'Restoration' to jumping as we know it. Occasionally, one reads of a fugitive from battle escaping his pursuers by a leap which they could not emulate, but no one dreamed of teaching his horse to jump.

But, by the late eighteenth century, jumping became an essential feature of hunting. During the same period, the improvement in English horses, largely due to the import of Arabians by Cromwell and the Stuart Kings, produced a horse which could gallop and jump at virtually any speed.

During that same century, foxhunting became popular, partly because it was not, like shooting, restricted to a few privileged people. Britain led the popularization of equestrian displays in small permanent amphitheaters where shows were a mixture of music hall performances and riding school exhibitions.

But it was left to the French to take over the development of riding skills and for three centuries (17th to 19th) they produced a wealth of great horseman who evolved the principles of riding that are used today.

Literature suggests that the birth of Grand Prix style show jumping took place in Paris in 1866.

It was in 1906 that the Swedish Count Clarence von Rosen proposed to the congress of the International Olympic Committee that equestrian sports should be included on a permanent basis in the Games.

In 1912, at the Games in Stockholm, three equestrian events were introduced—dressage, show jumping and three-day eventing. Eight countries were represented—Belgium, Chile, France, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Russia and Sweden. French rider, Captain Cariou, won the individual gold medal, Sweden won the team gold medal, followed by France and Germany.

By 1944, under new International Equestrian Federation rules, a record entry of 99 riders from 17 countries entered the Paris Olympics.

The inaugural Grand Prix in the United States took place in 1965 in Cleveland. Over the years, a circuit of events has formed and the number of Grand Prix events has increased steadily, from eight major events during the late 1960's to over a hundred events currently offering several million dollars in prize money.

THE RIDERS
In the past, jumping was thought to be a sport only for wealthy gentleman riders. This has proven to be a misconception today by the tremendous increase in the number of private owners of pleasure horses. In the United States there are about ~ million horses and 27 million riders.

Today show jumping is one of the few sports where men and women compete as equals, with riders coming from all walks of life, with ages varying from 16 to 60.

Often a rider will compete on more than one horse in a Grand Prix. This requires extraordinary riding ability, as each horse has different characteristics and temperaments; the rider must adjust accordingly.

The goal of many of the riders is to compete as a member of the United States Equestrian Team, and ultimately in the Olympics.

THE HORSES
Only recently have horses been bred to jump, and with the great element of chance involved in jumping, only time will tell whether or not heredity and bloodlines are an essential part of a good jumper.

THE COURSE
No two courses are designed the same in Grand Prix jumping. The designer's goal is to set up a challenging course that only a half dozen or more horses can complete with no faults.

Horses need dimensions to assist them in negotiating a tough course and designers try to fill in gaps and spaces under and around the fences with flowers, shrubbery, boxed plants, planking, etc. to help the horse's depth perception.

Good course designers alter their courses according to the level of competition. They seek color and variety in their jumps. The first one or two jumps are often simpler in nature so that the animal can build confidence as he proceeds to the more difficult obstacles ahead.

The course is a test of the horse and the rider, making specific demands in timing, judgment and jumping ability. The course designers can present a variety of problems to the riders. This is done by varying the distances between the fences, the type of combinations, (two or more related fences known as double and triple combinations) and also by changing the placement of the fences which will alter the direction in the course track.

Fences are positioned in the arena with the distance between them carefully measured to calculate the maximum time allowed the riders to complete the course without incurring time penalties. This time is based on a speed of 360 yards per minute for courses under 700 yards, and 382 yards per minute for courses over 700 yards.

WALKING THE COURSE
Rider's preview their upcoming rides in advance by walking the line they intend to ride. This is the only time the riders get to look at the course. The horse sees the course only when he and his rider enter the ring to compete.

