Nova Scotia Pony Club

Show Jumping

GENERAL INFORMATION
Show Jumping is one of the disciplines encouraged in pony club. It involves riders learning to navigate their mounts over a course of obstacles in the show ring. Riders move from poles on the ground at the lower levels up to jumping 1.2m obstacles at the highest levels.

Competitions may be run to test a rider's ability to combine speed with accuracy over a stadium course comprised of knockdown jumps. The objective is for riders to complete the "obstacle" course with the least amount of penalties being accumulated and without having exceeded the time allowed. Penalties are assessed for knockdowns and refusals. In the event of a tie, or with more than one rider having gone clear, then a timed jump-off is held with the rider having gone the fastest with the least penalties being the winner.

It is an event that is popular among spectators everywhere. It provides a source of excitement for everyone, even those who may have never even seen a horse before!
Pony Club also encourages riders to do medal type jumper classes. These are judged jumper rounds that assess the rider's skill in executing the course rather than just looking at speed and knock down.
The official Canadian Pony Club Show Jumping rules can be downloaded for free from the CPC website.

REGIONAL SHOW JUMPING FORMAT
Nova Scotia has decided to run their Regionals in a way that gives its members at all levels exposure to 2 types of jumper classes. Note that once the jumps have been set for the competition, no one is permitted to ride over the fences until the official warm up rounds commence.

• First competitors will ride a jumper round (Table A) judged on faults and time allowed. Those who have a clean round will participate in a jump off round. This class will be placed individually with ribbons from 1st to 6th place 
• Secondly they will participate in a medal class. This will include an over fences portion followed by a flat ride both judged on the riders' jumper equitation. Refer to the Canadian Pony Club Show Jumping Rules for medal classes (Section 3) for details of what can be included. Riders will receive a score out of 100. This class will be placed individually with the top 3 receiving medals and 4th – 6th receiving ribbons.
• Finally, clubs can enter teams of 4, or scramble with other clubs, for team awards. Team placings will be given based on the top 3 team members medal scores added together.
• Lastly top overall riders of the day will be given ribbons based on medal scores across all divisions 1st to 6th place.

Divisions offered at the competition include:

Division	Height	Medal flat ride may include:
Combined Pre-Entry & Entry	2' 2'3"	Combined Walk, trot rising, trot sitting, halt, change of direction at walk or trot, walk on a loose rein; plus; walk and/or trot without stirrups, canter in small groups if judge feels riders are capable.
Starter	2'6"	All of the above, plus; lengthen stride in trot
Beginer	2'9"	All of the above, plus; rein back, simple change of lead through trot, canter without stirrups. May ask for individual showing of 20m circles at trot, posting or sitting.
Nvice	3'	All of the above, plus; lengthen stride in canter. May ask for individual showing of leg yield at walk, 20m circles at trot without stirrups, and 20m circles at canter.
Combined Intermediate Advanced Open	3'3" 3'6" 3'9"	All of the above, plus; trot from halt, shorten stride in trot, counter canter. Judge may ask for individual showing of 15m circles at trot and canter, with a change of direction through trot, turn on the forehand, leg yield at trot.

NATIONAL SHOW JUMPING

Show Jumping runs our national competition as a 3 phase medal at 0.9 m height. The first phase is a flat ride, the second a gymnastic and the final a medal round. All competitors who go to nationals must qualify at their regionals by doing a 0.9 m medal class.

For NSPC, candidates for Nationals are selected based on their performance in previous years at regional competitions. Selection criteria include age, pony club level, jumper ring experience, placings from show jumping and scores from medal classes, and experience competing on horses at 3' and above. For more information on the selection process you can download the NSPC National Show Jumping Selection Criteria document.