Three Day Eventing is an equestrian triathlon. It represents a comprehensive test of the same horse and rider through three very different types of test over three days – Dressage, Cross-Country and Showjumping.

Care for the horses is of paramount importance. Horses are deeply respected as the partners of the riders. Top Event horses are extraordinarily rare: riders take years to find a horse that will compete at this level, let alone the inordinate time they invest in their training. As a result, no-one wants to do anything to damage any of these exceptional athletes.

To make sure the horse’s welfare is safeguarded, horses are tested before the competition – at the Trot Up – are watched and monitored after the Cross-Country and Trotted up again before the Showjumping. If at any stage the judges consider a horse uncomfortable, they will ask the rider to withdraw him.

1. What is Dressage?

   Dressage is like a cross between ballet and gymnastics or the set routine in Ice Dancing. Each horse and rider has to perform the same series of set moves in a confined space, all of which are designed to prove the horse’s obedience, athleticism, balance and agility.

2. Scoring system

   The test is broken down into 23 movements. Each movement is judged by three judges sitting in the boxes beside the arena. They mark each of the movements on a scale from 0 (Not Performed) to 10 (Excellent):

   Marks possible for each movement	Meaning
   10	Excellent
   9	Very Good
   8	Good
   7	Fairly Good
   6	Satisfactory
   5	Sufficient
   4	Insufficient
   3	Fairly Bad
   2	Bad
   1	Very Bad
   0	Not Performed

   Each judge’s scores are added together and then converted into a penalty. Consequently, the lower the score the better. This score is then carried forward to the next test, the Cross-Country.

3. What Dressage is designed to test

   While cars have different gears, a horse has different “gaits”. Dressage examines the horse and rider in each gait. The specific movements the horse and rider are asked to perform in the Dressage test are designed to show the correctness of their training and prove that they are ready to tackle the other two tests of Eventing, the Cross-Country and the Showjumping.

1. What is Cross-Country?

   This is a very physical part of an Event. Horse and rider have to gallop across country over a four mile course at an average speed of 22 miles an hour and jump approximately 32 solid fences.

2. Scoring system

   If, on their way round, horse and rider stop – or “refuse” as we call it – at a jump, run past a fence or fall off, they incur heavy penalties. If they take longer than the optimum time, they will incur penalties. Any penalties collected are then added to their dressage score and carried forward as a cumulative total.

   Infringement	Penalty
   Refusing/running out at a fence	20 penalties
   Second refusal at the same fence	40 penalties
   Third refusal at the same fence	Elimination
   Fourth refusal on the course	Elimination
   Fall of rider	65 penalties
   Second fall of rider	Elimination
   Fall of horse	Elimination
   Every second over the optimum time	0.4 penalties (24 per minute)

3. What Cross-Country is designed to test

   Cross-Country is a test of athleticism, bravery, accuracy and fitness. Above all, though, horses must have total faith in their riders: horses are being asked to jump unknown, unseen fences, some of which are designed so that they cannot actually see the landing! Cross-Country is truly a test of partnership.

1. What is Showjumping?

   Showjumping is where horse and rider are asked to jump a course of brightly coloured fences that are designed to fall when hit. This makes the showjumping phase a huge test of a horse’s carefulness, accuracy and agility. Because, in a Three Day Event, they will have completed the equivalent of a marathon race the day before, the Showjumping is a significant test of stamina.

2. Scoring system

   If horse and rider knock down a fence, refuse or take longer than the time allowed for the showjumping they will incur penalties.

   Infringement	Penalty
   Knocking a fence down	4 penalties
   First refusal	4 penalties
   Second refusal on the course	Elimination
   Fall of rider	8 penalties
   Second fall of rider	Eliminaion
   Fall of horse	Elimination
   Every second over the optimum time	1 penalty (60 per minute)

   Whatever penalties are incurred get added to the overnight score from the Cross-Country and Dressage days. At the end of the competition, the lowest score wins.

3. What Showjumping is designed to test

   These fences ride bigger than they look. Those horses that are a little stiff or tired from the Cross-Country the day before are more likely to see a drop in their athleticism or concentration and knock fences down. Also, after galloping and jumping solid fences the day before many horses find it difficult to respect the lightweight materials show-jumps are made of.

Badminton is the pre-eminent Horse Trials Event that every Event Rider would love to win. It is widely accepted that it is the ultimate test of Horse and Rider.

Today, the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials is to horses what Wimbledon is to Tennis or the Monaco Grand Prix is to motor racing. It is the title everyone wants to win.

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