Eventing

The Eventing (English Eventing ) is known a discipline of equestrian sports (individual and team events ) and also under the previous designation Military - riding. The technical international sporting nomenclature refers to the Concours Complet Eventing French as short or CC. The versatility is a combination of sport and consists of three tests in the disciplines

• Dressage,
• Cross country and
• Jumping.

Because of repeated serious injuries and even deaths of riders and horses and the sport is often criticized. The respective sports associations are therefore sought over the years to increase the safety of the athletes and animals.

• 6.1 Olympic history

Rules in brief

An Eventing consists of three individual tests dressage, terrain and jumping. In addition, a so-called constitutional review in which it is checked whether the horse after the cross country is unharmed, the resting heart rate within a limited period is reached again and no dehydration occurred. For large international competitions there are also a first horse inspection takes place before the subregion dressage. If a horse is not one of the two constitutional tests, it is excluded from the competition. According to recent control an arrangement of a horse inspection during the test can be performed at any time by any member of the Ground Jury with possibility of exclusion. Seems overwhelmed a horse of the jury in the cross-country course or exhausted dangerously, the rider is indicated by showing a yellow flag on the concerns and the intensified observation. Increase the risk of signs in the eyes of the jury, the starter pair can be taken out of the test by showing a red flag with immediate effect.

It will be advertised in different degrees of difficulty events. For international checks between so-called short tests ( Concours International Combiné, CIC ) and long tests ( Concours Complet International, CCI) is distinguished. About a division of one to four stars, the difficulty of the tasks is evaluated. Worldwide, there are six CCI 4 * exams, these are all part of the FEI Classics.

The difference between short and long tests at tournaments is partly in the design of the site Ritts and the other in the total duration of the test. For long tests a much longer road distance to be overcome, the jumping always marks the end of Eventing. For short tests, both the cross-country course as well as the jumping form the conclusion of versatility. Short exams normally as a check on one or two days instead, in long tests, the program distributed normally for three days (hence the common name internationally Three day event for long tests).

The dressage test is always the beginning of Eventing. The result obtained in dressage can in the other partial tests not improved, but are held only by errors.

After long discussions of the early 2000s, the flow of eventing has changed significantly Until then inventory the part of the site at short tests in addition from a distance routes. For long tests had yet another way stretch and a racetrack be completed with racetrack obstacles until then. The 2004 Olympic Games in Athens contact their design of Eventing a sign of the future direction of the sport to take on the resilience of horses and riders more consideration, which also leads to more security.

The questions in eventing requirements in dressage and jumping are below those of the specialists comparable performance classes. This takes into account the different performance profile that is placed on event horses. Thus, the jumping course, the obstacles are contained, for example, less technically, not higher than 1,25 m and the distances between jumps further, as the horses need to be trained for off-road ride on a larger stride. Moreover, at fixed obstacles touching the same no problem, while this results in jumping obstacle course to shedding. For tests of the highest difficulty in the versatility they are at the level of medium dressage and jumping tasks of the specialist ( class M).

The terrain obstacles to be overcome heights and widths are in their actual size and trajectories compared to specialized jumping rather low, the difficulty arises from the optics (eg, huge trees, stacks of wood and solid wood walls, some almost free-floating ) and the integration into uneven terrain (eg a wall of 1.20 m, which immediately behind a 1 m deep trench apparently than 2 m high rises, landing in or jumping out of the water, digging in a sink with jumps in the immediate environment ( coffin ) or landing point at a different height than the jump ). Partly also special demands are placed on obedience, if the horse has a very narrow jump, where it could pass easily on one or both sides, without leaving the track. Some obstacles have a lovely overflowing optics, such as market stalls with fruit and flowers. In recent years, starting with the use of obstacles, give their compounds at a specific load or manually can be easily removed to limit the severity of falls and, where appropriate, to facilitate the rescue of fallen riders and horses. It is common practice for heavy routes to offer the riders in the particularly difficult passages two alternative ways in which often one that makes chicken way, technically slightly lower requirements, but more time to negotiate costs that must be out riding on another site, or will incur penalties. This allows the rider to adjust responsible his way to the individual characteristics and the form on the day of his horse and possibly compensate weaknesses with particular strengths elsewhere.

The Appreciation of diversity is based on penalty points. The training result is converted to an error value, where lower values ​​mean a better result. It is expected in 15s increments: 0 error points correspond to a dressage test of 100 %, 15 error points 90 %, 30 error points 75 %, etc. The worlds best sport often lie with their dressage results in less than 30 penalty points. In addition, each obstacle and time error of terrain and jumping, with penalty points will be credited on the ground with 20 penalty points or more ( eg for dangerous riding), in jumping but with only 4 leads exceeding of the given time at the completion of the cross-country course penalty points, an undercut but not plus points, but only to increased fatigue of horse and rider. Errors or crashes listed earlier for the rating within designated zones around obstacle passages of the cross-country course, but not outside it. According to more recent regulations include such errors and crashes that occur in connection with the obstacle. A fall of the horse in connection with an obstacle results in international tests for its protection to immediate disqualification.

The winner is the couple that has achieved the lowest error score after completing all three disciplines. In the constitutional review, no penalty points are awarded, but the complaint about the physical condition of the horse by injury or excessive demand leads to exclusion from the competition.

At Championships ( European Championships, FEI World Equestrian Games and Olympic Games) are allowed to start per country or NOK four or five pairs. The three best individual results are counted as in other disciplines as a team result.

Obstacles

The requirements in international competitions.

