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SHOW JUMPING

SHOW JUMPING IS THE MOST POPULAR OF THE OLYMPIC EQUESTRIAN sports, with the greatest number of participants and spectators. Its roots are in fox hunting, stemming from the era when fences were constructed around previously open fields in Britain and the jumping horse became a necessary and desirable mount.

Competition naturally followed, and the discipline became a fixture at shows in the late nineteenth century. It grew increasingly more sophisticated as the years passed. The Olympics included show jumping starting in 1912. At the time, participants were limited to members of the military, but that changed after 1948, following mechanization of the armies.

Show jumping at the international level today involves obstacles of up to 1.60 meters in height, including brightly painted rails, faux stone walls, gates, and water jumps. They are arranged differently for every competition, requiring not only power on the part of the horse but also technical expertise on the part of the rider.

Some classes are one round against the clock; others require jumping an initial round within the time allowed, which is followed by a jump-off over a shorter course among those who are tied, with time deciding the winner for those tied with an equal number of penalties. Entries are penalized for knockdowns, refusals, and exceeding the time allowed.