Hannah Freathy competes in 3 Day Eventing at the Preliminary level in Canada and CCI* internationally. The goal is to qualify for competitions in Kentucky and advance to the CCI** level. 3 Day Eventing tests a horse and rider's obedience, speed, stamina and thinking through the phases of dressage, cross country and show jumping. Safety is emphasized through equipment and experience requirements. Eventing has evolved from testing endurance over several days to the current format of dressage, cross country and show jumping tests over a weekend.

1. Equestrian 3 Day Eventing
Hannah Freathy
“RED ON RIGHT, WHITE ON LEFT, INSANITY
IN THE MIDDLE”
Dressage Cross Country Show Jumping

2. Levels of Eventing
3 Day Eventing is the competition testing you and your horses’ obedience,
speed, stamina and ability to think fast. The team with the lowest
accumulated penalties over the weekend wins.
The Levels in Canada are:
Pre Entry- 2’3-2’6
Entry- 2’6-2’9
Pre- Training- 3’-3’3
Training- 3’3- 3’6
Prelim- 3’9-4’0
When you start competing internationally the levels are:
CCI* - For Horses new to International Competition
CCI** - For horses who are used to international competition
CCI*** - For advanced horses qualifying for Olympics
CCI**** - The highest level of competition and only five competitions on
the world run it.
This year I will run Prelims in Canada and CCI* in the States to qualify for North
American Junior Young Riders 2013 in Kentucky. Also to qualify to run CCI** in
2013.

3. Schooling Attire
Attire *Helmet
*Polo shirt
*Breeches and Belt
Show Jumping Attire: *Boots and ½ Chaps
*Leather Boots
*Spurs (optional)
*White or Beige Breeches
*White or Light colored Dress
shirt with color and stock pins
*Black or Navy Jacket
*Helmet
*Medical Armband, has all your
medical information in case you
are injured (only required for
Cross country and Show-jumping)
Dressage Attire: Cross Country Attire
*Leather Boots *Leather boots and spurs
*Spurs (optional) *Any color breeches
*White breeches *Any color shirt as long as it has
*Black or White Gloves sleeves
*Black show coat *Helmet
*Medical Armband
*White Dress shirt with
*Cross Country vest (protects in falls)
collar and stock pins *Air vest, attaches to saddle and
*Black Helmet (Top inflates like an airbag in a fall
hats are only allowed to (optional)
be worn by Seniors *Stopwatch for timing
riding under the FEI. *Pinny with competitor number

4. SCORING
Reasons for elimination: Show Jumping is a combination
*Going off course 3 times in dressage of speed and obedience. It is also
*Not starting the test within 45 seconds of the timed. You are penalized for
judge ringing the bell going to slow, pulling rails and
*Carrying a whip into dressage
refusals. It is penalized much
*Any fall of horse OR rider anytime through the
lower than Cross Country.
competition
*Missing and obstacle in show-jumping or Cross Pulling rails and refusals are both
country 4 penalties. 1 penalty is given for
*3 refusals on Show Jumping or Cross Country every second or fraction of a
*Finishing Show-jumping or Cross Country second too slow.
more than double the optimum time.
Cross Country is a timed phased.
It is a test of endurance and the
horse’s ability to think for himself.
Dressage is the You are given a speed to ride the
judged on track at which is determined by
obedience of the the level you are riding. For
horse over a example 525 meters per minute
series of There is an optimum time
movements window that you must come in
called a “test.” between given the speed. If you
Each movement are faster than the window you are
is given a score penalized by 1 penalty per second
out of 10, you too fast and if you are slower than
then get an the window you are penalized by
overall % which .4 of a penalty per second too
is converted to slow. A refusal or run-out is 20
penalties. An penalties, for the second refusal it
average score is is an additional 40 penalties.
45 penalties.

5. Rings, Fields and Tracks
When you are riding you need to have a significant amount of flat land. Different
disciplines require different terrain. A dressage ring is 20x60 meters, sometimes
grass sometimes sand footing. Cross Country is always on grass with hills and lots
of flat gallop land. Show jumping is on grass or on sand. Upper level horses require
to be conditioned lots. It must be specifically designed to the conformation and
energy level of the horse. Some days are strictly strengthening their hindquarters
on hills, others are interval gallops on the flat at a track or large fields.
Dressage Ring
Grand Prix Show Jump Ring
Racetrack
used for
conditioning

6. Safety Issues
Safety is a big concern in 3 Day Eventing. It now is the most dangerous sport. There
are many rules to try to prevent accidents, although they still do occur. Lower level
accidents are normally just a child becoming unseated and falling off, not a big deal.
But Upper Levels, you start getting into the nasty falls; Rotational (where the horse
leaves a knee and somersaults), Slipping and falling.
Before each ride you have a tack check, making sure all of your tack is allowed and in
safe condition. You must always wear a ASTM Approved Helmet if you are a Junior
(under 18) and on cross country day you must wear an approved cross country vest.
The newest type of vest is called an Air Vest; it goes over top of your regular approved
vest. It is attached like on a bungee with a breakaway clip to your saddle and if you do
have a fall and breaks the clip, the air vest inflates in .2 of a second like an air bag. Also
there are rules stating that a Junior cannot ride a horse under 4 y/o, you can only have 4
stops cross country because if you have that many stops you
Regular Approved Vest
or the horse should not be out there.
Air Vest

7. TYPES OF PLAYERS
You need to have a certain personality type to be a 3 Day Eventer. You have to be
incredibly bold to be able to gallop around at 500+mpm and jump solid jumps
that will not come down if you hit them, but still technical enough to be precise
and accurate in dressage and show jumping. Being an event rider you must be
confident and sure in what you are doing. The most accidents occur when you
have a hesitant, unconfident child out on cross country day. Eventing or even
riding at all, is not a sport for everybody but you have to be all in or all out. It also
helps if you love adrenaline!

8. Historical Information “Eventing Back in the Day”
The first day consisted of the
Eventing was first endurance and cross-country test
introduced at the that involved about 50km of roads
and tracks, about 5km of a flagged
Olympic Games in cross-country course of natural
Stockholm , Sweden in obstacles and then around 3.5km of a
1912, where Sweden won. speed test with ten obstacles. The
Jumping was performed on the
second day of Eventing . Dressage
was performed last . Today’s format
is exactly the opposite, starting with
Dressage the first day, continuing
with the endurance, speed and cross-
country test the second day and
completing the competition with the
Show Jumping on the final day.

9. 3 Day Eventing is an incredible sport that
I love. You work hard and it pays off.

10. SOURCES:
*All pictures are mine
and of me. Except the
black and white on “Back
in the Day,” and the
“Rings, Fields and
Tracks.”
* All information is from
my own Knowledge, no
sites were referenced.