First Eventing Show!!! :-)

My first show EVER is coming up (and it will be my horse's first show ever as well!) It's on June 21st, and it's an Eventing mini trial...anyway, do any of you show Eventers out there have any helpful tips for me since I've never been in a horse show before??

I'm going to an open schooling day for x country on Memorial Day, so I'll get an idea of how Sandie does trailering and being in a new environment then, and I have a feeling she's going to be a little nervous (she still gets nervous just going on a trail ride at the trails behind our barn right now!)

But what can I expect when I get there? Any pointers for my dressage or cross country? (well, or stadium for that matter...the idea of memorizing what jumps to go over next scares me lol) Thanks!!

Def have fun!!!!! You will do great, seeing how well you and Sandie work together! For dressage, just keep her light and not get strong. XC, don't be nervous, just ride it as you would in an arena! Stadium I'm pretty sure you are good on! Make sure you bring DUCK TAPE. I has always been my saving grace! Clean your brushes a few days ahead too. Take a pair of Wellies to walk your courses too. And don't be nervous because it will affect Sandie too. Good luck and be sure to tell me how it goes!

Awww, your first Horse Trial - or Short Course Event. Have a blast!! Make sure you get allot of pictures!!! Just relax, breath and enjoy yourself.

I am glad to hear you are going to school over the CC fences prior. It is a great way to clean up any cobwebs in your riding CC, and to help you feel better relaxed and more confident about the fences, come comp day.

I assume you've been working with an Eventing Coach? Please say you have been :)

Expect allot of people and horses, hully skullying around. Just relax, get there early and take your time.

Make sure you or your coach or parent gets to the office to get your packet. Your packet will have all your important information - the map of your CC course, the map of your Stadium Course, what arena you'll be doing Dressage in. Your times. Very important to keep your arena's and times memorized. Know where you have to be when you have to be there.

Are there going to be Bit Checks? There usually aren't at unsanctioned events, or Short Course Events - but make sure, find out when you go to the office. You can and will be disquallified if you do not get to your bit check before your rides - so find out.

Make sure you have your dressage test memorized. You cannot have a reader at Events, and it is good to practice now at a Short Course Event so that you will be competant to do this when you do Recognized HT's.

Make sure you are clean and tidy. You do NOT have to be braided up. Just be clean, presentable and at your arena at your time. You can walk around your arena a few times before the bell rings - allow your horse to walk around, get a good look at the judge and the surroundings...flowers, chain, boxes.

When the bell rings, move into your 1st asked for gait, and enter your arena and move on - remember, HT tests, you do not halt in the middle and salute *again, this is something your Eventing Coach should of worked with you*

CC - you'll probobly do this first before stadium. You NEVER ride CC the same way you ride stadium or in the arena. You must have a solid functional seat, strong solid legs and confidence.

Again, I hope your Eventing Coach worked on this with you prior. And I am positive your coach will walk you through everything when you walk the course together.

Walking the course - I like to walk my course minimally 3 times. 1st time is with the map. I memorize my jumping sequence. 2nd time, without my map and I walk that course looking at the terrain, where I am going to approach each fence and how. 3rd time, I walk it as though I am actually riding it. By then, you should definitely have your course memorized.

Make sure you have your Certified and Approved CC vest on. And your Arm Band with your information on it.

When your # or name is called, make sure you are near the start box. You may walk around the start box, you may stand there - whichever, be sure you are there. The volunteer at the start box will start counting down, at that point, get into the start box - do not leave the box until the volunteer gets to 1 and says "have a good ride"

Again, this is something your coach should of worked with you.

Remember, RIDE YOUR RHYTHM NOT THE CLOCK. You never ride the clock. Focus on your horse, your position in your tack and getting to the base of each fence rhythmically, fluidly and under controll. It is not a race. Relax, breathe and take your time. If you have to trot, then trot - no problemo.

Stadium you know what your doing here :) Still wearing your arm band :) Again, you want to ride your horses rhyhm - never the fence. Here, you don't have to be as deep and tall as you do on CC.

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Tack - make sure you have good solid boots for CC. NEVER open front. You do not have to duct tape, I highly doubt you will be doing any water what-so-ever.

Be sure to bring spare bridles with acceptable bits on them, incase if you get called on your bit check. Make sure you bring spare tack incase if something goes ary.

CC and stadium, you most definitely can go with your baby blue. Dressage, either white or black.

Have fun!!! ENJOY YOURSELF and get lots of piccies!!!

Stadium

MIEventer, Duck Tape is used for alot more than putting on boots. I ALWAYS keep it in my truck and trailer.

Great tips from both of you, thank you!!

Oh yes, my trainer of 2 1/2 years is an Eventer, so he's wanted me to get into this for a looooooooong time! He's been training me in Dressage from Day 1, but I got scared away from jumping early on. When I got Sandie, I REALLY thought I'd never jump because SHE had never jumped before...but after watching my trainer teaching her to jump, I decided one day I had to try it lol And now 2 months later, I'm actually going to be doing some show JUMPING...craaaaazy how things work! Anyway, yeah to answer your question - yes, my trainer is an Eventer who has shown many times and takes his students to a lot of shows as well, so that's a major plus!!


