hey all,
So I’m a yr who’s spent over a decade in the eventing world, and now riding my Westfalen 9 y/o mare at Prelim eventing, doing really well. However, this horse is basically my child, and after a few friends have lost horses in Intermediate and above XC, I think I’d rather switch to Jumpers than bump up a level. my mare is so careful and scopey but stuff happens on course and I’d be devastated if anything happened that I could have prevented. I know jumpers come with their own risk but I’d feel comfortable jumping in a ring where the jumps fall, instead of cross country where the risk is higher.
So have any of you made the switch? What resources should I look for to switch over? what’s the governing body for jumpers (i.e. USEA) and what level should I start at, for someone who’s had plenty of experience showing 3’7"+ ?
Thanks!
You can do any height you like. It might be wise to show at a little lower height to start as you learn the ropes. Maybe the biggest adjustment will be that you don’t know what time you will show unless you do the first class of the day and go early in the class.
In all other situations, there may be an estimated start time for a specific class, but there is often a fair amount of hurry up and wait syndrome, depending on the show.
Also, the USEF competition year starts on December 1st. So if you’re not going to show at a USEF show in November, you might want to wait to join until next month. Otherwise you’d be paying for a full year of membership for the remaining three weeks of November.
Even though you have had good success with eventing, you will need some coaching help to most successfully make the switch. Find some good coaching help. Jumper courses tend to be more technical at the shows, more and different questions asked of both horse and rider. Because of the difference in the courses, start out by downgrading a bit in size of jumps, at least at first. Make the jumps themselves the “easy” part, while you concentrate on the more technical aspects of the competition. If it’s easy, you can enter at a higher level next time, or next day.
I’d also recommend seeing if you can tag along with a friend or a coach to get a feel for the way things are running. That way there’s one less thing to consider when you show up to compete! One big difference my eventer friends have pointed out is that in jumperland it can be really tough to warmup without a coach or at least a ground person setting jumps for you in the warmup ring. Especially when it’s a crowded ring, you’ll really want someone there staking your claim for that jump.
I’d also say it would be useful to take a look at the rulebook and learn the different formats- the ones you’ll likely most often see are II2b (immediate jump off), II2a (clear rounds return later for a jump off), II1 (speed), and II2c (power and speed).
Lastly, the overall governing body is USEF obviously, but the one specific to jumpers is the USHJA, website here: https://www.ushja.org/. You’ll either need to be a member of both to compete at rated shows, or pay a non-member fee.
Welcome to jumperland, it’s a ton of fun!
Agree with what other posters have said but another thing to remember is in Jumpers getting distances/strides will be more important and lead changes. I can’t tell you how many riders I see marching around a SJ course and once they get on it all goes to pot. Sure they might get around but the time might be shorter but will they get around the J-F? Same thing with leads. The attitude from eventers about lead changes is fortunately changing as I can recall often hearing “we don’t have to worry about leads until X test”. Well I don’t know that I’d want to be headed towards a big jump counter cantering and being off balance.
Also agree - make sure you know the Jumper tables and rules - especially the Power & Speed part as that’s the class that seems to throw a lot of people off. It’s sort of a 2 part class where say the first 8 obstacles are the “power” part and if you go clean then continue on to speed part. A lot of newbies don’t realize if they have a rail down during power they have to stop. Judge will whistle you out.
As others said there is no assigned time but most shows will have some sort of tentative schedule… I assume you’re an amateur so you should check out the Low Children’s Adult Jumper classes to start with and then move to the Highs. You should fit in fine there.
WELCOME!!! There are many of us (Former 3 day eventers) who do jumpers now. I am having by far the best season of my life and I hope you enjoy it as much over here too.
I have lots of answers to questions if you have any but pretty much all the previous posters have hit the biggest points:
Know the class types
Know the required attire (FYI I still get this wrong here and there)
Know how to calculate when you’ll need to be warming up
READ the Jumper rules, especially the warm up rules.
I would suggest making friends with a good group of local jumper riders and going and watching a bit. It can make things easier to pick up.
It has now been many years, but I evented through training/prelim before I made the switch to jumpers (and later to dressage, but that’s not relevant here).
I’d start in a lower height section so you can get a feel for the more technical courses and combinations, and for the different format classes and jump-offs.
Most shows will offer open classes at different heights that are largely used for schooling. Those are a great place to get your feet wet. For example, you could enter the schooling class at .9m (3’) and the schooling class at 1m (3’3").
