Bunister Wood

The equestrian sport of Eventing comprises three phases: dressage, showjumping and cross-country, which test horse and rider skills and abilities in different ways. (Both dressage and showjumping exist as competitive disciplines in their own right, but only eventing combines them and cross-country in a single competition). Competitions are called 'horse trials' and take place over one or more days, hence 'one-day event' (ODE), 'three-day event'. There will usually be several classes at an event, each graded according to difficulty, complexity and/or duration, and run under either national rules (the UK governing body is British Eventing) or international rules (the FEI, or International Equestrian Federation). In the UK there are six levels of affiliated eventing to cater for all levels of horse and rider: BE80(T) (the 'T' stands for Training), BE90 (formerly 'Intro'), BE100 (formerly 'Pre-Novice'), Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. International classes are graded with a star system from * to *****. A five-star competition is the highest level of eventing. There are only seven such competitions in the world, two of which are held in the UK: Badminton in the spring and Burghley in the autumn. Scoring is on a cumulative penalty basis. In dressage, each movement is scored out of ten, with the total being added up and converted to a penalty. In showjumping, penalties are awarded for fences knocked down and also for exceeding the time limit. In the cross-country phase, penalties are awarded for a variety of infractions such as refusals, falls, circling between lettered obstacles, and exceeding the optimum time. The competitor with the fewest penalties at the end is the winner of the section. For more information see: British Eventing website Link Eventing entry in Wikipedia Link

Rachael Foster and Sir Shutter Face jump the ECM Hound (carving of a dog: this is the rear view) on the cross-country course, in the BE100 class.

Emma Furmston and Sportsfield Little General jump the Daneriver Hydropower Boat (fence no.14a) into the water on the BE100 cross-country course.

The foreground fish is fence 15 on the BE100 course: in the background, from left to right, are fences 17c on the CIC**, 16 on the CIC* (doubling as 14c on the Intermediate), and 12 on the Novice.

Obstacles 11 and 12 on the CIC** course.

Optional water obstacle.

A pair of rolltops of different heights.

A farm ride is a dedicated off-road horse riding trail of up to 8 or so miles in length, set out around a farm or country estate. It will usually be on grass or a sandy track, and will include jumps, gallops, and water features, but all of the latter are optional. A farm ride can therefore cater for all levels of amateur rider from beginner upwards, and is an especial boon to people who may have access only to on-road hacking, or even no hacking at all, from their home stable.

Steps down and up.

The jump here is made of tyres.

A farm ride is a dedicated off-road horse riding trail of up to 8 or so miles in length, set out around a farm or country estate. It will usually be on grass or a sandy track, and will include jumps, gallops, and water features, but all of the latter are optional. A farm ride can therefore cater for all levels of amateur rider from beginner upwards, and is an especial boon to people who may have access only to on-road hacking, or even no hacking at all, from their home stable.

A farm ride is a dedicated off-road horse riding trail of up to 8 or so miles in length, set out around a farm or country estate. It will usually be on grass or a sandy track, and will include jumps, gallops, and water features, but all of the latter are optional. A farm ride can therefore cater for all levels of amateur rider from beginner upwards, and is an especial boon to people who may have access only to on-road hacking, or even no hacking at all, from their home stable.

A farm ride is a dedicated off-road horse riding trail of up to 8 or so miles in length, set out around a farm or country estate. It will usually be on grass or a sandy track, and will include jumps, gallops, and water features, but all of the latter are optional. A farm ride can therefore cater for all levels of amateur rider from beginner upwards, and is an especial boon to people who may have access only to on-road hacking, or even no hacking at all, from their home stable.

A farm ride is a dedicated off-road horse riding trail of up to 8 or so miles in length, set out around a farm or country estate. It will usually be on grass or a sandy track, and will include jumps, gallops, and water features, but all of the latter are optional. A farm ride can therefore cater for all levels of amateur rider from beginner upwards, and is an especial boon to people who may have access only to on-road hacking, or even no hacking at all, from their home stable.

A farm ride is a dedicated off-road horse riding trail of up to 8 or so miles in length, set out around a farm or country estate. It will usually be on grass or a sandy track, and will include jumps, gallops, and water features, but all of the latter are optional. A farm ride can therefore cater for all levels of amateur rider from beginner upwards, and is an especial boon to people who may have access only to on-road hacking, or even no hacking at all, from their home stable.