Ummm do they make Quietex for HUMANS?! Lol

I'm not sure whether they will have this, but I did go online to the mini trial website and they had a list of rules that I read, and it had acceptable bits listed with photos and everything, I was impressed! My bit is a double jointed snaffle (french link), and according to the list, is acceptable, so I should be good. I don't use any martingales or anything like that, just a snaffle bridle with a flash band. [/quote]

Done! They had the test in the booklet they gave out and on their website...I have already shown it to my trainer and we've gone through it. Surpringly, they do want you to halt and salute, even at the intro level for this mini trial series. So he taught me how to salute correctly too!


I just got my vest actually, and it's the same one TONS of the other Eventers at my barn use, so I'm guessing it's a good one?? It's this: Tipperary Eventer Vests: Legacy Tack

Definitely!! At this trial, in the intro level where I will be starting, you actually get penalized for going too fast; it is not timed. They encourage you to walk/trot the whole thing, and all of the jumps in intro are 6-12" and designed to be walked over...a good starting place for us even though we can jump much higher! (since we'll be nervous this is a better place to start!!)

THANK YOU for the very detailed tips!!!

Great job on entering your first mini trial!

Make sure you memorize the correct dressage test. There are multiples of each level. You can usually verify if the horse park or horse trial has a website or by calling them

On XC- BREATHE! My first time on XC I held my breath. It made my horse nervous and I couldn't enjoy it. Make sure not to go too fast :) I wouldn't wear a watch the first couple times out just so you aren't focused on time and more focused on the ride you are giving your horse. Make sure you have your armband and carry a crop just in case. It's just a good rule of thumb for XC.

Tipperarys are great, I have one myself. But they aren't certified. But don't panic! They will still let you use it. Many Advanced eventers use them still. They just aren't as protective as the Rodney Powells or the Charles Owens. It has to do with the fact that they don't have a hard shell.

As for the start box- you CAN walk in and out when they are calling your time. I've done it many times before. So if your horse is nervous, let her take a good walk in and around the start box. Just make sure not to cross your path for XC.

As for the dressage- you MIEventer has already covered this. But lower levels only halt and salute at the end of the test- never at the beginning. But since you have gone over your test- you know that already!

As a last note... mini trials are designed for beginner horses and beginner riders. It's usually a very relaxed environment and there's nothing to be nervous about. Once you get there you will realize that you've been worried for nothing!

Good luck and let us know how you guys do!!!!

BTW- which mini trial is this?
Your french link is great. I use mine in recognized HT's all the time.

As for Stadium/Show Jumping- trust me. I was nervous about memorizing the course, too. But once you get there and see the course, it's no big deal. Especially for a mini trial. You can usually see people go in front of you and it's very easy to memorize.

Great post Eventerdrew. Lol, I can picture you going blue doing your cc course. You poor thing!

Tipperary's aren't certified or approved vests. They cannot protect you for impaction or rotational falls. They do not protect your rib cage accordingly and are prone to punchture due to how the vest is made.

When purchasing a vest, always go with one that is certified and approved SEI and ASTM. They must meet Beta Level 3 requirements, and Tipps don't.

Always look at a vest that has the certification and approval marks on them. Like the Charles Owen, Rodney Powels - and if you don't want to spend that kind of money, the Ladies Intec Flex Rider is a great vest, that meets level 3 requirements and is certfied and approved.

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I was thinking about this last night - and you might be required to do stadium/cc at the same time.

There is a farm here where they host a Short Course Event, yours may or may not be ran the same way - but they do Dressage in the A.M *per usual* and then do CC, after the cc course, the riders are required to jump into the arena and finish off with stadium.

The riders only went one at a time, once the last fence for stadium was done, then the next rider went into the start box. There were never more than 1 rider out on the course.

That may be how yours is done, all depends on the person who is putting it on.

About the Tipperarys: I said that they weren't approved in my post. Just wanted to make sure you read that part too :) lol.

I am saving up for a Rodney Powell right now. My trainer has one and loves it.

But as I said before- many ULR's still use Tipperarys. But as the sport is growing more and more dangerous, I think we will see a change. I'm pretty sure they are going to come out with a rule one of these days that says no Tipperarys at all.

I absolutely saw your post Eventerdrew :)

Don't forget, allot of Eventers who wear Tipperaries were being sponsored by Tipperary.

Since Rolex of 07' where the Rep of Tipps were announcing that their vests were not certified nor approved, many lower level eventers were discarding their Tips and buying the Rodney Powel.

Tips are still seen, but I think it is more due to the fact that the lower level riders are not aware that these vests are not adequate to protect them for CC. They see others using them, and buy them because they are or were a fad.