Express Eventing: how the competition will work

Stuart Buntine gave the following details of the Express Eventing competition at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 30 November at a press conference in London today:

• Competition starts with each rider doing a 4-minute freestyle dressage to music programme.
• Dressage is marked by four international judges and a musician, who will give an artistic impression score.
• Marks are converted into time-penalties, with each mark equating to 2 seconds.
• Reverse order combined jumping phase starts with a 12-obstacle show jumping course with fences up to 1.30m, with some choices of routes.
• Riders then enter a pitstop area where they must put on a body protector and have the option of changing tack. They can be assisted by two grooms and the event organisation will also provide two “horse handling officials” in this area.
• They then move onto a cross-country phase with approximately 20 fences and 25 jumping efforts.
• Whole combined jumping phase — including the pitstop — is timed, with seconds added for jumping penalties, to determine the winner.
• Winner gets £100,000, total prize-fund of £250,000.

Express Eventing website

Ticket details and programme

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.