The Competition

Vicarage Vee FenceBadminton Horse Trials is one of the toughest and almost exciting equestrian events – the meridian of the globe'south 3-Day-Outcome agenda. Equally the name suggests horses and riders consummate the competition over 3 days, each twenty-four hour period consisting of a different discipline or phase. Horses and riders must consummate a dressage test demonstrating Obedience, Field of study, Accuracy and Elegance. They demand to exist fit and athletic to complete a iv mile cross land ride jumping solid man-made and natural obstacles inside a prepare fourth dimension. Finally they must complete a form of testify-jumps designed to test their agility and accuracy at speed.
Before commencing the competition each equus caballus is "trotted up" earlier an inspection panel of a vet and the Ground Jury to ensure the horse is sound and fit plenty to compete (The Showtime Inspection). A further inspection takes place the morning time subsequently the cross-country phase prior to the Jumping test. This ensures horses are notwithstanding sound and fit enough to consummate the competition (The Final Inspection).
International Events are graded according to level of difficulty. The higher the grade the more complex and physically demanding each phase becomes. Stars are awarded to betoken the Event's Grade. Badminton is a four Star Outcome, the highest grade and one of only six such events in the earth. Badminton is the oldest and generally accepted as the most prestigious  result.
Both riders and horses must qualify by completing other similar form events in lodge to compete at Badminton. Qualification can take several years to achieve.

Phase Ane: Dressage (Thursday & Friday)

William Fox-Pitt - DressageDressage is the first phase of a 3-Twenty-four hours-Event where riders must complete a 'examination' of set movements between markers in a dressage arena.  Badminton's Dressage test contains 26 movements of varying complexity. The 'test' is judged past three judges (the Basis Jury) sitting at different points of the arena. Each motility carries a maximum of 10 marks; additional "commonage" marks out of 10 are awarded for Paces, Impulsion, Submission & Rider giving a total maximum possible score of 300 expert marks. Penalties are added for declining to perform movements and 'errors of course'
The boilerplate score from the iii judges is so expressed in 2 means, as a per centum (Practiced Marks), which enables spectators at a glance to see how well each rider has performed; and as a penalty score (bad marks), which enables the score to be used with the cross country and bear witness jumping penalties to add together to a Terminal Score.
The Penalty score is calculated thus:
(Average Good Marks Percentage – 100+ Errors) X 1.5 = Penalty Score
e.m. (75.6 – 100 + 0) x i.5 =36.6 (instance below)
This coefficient is designed to apply the desired influence the dressage phase should accept on the competition every bit a whole. This co-efficient is set by the Sport's Governing Trunk (FEI).  The lower the penalty score the meliorate.
With betwixt fourscore and 90 riders competing, some riding two horses, the Dressage Phase is held over 2 days (Friday & Sat).

Faults / Errors
H C B
100 LORD KILLINGHURST Andrew Nicholson (NZL) 231 77% 239 79.67% 226 75.33% 77.33% 32.6 1
92 CORNERMAN Pippa Funnell 205 68.3% 211 70.3% 220 73.31% seventy.61% 39.4 2

Technical Details:

The dressage arena is 20m x 60m situated in the main arena. Various points in the arena are marked with messages so that the rider (& judges) knows where each move is to be performed.  Each test takes approx. 7 ½ minutes. The messages H, C, B above refer to the position of each judge, ie that they are sitting close to that particular letter of the alphabet that marks a spot around the dressage loonshit.

The punishment score is carried frontwards to the Cantankerous Country Phase.

Stage 2: Cross Land Test (Saturday)

Andrew Nicholson - Cross CountryThe Cross Country Test is the well-nigh physically demanding and exciting phase of the competition.  There are nigh 45 "Jumping Efforts" on the course. Penalty marks are added at the rate of 0.four for every second exceeding the optimum time which is deliberately difficult to achieve.  A time limit of twice the optimum time is also imposed.  Exceeding this time limit carries automatic elimination. Penalty points accrued during the cross land test are designed to take the greatest influence on the overall competition. It must be completed at an boilerplate speed of 570 metres per minute as laid downwardly in the Rules. This calculated with the length of the course provides the optimum time. Penalty marks are added for each 2d over the optimum time.

Faults/Errors Penalisation
1st Refusal at a fence 20 points
2nd Refusal at a fence twoscore points
tertiary Refusal on the Grade Elimination
Fall of Horse and/or passenger Elimination

Results Example

No. Horse Passenger Dressage Cross Country Show Spring Total Diff. Place
Pens. Place Pens Place Spring Fourth dimension Pens
96 TAMARILLO William Fox-Pitt 35.4 (2) 21.6 (1) 4 – 61.0 1
100 LORD KILLINGHURST Andrew Nicholson (NZL) 32.6 (1) 28.8 (2) 0 – 61.4 0.iv 2

The penalty marks accumulated for the cross state test are added to the dressage penalty marks and carried forward to the jumping test on the final mean solar day.

Phase Three: Jumping Test (Sunday)

William Fox-Pitt - Show JumpingSubsequently the physical demands of cross land day, horses and riders must then demonstrate speed, accuracy and agility in the jumping test by completing a form of evidence jumps upwardly to ane.30m high and as wide as 2.30m. This requires both equus caballus and rider to be extremely fit and at-home. Many events are won and lost on the final twenty-four hour period when the pressure is on in forepart of the 16,000 or so spectators filling the arena. Farther penalties can exist picked upwards for knocking down the delicately balanced fences or not completing within the optimum time.

Faults

Faults/Errors Penalty
1st Refusal/defiance 4 points
2nd Refusal/defiance Elimination
Knocking down an obstacle 4 points
Fall of Equus caballus and/or passenger Elimination
Time Faults see technical details

Whatever penalties are added to the score carried forward to provide the concluding results.

Results Example
No. Horse Rider Dressage Cross Country Show Bound Total
Pens. Identify Pens. Place Bound Time Pens. Diff. Place
96 TAMARILLO William Play a trick on-Pitt 35.4 (ii) 21.6 (1) 4 – 61.0 1
100 LORD KILLINGHURST Andrew Nicholson (NZL) 36.half-dozen (one) 28.8 (2) 0 – 61.4 +0.4 2
Boilerplate Speed Distance Optimum Fourth dimension Excess Time Penalty per sec. Jumping Efforts Maximum Fence Height
375mpm 500 – 600 m fourscore – 96 secs 1 15 one.30m