Each rider knows the length of his horse's stride, and walks the course accordingly (roughly 12 to 14 human paces equals one canter stride of a horse). The riders pace off the distance between fences and determine how best to adjust this to their own horse's strides. Riders also take note of the different types of fences offered, their relationship to one another, the course footing and any other potential problem areas, then they regulate the horses stride accordingly. Furthermore, they try to find where a tighter line can save vital time when jumping against the clock. The rider's job is to guide his horse to each fence in a controlled and balanced manner, so that the horse may jump easily and land galloping on to the next fence without having to regain his balance or break his stride.

SIZING UP THE COURSE—TAKE OFF POINT
This is the optimal point to which the rider must maneuver the horse in order to clear the jump. If the take off point is too long, too far away from the jump, the horse will land too early and chance knocking down the fence with his hind legs. If the take off point is too close, the horse will usually knock down the fence with his front legs on his way over.

SCORING
All jumper classes are subject to the same scoring systems. Horse and rider must take the fences in a designated sequence. Their goal is to cover the course with no faults within the time allowed for the course. Style is not considered and does not affect the scoring in jumper competitions.

When any part of the fence is knocked down the pair receives4 faults. If a horse steps on the edge (the Lathe) of (or in) the water jump they will receive 4 faults.

The first time a refusal to jump occurs, the penalty is 3 faults; 6 faults are given for the second refusal and the third refusal constitutes elimination. If either the horse or rider falls then the duo will be eliminated.

There is also a penalty for exceeding the time allowed to complete the course, 1/4 of a time fault is given for each second or part of a second over the time allowed. The horse with the fewest faults (penalties) is the winner.

Some open jumper classes are 'time first jump-off' classes. After one round, all horses that have jumped without any penalties are asked to come back for a jump-off round over a shortened course. In the jump-off the same scoring rules apply, except that in the case of equality of faults, the horse with the fastest tie will be declared the winner.

A rider may make the decision not to continue on course and to leave the ring or voluntary withdraw from the class. Usually indicated with a nod of the head or tip of the hat to the judge. The decision to withdraw may be because of a problem with the horse or trouble negotiating the course, or because the rider knows they have accumulated too many faults to place in the ribbons.

THE JUMPS

The general types of jumps used in competition are straight or vertical fences and spread (wide) fences. The degree of difficulty is determined by its height, width, construction and placement in relation to other jumps on the course.

Vertical: This is a straight up and down fence of any height without spread or width to it. Although it looks relatively simple, it is actually one of the most difficult for a horse to jump.

The Wall: This is a very ominous, solid looking fence and the horses tend to jump walls very boldly. The top several sections of the wall are individual blocks which can be dislodged in give the knockdown penalty.

Oxer: This jump consists of two elements in one jump in order to produce a spread. The parallel oxer, in which the front and back rails are of equal height is the most difficult to jump.

Triple bar: is another spread fence using three elements of graduating heights. It is a relatively easy jump although usually very wide.

Combination: This is a series of fences one or two strides apart. There may be two or three fences involved and they can be of any type. Combinations are very demanding, for if the first element is not jumped correctly, it is very difficult in the short space before the next fence to correct the horses' stride to clear the rest of the combination. The number of fences in a combination are marked with the same number followed by the letter of order i.e. 1A, 1B, 1C, signifying that they are all part of a combination. If a horse stops at a fence in any part of the combination, the rider must start over again from the first fence of the combination and jump all the elements (A, B and C) again.

Photo by J.L. Parker 2000

Water Jump: A low hedge of fence usually marks the leading edge of the jump although it may be placed in the center of the water. The width of the jump a distance of 12'-16' makes this a very difficult fence to negotiate. The horse must clear the white tape on the far side of the water or incur jumping faults.

Gate: This fence is a vertical made to appear solid and imposing by using planks, balustrades, gates and or brush.

HUNTER DIVISION

Hunter competitions are based on the horse. Judges try to determine which horse in each class comes closest to the ideal mount for a ride to hounds. The horse should be beautiful with a small head and a correct and proportional conformation. The judges are looking for as much quality as possible.

