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A Layman's Guide To Hunters And Jumpers:

Last Modified: January 11, 2001

What is a jumper?

A jumper can be any breed of horse which can jump a course of large, colourful fences without incurring faults. The style of the horse and rider is not judged, and the fastest horse with the fewest faults wins. The knockdown of a fence, a refusal by the horse to jump a fence, or failure to complete the course within the time limit are all penalized by faults.

What is a hunter?

A hunter can be any breed of horse which might be suitable for fox hunting. A hunter is judged on style, form and way of going, over plain fences resembling those encountered on a fox hunt, and on the flat, where no jumping is involved. A hunter should appear to be a very comfortable and enjoyable horse to ride.

What is looked for in an equitation class?

In an equitation class, the rider's position and ability to control the horse are judged, both over fences and on the flat. Equitation is considered essential in developing the rider's basic skills.

What is the difference between all the different jumper classes?

To ensure the gradual progression of a horse's training, jumper classes increase in difficulty from one division to the next. An inexperienced horse begins in the preliminary division, moves on to the intermediate level, and finally to the open jumper classes, which are the most difficult. The experience level of the horse is decided by the amount of prize money it has won.

There are also jumper classes which depend on the rider. A junior is a rider who has not passed their 18th birthday as of January 1 of the current year, an amateur owner owns their horse and rides for pleasure, while an owner jumper class is for riders who own the horse and have not recently competed at higher level international competitions.

And what are the differences between hunter classes?

Like jumpers, hunters progress gradually from one level of difficulty to the next. Most hunters move up from pre-green, to first-year green and then second-year green, before arriving at the open hunter level. A conformation hunter is judged on his physical suitability for hunting as well as his performance.

Divisions depending on the rider include junior and amateur, as well as children's and adult amateur for less experienced riders.

Who are the people involved in a horse show?

A number of officials help a horse show run smoothly.

The overall administration of the show is handled by the show manager, while the show secretary keeps track of entries and other records. At the ring, the in-gate attendant keeps riders and horses competing on schedule, the ring masterenforces discipline, the jump crew assists the course designer by moving the fences, the time keeper handles the automatic timers or hand timing system, while the announcer keeps everyone informed over the public address system.

The course designer creates the layout and design of the course and its fences to test the ability and skill of the competitors, while stewards ensure that the rules of the national equestrian federation are observed.

An individual judge picks the winning horses and riders in the hunter divisions, while a panel of judges called a jumper jury scores the jumper competitions. An appeal committee makes a final decision on all appeals made against the jury and its decisions.

Most horse shows and many of the officials mentioned above are recognized by the Canadian Equestrian Federation, the governing body for equestrian sport in Canada. The Canadian Equestrian Team is a committee of the CEF responsible for fielding international teams, while the Fédération Équestre Internationale is the international governing body for equestrian sport.

What are the various types of fences on course?

Jumper fences can be divided into two types - spreads and verticals.

Vertical fences are straight up-and-down obstacles, such as gates, walls, and plank fences.

Spreads require a horse to jump width. For example, an oxer is a spread between two elements, while a triple bar is a spread over three elements of graduated height. Spread fences also include water jumps, where the horse must clear a four to five metre spread of water, and liverpools, narrower than water jumps but with water in front, behind or underneath.

A combination or line is a series of two or three fences which have only one or two strides between them.

Special fences include the bank, where the horse must negotiate a steep drop, and the devil's dyke, which features one fence jumped downhill, one fence at the bottom of the hill, and one fence jumped uphill, all negotiated in quick succession.

What are some of the more important competitions?

The show jumping World Championships are ranked second in importance behind the Olympics, and are held every four years, with both team and individual competition. International riders are chosen through selection trials designated by their national equestrian federation.

The annual World Cup Final is an indoor jumping competition for international riders. The riders must qualify for the Final by winning points in World Cup Qualifiers, also designated by their national equestrian federation.

A Nations' Cup features international teams of four riders each competing over two rounds, with the team with the lowest score winning. A grand prix class is the highest level of show jumping for individual riders. A puissance competition tests the horse's ability to jump extreme height and width.

The above article and images are ©Canadian Equestrian Federation (CEF).
They have been Web-published on this site with the kind permission of the CEF.
The original brochure was printed through the co-operation and financial support
of Sport Canada/Canadian Heritage.
All images are ©Jill Bethune-Williams and may not be reproduced without her permission.
We thank Jill for permission to reproduce her images for this page.