Eventing National Championships to begin in New Delhi

Close to 200 riders will compete in National Equestrian Championship Eventing at the Army Polo and Riding Centre in New Delhi, starting March 21, the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) announced on Thursday.

The first three-day competition will begin on March 21 and the second and final will begin on March 28.

The Eventing competition, also known as Horse Trial, comprises three disciplines Dressage, Cross Country, and Show Jumping. In three-day events, the Show Jumping competition unfolds on day three.

“We will have around 36 teams and close to 200 riders competing over three days. The competition will be in the Pre-Novice, Novice, and CCN categories. We have an excellent jury, headed by Col. (retired) Dushyant Bali. I am sure we will see some interesting and exciting action in the championships,” Col Jaiveer Singh, Secretary General EFI, said.

In Show Jumping, the horse jumps over coloured poles with a maximum time allowed and the objective is to jump a clear round inside the time limit. On the last day, it becomes challenging because the horses get tired and that leads to more mistakes.

In Cross country, horses and riders negotiate a course of natural obstacles over several miles. The obstacles have to be jumped within a time limit. The horse should be bold, straight, and fast for cross country.

In Dressage, the rider-horse combo performs in an arena of 20m x 60m, bordered by a low rail which the horse must stay within. The arena has 12 lettered markers placed symmetrically indicating where the movements are to start where the pace changes are to occur and where the movements will end.