For Part 2, Preparing for your first event, click here. Part 3, Taking part in your first event, click here. Part 4, Caring for your horse during and after an event, click here
The sport of eventing originated as a test for military horses, which had to show obedience, courage, stamina and athleticism. In its modern day format, eventing has three phases: a dressage test; cross country jumping 
and the show jumping phase. This is a recent change – prior to 2006, top level Three Day Events also incorporated the roads and tracks and the steeplechase which acted as a warm-up for the cross country leg. These extra phases are now only found at lower level Three Day Events.
Dressage
The dressage test was designed to show that military horses were supple and obedient, suitable for use at parades and other events where the rider might be expected to perform certain duties in front of important people such as royalty or military commanders. This aim remains today – the dressage phase should show a willing horse able to perform a set test with submission and control paramount. A good test will look effortless on the part of the rider, and will be disciplined and accurate.
Cross Country
This phase was used by the military as a way of proving the courage and stamina of their horse over rough terrain, jumping any obstacles in its path unhesitatingly – for a horse that can perform on parade but not in battle is no use for a military rider. It is still a test of endurance even now, although you are as likely to be asked to jump something set up as a boat
or a picnic table as you are a large imposing hedge!
Show Jumping
The show jumping phase is traditionally the final phase in eventing, and is a test of athleticism since a good military horse needed to be able to perform even the day after a gruelling gallop across country. It is for this reason that the jumps may be higher than the cross country phase, and require accuracy and discipline to complete the course.
In the lower levels of the sport, you will complete your show jumping round before your cross country round, but as you progress up the ranks and begin to tackle two and three day events, this order is changed and the show jumping becomes the final phase.
Governing Bodies
Internationally, eventing is governed by the Federation Equestrian International (FEI), whilst in Britain the governing body is British Eventing (BE).
There are seven levels of eventing, each with its own degree of difficulty, and qualification requirements: Intro, Pre-Novice, Novice, Intermediate Novice, Intermediate, Advanced Intermediate and Advanced. In addition to this, there are two further types of ranking, the CIC which denotes International One Day events, and the CCI which denotes international three day events. Both of these categories have levels, which run from One Star to Four Star.
Intro, Pre-Novice and Novice events have no qualification requirements, you need only be a member of BE or hold a BE day ticket to enter. After this though, a certain number of clear rounds at each level are needed before you can move up to the next level.
Age and horse restrictions
In order to compete at a BE event, riders must be in the year of their 12th birthday, thus an 11 year old who will be 12 before the 31st December 2007 could compete during 2007, although only as a pony-riding junior, which restricts them to only riding ponies and not horses.
A Pony Riding Junior becomes a Junior Rider from the beginning of the year of their 14th birthday until the end of the year of their 18th birthday. Riders under the age of 16 must register with a Junior Regional Co-ordinator, and may only compete in Intro classes until they have gained the required qualification to move up a level. For example, in order for an under 16 to move up to pre-novice level, the combination of horse or pony and rider must have completed at least two clear rounds cross country with no more than 12 show jumping penalties at Intro level or Pony Club level 3 as recorded in the rider's Pony Club log book. A photocopy of the relevant page of the log book must be sent to BE's registration department and be submitted with every entry. Similar rules apply to riders under the age of 16 who wish to compete at Novice and Intermediate level.
All ponies must be over 142cm without shoes, whilst horses must be over 148cm without shoes. In addition, animals may not compete until the calendar year in which they turn 5 with the exception of 4 year old breeding classes. They also cannot compete in Junior Regional Novice or three day events until the year in which they turn six, or Intermediate championships or advanced classes until the year they turn seven.
Intro
The lowest level is the Intro event, a recent addition to the eventing calendar which is ideal for those new to the sport. This comprises a relatively simple dressage test, roughly equivalent to a preliminary level British Dressage test, a round of show jumping at up to 95cms high, and a cross country round at 90cms high.
Riders who have competed at Advanced/3 star/4 star level in the preceeding two years cannot enter an Intro event, and horses with any points or more than three wins at Pre-Novice level are also excluded, although it is possible to enter Hors Concours (literally translated as ‘without competing’, though commonly called ‘HC’), but this means you will not be counted in any placings. New for 2007 are Open Intro classes, which have the same restrictions on riders, but allow any grade of horse to compete regardless of the number of points it has.
Pre-Novice (PN)
This is the next step up, and also has an ‘open’ section – designed for 
those horses who have won three or more PN events but whose riders are not yet ready to make the step up to Novice. These are designated as ‘OPN’ sections in schedules. At PN level you may find yourself competing against the likes of William Fox-Pitt or Mary King on their young horses.
Heights at this level are up to 1.05m in the show jumping and 1.00m in the cross country. The jumps become more complex, and you may find fences such as corners on the cross country course.
Novice
The third level of eventing, this is the final level at which you can enter without qualifying – at one stage this was the lowest level of British eventing. Now, however, the fences 
are a lot larger and more technical, which means you would be advised to try an Intro or a PN event first, if only to gauge at what level you and your horse should be competing.
Fence heights are up to 1.15m in the show jumping and 1.10 in the cross country. Again, this level has an open section, for horses that have too many points to compete in the restricted section.
Intermediate Novice – Advanced
Intermediate Novice (IN) events are designed to help make the step up to Intermediate (I) less challenging, and the same holds true for Advanced Intermediate (AI) with respect to Advanced (A) events. In order to compete in Intermediate events, riders must have achieved five clear rounds cross country, and horses three clear rounds cross country at Novice events. As this is a series for people new to the sport of eventing, we will not be discussing the events above Novice level in any great detail – by the time you get to that level of competition we hope you won’t need this guide anymore!
Grading
Horses can only gain points at Novice level and above – you gain 1 point for every double clear (clear rounds in both the show jumping and cross country phases), and then points for being placed, depending on the number of starters.
Horses are graded according to the number of points won and are eligible for the different standards of class depending on these points.
| LEVEL | POINTS | GRADE |
| Intro & Pre Novice | No points | IV |
| Novice | 1-20 points | III |
| Intermediate | 21-60 points | II |
| Advanced | 61+ points | I |
| | | |
As ponies can only compete up to Novice level, they are only ever grade IV or III regardless of the number of points they accumulate.
Key Facts
· Eventing is a three-phase discipline, with a dressage test, show jumping round and cross country jumping phase being compulsory.
· The governing body in Britain is British Eventing www.britisheventing.com.
· The three lowest levels of BE are Intro, Pre-Novice and Novice. These require no qualification – subject to age of rider and height of horse any member of BE can enter.
· It is possible to enter on a day ticket if you do not wish to become a member of BE straight away (this is covered in more detail in Article 3 of this series). Heights of Fences
| CLASS | SHOW JUMPING MAX | CROSS COUNTRY MAX |
| Intro | 0.95m | 0.90m |
| Pre Novice or OPN | 1.05m | 1.00m |
| Novice or ON | 1.15m | 1.10m |
| Intermediate Novice | 1.20m | 1.10m |
| Intermediate or OI | 1.25m | 1.15m |
| Advanced Intermediate | 1.30m | 1.20m |
| Advanced | 1.30m | 1.20m |
| | | |
The next article in this series looks at preparing for your first event – what level to start at, training for horse and rider and the fitness levels needed.
By Tilly Tilbrook - Photos Fiona Scott-Maxwell & Hilary Manners