Show jumping as a separate sport began its development relatively recently, since the middle of the 19th century. Today it is one of the most favorite and spectacular equestrian sports, which is interesting and understandable even to people who are far from horses.
What is a show jumping?
In fact, show jumping is overcoming various kinds of obstacles in time. It was the first to be included in the program of the II Olympic Games in 1900 (dressage and triathlon appeared only in the V Olympic Games). Having won wide popularity, show jumping started to become a separate kind of sport in equestrian sport. For decades, equestrian schools had been improving jumping technique and developing new methods of training show jumping horses and athletes. Today this work continues in almost every part of the world.
Competitions in show jumping, in contrast to the cross-country, are held on level ground. There are nine main types of obstacles, of which the route is formed. Its complexity is determined by the height and complexity of barriers, as well as the time limit in which the rider must meet.
The more professional the riders, the more intense the competition, because the fight is literally for hundredths of a second.
The task of the rider in show jumping is to pass the route:
- correctly (to jump obstacles in a given sequence),
- cleanly (without “falls” – without destroying any of the obstacles),
- Fast (not only meet the time requirement but show the best result).
The difficulty is that competitors see the route only shortly before the start of the competition, so here it is important not only to be able to jump over obstacles, but also to remember the location of barriers, the distance between them, as well as to make quick decisions.
Any mistakes on the course are punished by:
- penalty points (“collapse” – destruction of the obstacle, exceeding the time limit, “overtaking” – the horse has overtaken the obstacle),
- disqualification (error in the route scheme, repeated refusal of the horse to jump over the barrier, the rider falling from the horse).
Types of obstacles in show jumping
Most types of obstacles in show jumping are constructed of poles. Depending on how they are placed, you can get:
- a cross, a chukhonet;
- okser (parallel bars) and tee – latitudinal obstacles;
- systems of two or three obstacles.,
In addition to poles, other types of barriers are also used:
- a wall – a blind obstacle;
- seska – an obstacle in the form of a hedge;
- kalika – a narrow obstacle no more than two meters wide, the main element hangs freely on the poles;
- barrier – the main element is made in the form of a triangle;
- ditch – latitudinal obstacle, may be dry or filled with water.
When creating the route different types of obstacles can be combined.
Types of show jumping
Today, different types of show jumping are practiced, making this sport even more spectacular. During competitions, the height and width of obstacles and the order in which the course is run can vary. Some competitions assess riding style and overcoming obstacles, while others give priority to speed and clean jumping. Sometimes athletes can design their own route based on their horse’s best qualities, and some sporting shows have a real elimination game.