What Are the Levels for Three Day Eventing?

Three-day eventing is a competition made up of a trio of riding disciplines. Each has its own day of competition where riders and horses of all different levels compete against their peers. The highest levels of competition occurs at the summer Olympic Games. Riders and horses who participate in eventing must master a variety of skills even at the lowest levels of competition.

  1. Lower Levels

    • The six designated levels for eventing competitors were determined by the United States Equestrian Federation, which is in charge of eventing events in the USA. The first three levels are Beginner Novice, Novice and Training. These levels' only restriction is that that horses be older than 4 years of age to compete.

    Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced Levels

    • Preliminary level -- for riders age 14 or older and horses age 5 or older -- requires the rider to have scored a National Qualification Requirement (NQR) at four official Horse Trials at the Training level. Intermediate level requires a minimum age of 16 for the rider and 6 for the horse; both the horse and rider have to have scored an NQR at three official Horse Trials while competing in the Preliminary level. Also, the horse and rider must have an NQR featuring 20 or less cross-country jumping penalties. The requirements for the highest level of eventing, Advanced, are similar to Intermediate except riders must be 18 years old and have earned prerequisite NQRs at the Intermediate level.

    Dressage

    • Dressage is the first event in three-day eventing, and the only part of the competition that does not involve jumping. In dressage, riders enter an arena to ride a specific pattern, known as a test, that they and their horse are expected to complete correctly. Horses and riders are scored on how well they execute the maneuvers required by the dressage test. The best competitors succeed at making dressage appear similar to ballet on horseback, with the horses moving elegantly and smoothly through the maneuvers.

      Dressage levels include Beginner Novice A and B; Novice A and B; Training A and B; Preliminary A, B and C; Intermediate A and B; and Advanced A and B.

    Cross County Eventing

    • The second day of the three-day event is designated for the cross-country test, which challenges horses and riders by making them complete a lengthy jumping course, navigating a variety of obstacles and complicated jumps. Competitors are judged on both their time on course and its successful completion.

      Cross-country courses increase in length, speed and difficulty as riders and horses increase in levels.

    Show Jumping

    • Arena show jumping is the final phase of the three-day event. Horses and riders are presented with a jumping course inside the arena. Competitors who knock down jump rails or exceed the time limit accrue "faults" that add up to their final score. The horse and rider with the lowest number of faults wins the jumping phase.

      Jumps become significantly higher and more difficult as riders and horses increase competition levels.