You can also check out divisions that you might be eligible for. Assuming you are a junior, I’d look at the Children’s Jumpers for now. That division is sometimes split into Low, Medium, and High, or sometimes just Low and High. The prize list for the show will list the exact heights for the different sections - but it will be between 1m and 1.15m. The Low Junior’s is the next step up from there, but it can be a big step. I’d recommend watching those classes go for now, and practicing towards that at home.
I just finished my 2nd year doing jumpers after eventing. Get a jumper coach, show jumping at events is very different from jumpers. The courses are more technical, especially if you get into doing the weekend classes/classics. At least ours are here at the A Circuit shows. My horse started in the 0.9s, but he was an unsuccessful event horse, he struggled at novice. We spent most of this year doing 1.10m and the plan is to stay there next year to get more consistent. That’s where having a jumper coach is great. Depending on the format of the class as you get more comfortable the plan may be different if there is a jump off vs. just a speed class. This is how it’s been for me at least making the change, having a coach to help in the warmup, but also to walk the courses with. They see places where I can leave out a step, or where I need to go out to give myself a bit more room. I try to walk the course myself, then with them to see how my plan matches up with their plan. It’s all about the small details though, which I love.
Maybe reverse the order of those questions. Find some likely shows first, then go just to watch a time or two and observe the schooling rings to see which trainers look like a good fit for you.
There are are lots of unrecognized shows in many areas. They may or may not offer jumper classes, depending on the location and demand for them.
There should be local and unrecognized shows available, but exactly WHAT is available is dependant on your location. To find a coach you would like to try riding with, go to a recognized horse show, a bigger horse show. Stand by and watch. Watch the riders in the ring, see what you think of their riding, how their horses go and perform. See who is coaching each of them. The coach will be at the ingate, or alongside the rail, watching, and giving directions and giving criticism afterwards. Watch the warm ups, See each coach is doing with their clients, see how the clients respond. If you LIKE what you see, go and introduce yourself to the coach when there is a break in the action. Just because coaches and riders are at a bigger show does not mean that they are the one you want to ride with- idiots and charletons abound, even at the bigger shows. But there is more selection. Choose the one whose riders ride softly and quietly, yet effective. Choose the one whose riders are happy with themselves and their horses, and their horse’s performance. They may or may not win, but look for the quality ride, and the humane training, and the effective coaching. Don’t choose the one who as all their riders in twisted wire bits and spurs that they do not know how to use, attempting to beat or bully the horses around the course. Do not choose the one who is condescending to their clients, or flippant. Look for a coach who is developing good partnerships between his riders and his horses in his care, where both horse and rider are a team, working together to get the job done. Good luck. As others have said, showjumping is an awesome sport. PS, you might find yourself doing some hunter divisions and/or equitation divisions too, there are important things to learn in these divisions as well, which will help your jumper divisions.
I’m not in the US, so this advice may not be applicable. In my area we don’t really have unrecognized shows with bigger jumps. I believe our B circuit (silver shows) only goes to 1.10s. So if you were in my area, and your goal was to move up and jumper bigger jumps the advice you’d get was look at the A circuit (gold shows). If its possible, when you’re shopping for trainers go to the shows on Tuesday. That’s move in/just a schooling day for those stabled for the week. I find it very… enlightening to watch the rings on Tuesdays, or in the evenings when the hunters are ticketing. Also when looking for a trainer, be realistic about your goals and expectations. For instance, going south is not an option for me and I’m not really interested in riding with someone who leaves for 4-5 months! Also with that, just like eventing finding a coach who has experience riding and teaching at a level that you’re interested in achieving. The coach who is a great coach for BN/N riders that hasn’t had any riders above that probably isn’t who you’d look to for coaching at P/I, same with jumpers.
Ok so good news. I am one of the admins for the Facebook Group: Mid Atlantic Jumpers. Join that. I have gotten a bit lax on our show calendars in Oct and November but December and the winter ones will be back on schedule. (I had tried to make it so anyone could add shows on a Google doc/Calendar but apparently I’m the only one motivated to actually do the work. LOL)
There are MANY shows around you. You’ll have plenty to go watch and compete in. I would even be happy to meet up at a show and show you the stuff to watch if you like. No pressure but I do show around MD, VA, etc,
The BEST show series at PGEC in So. MD is really well run and well attended, and the jumpers go in the covered ring which is awesome in the summer (unless they’ve changed that, it’s been a few years since I was in MD) - they also do a smaller winter series in the covered ring. Loch Moy also runs some nice schooling shows which I have never personally attended but always heard good things. the McDonogh school also offers jumpers, I think at both rated and schooling shows. If you’re further north in MD, Swan Lake in PA, just over the state line, is another great venue and runs both schooling and rated shows all year. Frying Pan in Herndon also does a lot of schooling jumper shows. You’ve got lots of options!