Cross-country course

Speed ​​(in meters per minute), length of the cross-country course and number of obstacles in CCI tests:

Speed ​​(in meters per minute), length of the cross-country course and number of obstacles in CIC exams:

Jumping

Clothing and equipment

In the disciplines of dressage and jumping each correct suits must be worn tailcoat is worn in dressage at the international level and at championships. For the cross-country course a safety vest / fall jacket, helmet and exposed on the upper arm or bootleg to supporting medical card ( with the most important information for urgent medical care), in addition to facilitated clothes with boots required. In all disciplines may only spores with a length of spores mandrel of about 3.5 cm (that is, without thorn allowed) are used. It is customary to smear the legs and sometimes also lower body of the horse with a now commercially also completely produced mixture of vaseline and lubricant in order to reduce the risk of superficial injuries at the touch of obstacle parts on the use of appropriate Leggings further out is. It is usual in cross-country wearing a timer to control the pace of exact together with milestones can.

Horses for versatility

To participate in tests in the lower grades of most horse races and breeding lines are suitable as long as they individually have adequate training and fitness level. In the higher classes dominate warm-blooded animals with a higher proportion of whole blood and pure thoroughbreds. A good event horse must be rideable and reliable. It must be able to focus on the dressage competition and must not be distracted. For the cross-country course it must be in accordance with athletic and have the courage and willingness to perform. An expansive canter and stamina should be available as well as a robust exterior and good vision for distances. Despite all the hardship it must not be careless about jumps, because this can easily lead to unnecessary droppings in the jumping competition.

History of sport

The Military is how her old name says, an "invention" of the military and his then needs. It arose from the training program of the cavalry and was a type of audit for rider and horse after training dar. Of particular importance was this performance test for the selective breeding with breeding of horses for military use.

International Championships

The highlight of the event riders are, as in many other sports disciplines, the Summer Olympic Games. Since 1912, the Olympic champions are determined in Vielseitigekeitsreiten.

Two years after the Summer Olympics, the World Equestrian Games to be held since 1990, which include the World Championships in eventing. Previously, the world champions were determined at a separate event.

In Europe, the European Championships will be conducted in eventing since 1953. These are since 1965 every two years, each in odd-numbered years, discharged. Similar competitions are the Pan American Games, as well as for Asia's Panasian games for North and South America.

Olympic history

With the Olympic debut in Stockholm in 1912 (also with team competition ) were only allowed to participate officers, from Antwerp in 1920, so-called gentleman rider. Women are integrated into teams and began participating in Tokyo in 1964.

According Games' Rules of 1912, the audit was conducted over several days:

• Day 1: Endurance test at 55 km road and race tracks ( Time allowed for 4 hours; default tempo: 230 m / min), followed by a cross-country 5 km at a predetermined speed of 333 m / min. Timeout led to penalties, faster riding had no effect on the counted result.
• Day 2: Day of rest
• Day 3: Steeplechase ( Steeplechase ) about 3.5 km with 10 jumps, default tempo: 600 m / min, timeout led to penalties, faster riding had no effect on the counted result.
• Day 4: rather simple Jumping
• Day 5: Dressage

In Antwerp, there was no training, but two trail rides over 20 miles a first and 50 km on the second day.

The 1924 introduced for the games in Paris Regulations already resembled more to the bank's annual three -day test:

• Day 1: Dressage
• Day 2: Endurance testing
• Day 3: Jumping

The endurance test was committed to the following:

• Phase A: Short distance with 5 penalties per 5 sec timeout
• Phase B: Steeplechase ( Steeplechase ), vorgegebens speed was reduced from 600 m / min to 550 m / min, 10 penalty points for each 5 s time-out, 3 points s time falls below 5 were each credited
• Phase C: Long distance with 5 penalties per 5 sec timeout
• Respite
• Phase D: Cross - country route, 10 penalty points per 5 sec timeout, 3 points were credited to each 10 s time for shorter stays
• Phase E: quarter of a mile ( 402.34 m) on flat track with 5 penalties per 5 sec timeout

The last phase E was abandoned in 1967, the possibility of faster, error-free riding on the obstacle course and the terrain course to gain points to compensate for deficiencies in other areas, accounted for 1971.

1963 was a stop to a 10 minute break after the phases A, B, and C complete introduced. He was in a designated area ( the 10 - minute box) to be seen, where the condition of the horse was checked by two judges and one veterinary tournament. This should ensure that the horse still has a sufficient condition to complete the remaining phases. A failure to pass this fitness test led to the exclusion of the starter pair from the test.

Once there were some deaths and serious injuries of riders and horses in the country riding in the 1990s, the whereabouts of the versatility in the Olympic program was compromised. Piled up especially at the Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney serious accidents, because the cross-country track was dimensioned in their difficulty so that it was a serious challenge to the world class intervals with visible results to the rest of the field. At the same time, however, launched a series of not the world leaders belonging couples who started for foreign countries and the requirements were variously not grown. To counteract this, we have changed the format at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, the part of the site was there confined to the pure off-road route with fixed obstacles and about five kilometers long. There were neither the paths routes still a racetrack to be completed. This should be reduced by the meeting technically difficult passages with very tired horses the risk of serious accidents. This mode is becoming increasingly common even in non-Olympic competitions peak and has proven itself obviously given the dwindling number of accidents. At the Olympic test in 2008 in Hong Kong were only allowed to participate starter pairs due to the current regulations, which had successfully participated in a CCI / CIC *** exam no later than May 2008.