The horse should be well turned out. He needs to be completely clean, and his coat shiny. His mane should be braided with many small and evenly spaced braids, and his tail braided and well combed out. It is important for the tack (saddle and bridle) to be clean and supple, and any metal (bits, stirrup, etc.) be well shined.

The horse's movement and carriage are an important part of the presentation. He should have as little action in his legs as possible (less action conserves energy for the longs days in the hunt field). The horse should be light and graceful across the ground. A relaxed horse with a long, low neck and a good expression (ears forward and alert) is the most desirable.

Probably the most important consideration when judging hunters is jumping style. The horse should jump with his front legs folded high and evenly. His head and neck should stretch out and down to insure a well balanced jump. It is important that horse's body and legs stay straight while jumping, and that the horse stays in the middle of the jump. His expression should say that he enjoys his job (ears forward), and his jumping should appear effortless. A top hunter does not appear nervous or difficult to handle.

The hunter rider's main job is to show off his horse. While the rider himself is not being judged, he can do a lot to present his horse favorably to the judges. The rider must show how easy and enjoyable his horse is to ride. The rider should demonstrate as little motion as possible, and appear to be relaxed. The rider's round should not look like work.

THE HUNTER COURSE AND JUMPS
The hunter course is designed to simulate actual hunt field conditions. A typical hunter course is comprised of approximately eight jumps. The jumps consist of natural colored rails, gates and brush. The course includes verticals-rails or gates on one vertical plane; and oxers-jumps built with a second rail in back to make the jump wider. The course may include an in-an-out combination. This is two jumps placed to allow only one or two strides between the jumps which simulates jumping out of a field, crossing a road and jumping into another field, which frequently happens on a real fox hunt.

JUDGING A HUNTER "ROUND"
Judging a hunter begins the moment the horse and rider enter the ring until they leave. The rider will make an opening circle before he attempts the first jump. During this circle the judges get their first look at the horse. This is where careful turn-out of a horse and rider becomes important. A pretty horse that moves well and has a relaxed, confident manner will have a better change at making a favorable first impression.

The most important part of the round are the jumps. The judges are looking for consistent jumping efforts. The horse should clear each jump confidently, easily, and in good style. The pace from the beginning to end should remain about the same, with any sudden changes being penalized. Knocking down a jump, or refusing to jump are heavily penalized. The horse is expected to stay in the middle of each jump and to move easily through the corners. The most beautiful horse with the smoothest round and the best jumping efforts should end up the winner.

THE UNDER SADDLE CLASS
Hunter Under Saddle (U/S) classes are conducted on the flat with a group of horses. The horses are judged on the walk, trot and canter. The judges are considering movement and manners.

A top show hunter moves fluidly and effortlessly with the least amount of movement or action or the horse's legs. Manners are important in the Under Saddle classes. The horse should work quietly in a group with only light contact on his mouth. He should appear relaxed, confident, and happy. His ears should be up, his neck stretched out and his head down. Ears back, a high head, or tail swishing are heavily penalized.

CHAMPION AND RESERVE CHAMPION
At each show there are several hunter divisions. The divisions are based on different criteria. Some hunter divisions are based on different criteria. Some hunter divisions are for young or older horses; for children or adults; and for amateurs or professionals. Each of these divisions will have three or four jumping classes and one Under Saddle class. Points are awarded for ribbons earned in each class and the two with the highest points are awarded the Champion or Reserve ribbon for their division.

SCORING A HUNTER CLASS

Major Faults
Refusal; rail down
Cross canter or wrong lead; sudden to severe pace change
Hanging a leg when jumping
Knees pointing down when jumping
Running away or out of control
Bucking or kicking out

Minor Faults
Pace changes or uneven pace
Slight rubs on the jumps
Uneven front legs, twisting body
Not in the center of the jump
Unhappy expression (ears back, tail swishing)
Mouth open; high head

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