US Equestrian offices will be closed on Friday, March 29th, 2024 in observance of Good Friday.


Date: September 8/9th 2018 

Running order of Divisions:  
See Course Designers Evaluation sheet below

Starters/Clear Rounds:  
Open Intermediate A – 18/8 (44%)
Open Intermediate B – 19/6 (32%)
Preliminary Horse – 14/5 (36%) plus 2 with time faults (50%)
Open Preliminary – 16/12 (75%)
Preliminary Rider – 12/3 (25%)
Junior/YR Preliminary – 17/3 (25%)


Unfortunately, bad weather prevented the lower Divisions to be completed at this Event. Rain came in towards the end of the jumping on the first day, and you can see from the lower percentages of clear rounds above, the effect that it had in the latter sections of the Preliminary Divisions.

The original course, submitted prior to the Event, had the Intermediate and Preliminary Divisions jumping the same course.  Appendix I of the Rue Book requires that each Division, as you go up through them, must be more technical then the previous. This was not the case in this instance.  Just removing part of a combination, unless it affects a distance, to or from another fence, does not necessary fulfils this requirement, regardless of the Division.

The original course was very appropriate for the Preliminary Division and it contained the good use of the triple bar at the beginning of a line (fence 3).  However, the two combinations only contained one oxer.  As the number of verticals on the course outnumbered the oxers, the Course Designer took my suggestion and made fence 4b an oxer.

To increase the technicality of the Intermediate course, it was recommended, that a new fence could be added after the double (at fence 5) and the original fence 5 re-angled, or a further new one added. However, retaining the old fence 5 of the Preliminary course in place, and adding a new fence, meant both tracks could be walked in advance, providing the courses were posted at the in-gate and time was saved in moving this fence.  

This was a good example of using additional fences to create different tracks of technicality. 


Richard Jeffery
USEF Eventing Show Jumping Course Advisor
 

Forms and Publications

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials - Course Designer Evaluation

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials - Course Designer Evaluation

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials - Intermediate Show Jumping Course Map

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials - Intermediate Show Jumping Course Map

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials - Novice Show Jumping Course Map

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials - Novice Show Jumping Course Map

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials - Training Level Show Jumping Course Map

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials - Training Level Show Jumping Course Map

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials- Preliminary Show Jumping Course Map

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials- Preliminary Show Jumping Course Map

Resources