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Cross country rules and scoring

Rules related to scoring, calculating penalty points, and governing mandatory elimination in the cross country phase.

Horse and rider jumping a cross country jump.

Scoring

In the cross country phase, riders may incur fault/penalties at jumps and for time. These are added together to calculate final cross-country penalties, which are then added to the total from the Dressage and Jumping Tests to calculate a rider’s final score.

 

In cross-country, jump faults/penalties are incurred through:

  • Disobedience at the jumps (run-out, refusal, circling in front of a jump).

  • Willful delays. This is when a rider delays their progress on a course – by halting, walking, circling or serpentining – between the last fence and the finish line. Trotting is permitted between the last fence and the finish flags. Halting, walking, circling, or serpentining is allowed anywhere else on the cross-country course. 

Jump fault/penalties

  • First disobedience: 20 penalty points

  • Second disobedience at the same obstacle: 40 penalty points

  • Third disobedience at the same obstacle: Elimination.

  • Second disobedience on the entire cross-country course (different obstacle): 20 penalty points.

  • Third disobedience on the entire cross-country course (different obstacle) (EV100, EV90, EV 85, EV75, EV60): 20 penalties

  • Third disobedience on the entire on cross country course (different obstacle) (EV120, EV115, EV110, EV105): Elimination

  • Fourth disobedience on the entire cross-country course (different obstacle) (EV100, EV90, EV85, EV75, EV60): Elimination

  • Activating a frangible device (activation by significant pressure exerted by the horse on the fence): 11 penalty points. 

  • Willful delay: 15 penalty points.

  • First fall of rider: Elimination (RF).

  • First fall of horse: Elimination/mandatory retirement (MR).

Time/speed faults

  • EV60 riders are timed for educational purposes only and are not penalized for time faults in cross country.

  • For EV75-EV100, riders can accrue time faults for going too fast at a rate of 0.4 penalty points per second over the Optimum Time.

  • For Riders at EV105 and above, there is no speed fault time.

  • Exceeding the time limit (twice the optimum time): Elimination

Example of cross country penalties

An EV85 rider has a run-out at jump 3, two refusals at jump 6 and come in one minute (60 seconds) over the optimum time.

  • Run-out at jump 3: 20 points

  • First refusal at jump 6: 20 points

  • Second refusal at jump 6: 40 points

  • Time faults: 60 seconds x 0.4 = 24 points

Total cross country score: 104 penalty points

Mandatory elimination during cross country

  • EV60 to EV100 riders can have a total of three disobediences throughout the entire course and finish with a score; the fourth disobedience results in elimination.

  • EV105 and above riders can have a total of two disobediences throughout the entire course and finish with a score; the third disobedience results in elimination.

  • First fall of rider and/or horse.

  • Exceeding the time limit (twice the optimum time).

  • Competitor error of course not rectified.

  • Omission of obstacle or compulsory passage.

  • Jumping an obstacle in the wrong direction.

  • Retaking an obstacle already jumped.

  • Jumping an obstacle in the wrong order or passing through a compulsory passage in the wrong order.

  • Failure to pass start and finish flags mounted.

  • Competitor in difficulty.

  • Competing with improper saddlery, and illegal whip and/or spurs.

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