BHS Riding School National Championships

• Class 1 – Fancy Dress

This is your chance to be creative and design a fancy dress costume for both you and your pony.

• Class 2 – Best Handler

A great opportunity for you to demonstrate your handling skills.

•  You'll need to ask your pony to walk around the arena in a controlled manner and you’ll need to perform simple handling challenges (e.g., to halt in a required area before proceeding to show a change of direction).
  
  
•  You don’t have to wear full showing gear, but recognition will be given for your outfit being smart, tidy and clean with the correct PPE for the activity.
  
  
• You can also plait your pony’s mane and tail if you are able to.

The all-rounder is the perfect way for you to show off your horse knowledge and riding skills. This class has three elements: an equitation test, a show jumping round and a quiz.

There are three different classes within the all-rounder available to enter depending on your experience and level of riding. Horse and rider combinations can only enter one of these three classes.

Equitation Test

Each equitation test is judged on how well you perform each movement as well as collective marks for your rider position and effectiveness throughout the test:

• Class 3 – Walk & Trot Equitation
  
  
• Class 4 – Introduction to Canter Equitation
  
  
• Class 5 – Prelim Equitation

Show Jumping

Riders will jump around a course of fences, and you’ll gain marks for style and correct and effective riding. Points will be deducted if a fence is knocked down, if there is a refusal, or if you take the wrong course:

• Class 3 – 45cm
  
  
• Class 4 – 60cm
  
  
• Class 5 – 70cm

Quiz

You’ll be asked to complete a horse knowledge quiz which could include questions about coat colours, parts of the horse, equipment, etc, each class will have a different set of questions to reflect your level of training and your horse knowledge.

The winner will be the highest placed rider over the three sections within each class.

If you would like to showcase your flatwork skills, the equitation classes are ideal for you. The tests are marked on how well each movement is performed, with collective marks allocated for your rider position and effectiveness. The winner will be the competitor with the highest score in each class.

• Class 6 – Walk & Trot Equitation
  
  This test will not include any canter work.
  
  
• Class 7 – Introduction to Canter
  
  If you are not quite ready to progress to Prelim, this test is the one for you as it will mainly be walk and trot with a small amount of canter work.
  
  
• Class 8 – Prelim Equitation
  
  Includes walk, trot and canter.

Clear round show jumping will be run alongside Classes 3-5 show jumping. This class is perfect for the rider who does not enjoy the equitation as much as the thrill of jumping. You’ll jump around a set course of fences with the aim to jump clear. e.g. no refusals, no errors, going off course or poles knocked down.

You can enter at one of the below heights:

• 45cm
• 50cm
• 70cm

Please note that you can only enter at one height range.

• Every rider who comes first in their class is awarded a trophy.
  
  
• Riders placed second and third in their class are awarded a medal.
  
  
• Rosettes are awarded up to 10th place in each class, subject to starters on the day.
  
  
• Throughout the day an overall accumulative points system will be put in place to recognise the Centres who have so kindly helped and encouraged their competitors to prepare for and attend the event.
  
  
• There is a points system in place for the top three placings in each class, subject to starters, for the overall Centre award:

• 1st place = 3 points
• 2nd place = 2 points
• 3rd place = 1 point

Wild Card

For one class only each Centre can nominate one rider to enter under the ‘wild card’ system. The rider must have competed at the Centres’ qualifying rounds and enter in the class that they competed in.