Elimination for Disobediences

There are several different ways of getting eliminated from your class at the horse show, all of which are described in the rule book. Today we will talk about eliminations resulting from multiple disobediences.

In both the hunter ring and the jumper ring, horses are eliminated after their second disobedience. The jumper rule, however, goes into much further detail.

Hunters

The EC rule for multiple disobediences in the hunter ring is simply:

ARTICLE G407

6. Second cumulative refusal, runout or bolting on course results in elimination. When a horse avoids an obstacle he is supposed to jump, it constitutes a refusal or runout. The horse must be brought back and jumped over the obstacle or he will be eliminated.

This just says that if your horse has refused or run out once, you must come back and jump that obstacle successfully before continuing around the course. After a second refusal or runout anywhere on course, you are eliminated.

Jumpers

Disobediences are defined as:

FEI ARTICLE 219 DISOBEDIENCES

1. The following are considered as disobediences and are penalized as such (236 and 239):

1.1. a refusal;

1.2. a run-out;

1.3. a resistance;

1.4. a more or less regular circle or group of circles no matter where they occur on the course or for whatever reason. It is also a disobedience to circle around the last obstacle jumped unless the track of the course so requires.

What 1.4 basically means is that you cannot cross your path between two jumps without it counting as a disobedience.

If you are unsure of what constitutes a refusal, run-out or resistance, they are defined in FEI Articles 221, 222 and 223, available here.

Here is the EC rule regarding elimination in Table A and Table C competitions:

FEI ARTICLE 236 TABLE A
1. Faults are penalized in penalty points or by elimination according to the tables set out in this Chapter.
First disobedience - 4 penalties
Second disobedience or other infringement laid down under Article 240 - Elimination

FEI ARTICLE 239 TABLE C
2. Penalties under Table C
First disobedience - None
First disobedience, with a knock down and/or displacing of an obstacle - time correction 6 seconds
Second disobedience or other infringement laid down under article 240 or both - Elimination

Once you have been eliminated in the jumper ring, you have the right to jump a courtesy fence according to the following rule:

FEI ARTICLE 240 ELIMINATIONS
2. The competitor has the right to jump one single obstacle, after retiring or after being eliminated, providing that obstacle is part of the course of the current competition. This however does not apply to elimination resulting from a fall.

You must leave the arena without delay after being eliminated, so if you choose to use your courtesy jump, you should select it carefully. It should ideally be located on your way back to the in-gate so that you can jump it on your way out without circling back. Never take any jump backwards, and choose a jump that you have already taken successfully in order to give yourself a better chance at avoiding another refusal (this is especially important because you have only one shot at your courtesy fence).