Equestrian
Background
Equestrian sport is the only sport where male and female athletes compete on equal terms (both human and horse).
Competition at the Games
In the BC Summer Games, five Equestrian disciplines take part: Dressage, Show Jumping, Reining, Vaulting and Para-Dressage. English disciplines such as dressage and show jumping are based in training cavalry horses, while Western disciplines are based on skills a horse needs to work on a cattle ranch.
Dressage is similar to compulsory figures in Figure Skating with a set pattern every rider rides, while Show Jumping is all about who can jump the highest, in the shortest time, and Reining demonstrates the horses’ ability to accelerate, stop and turn fast enough to catch a cow. When you are watching equestrian sport, try and see when and how the rider signals the horse. Often, you will not see any signal or “aid” as we call them, and it will appear as if the horse is doing things by him/herself. The more skilled the rider, and the more training the horse has, the more “invisible” will be.
Many of the competitors at the BC Summer Games have trained their horses themselves. These athletes are all between 13 and 18 years old, and are all used to competition. They are often looking ahead to international competition, and imagining representing Canada at an Olympics or World Games. Equestrian sports require a great deal of commitment in time and training. Not only is the rider considered the athlete, but the horse is also an athlete who requires specialized care and consideration. Coaches play an integral role in the development of the riders that will be at the BC Summer Games.
The young athletes competing in the Equestrian events at the BC Summer Games may one day be on a World or Olympic podium! The BC Summer Games are a celebration of the beginning of this journey.
How to Watch Equestrian
Dressage
The word dressage means "to train". Dressage is literally "schooling of the horse" and is a systematic and sequential method of training a horse and rider from the very first steps of basic work to the polished elegance of the finished pair. The object is to produce a mount that is a pleasure to ride, confident, willing and gymnastically able to do the tasks required. The tests ridden are tailored to horses and riders of different levels of ability and training. Key to the tests, are the horse and riders ability to move in each gait freely in rhythm, with balance, and obedient transitions from gait to gait. Each test has approximately 20 movements, which are marked on a scale from 0 to 10, with added marks for paces, impulsion, obedience, and the position and effectiveness of the rider.
Show Jumping
This is one of the most exciting Equestrian sports, which tests the horse and riders ability to jump cleanly over a course of fences. The courses are designed carefully and the jumps are chosen to test the ability of the competitors at progressive levels. During the competition, competitors are penalized by faults for the knockdown of a fence, the refusal to jump a fence or exceeding the time allowed to complete the course. In many events, the horse and rider pairs who complete the first round cleanly, with no faults, come back to compete in a jump off, which is timed and usually a shorter, higher course.
Reining
Reining began on working cattle ranches, where a cowboy or vaquero used their horses to gather, move and hold cattle on the open range. These horses had to be athletic, quick and agile. They had to be extremely responsive to a very light rein. Today's reining competitions provide a venue for hundreds of riders to demonstrate the skills of their highly trained and conditioned horses. Trained judges score the reining horse based on its execution of the maneuver groups required in a specific pattern, which is composed of 8-10 sections. The maneuvers consist of circles, lead changes, spins, sliding stops, backups and rollbacks. As the horse and rider progress in their ability, the maneuvers are required to be performed at higher speeds and with a greater degree of control. The sport of Reining is attracting riders of all ages and skill levels. Reining has set the equestrian world on fire with its thrilling maneuvers and excellence in horsemanship.
Vaulting
Vaulting is a unique sport that combines gymnastic and dance-like movements to music on top of a moving horse. The horse is controlled by a person on the ground, who sends the horse in a circle around them using a lunge line that’s attached to the horse’s bridle. The horse also wears a special surcingle around his belly which has hand grips and stirrup-like loops for the vaulter’s feet. Vaulters begin working in walk and progress, with training from a qualified instructor, to be able to execute fantastic freestyle performances in the canter. It’s a wonderful way to develop coordination, balance, strength and creativity, while working in harmony with your equine partner.
Like many equestrian sports today, vaulting began in the military where it developed in Germany in the late 18th century to help soldiers improve their riding skills. Today vaulting is a world-class sport with local, national and international competitions.
About Equestrian – Para
The
Para-equestrian sport is based on the principle that a disability should not impede anyone from competing in equestrian sports. It strives to provide and develop opportunities for equestrians with a wide variety of disabilities to pursue their goals and achieve personal bests.
To provide meaningful competition for such athletes, their disability is classified so that people with similar levels of impairment are grouped into grades in which they compete together. The competition within each Grade is then judged on the skill and ability of each competitor regardless of the competitor's disability.
In 2006, the Para-Equestrian sport joined the ranks of the other 7 disciplines regulated by the FEI, with national and international competitions for Dressage and Driving for individuals with a disability.
For more info on Equestrian, contact Horse Council BC at
www.hcbc.ca or (604) 856-4304.