Eventer/dressage rider here…looking to get some Sj practice in the next month, and am eyeing a venue that has an A and some B rated shows coming up.
I have read (and will read again!) the rule book, but I’m looking for some basic logistical info…
I’d be trailering in without a trainer, just for the day…
I’m leaning towards the B show as it works better timing-wise - again, I’m JUST trying to get some rounds in a new ring under my belt, not looking to do this on a regular basis…
Polo/boots/breeches ok?
How on earth do I figure out when to get there? When to walk my courses?
Can I warm up without a ground person? I can bring my husband, who runs SJ at events all the time (and got partway through training to be an FEI steward), if I need help setting jumps etc.
What else would you tell an absolute newbie to make the day go smoothly?
Thanks!
My experience going to recognized jumper shows is about a decade ago, so take it with that warning.
Most of the recognized jumper shows I went to, including HITS Culpeper and Upperville, everyone wore a polo shirt or similar. But at one (at the PG Arena IIRC), everyone was wearing show coats. So stick your jacket in the trailer just incase.
Most of the shows had a web page that listed the number of entries in each class. That allows you to estimate when your class will start ( I allowed 2 min per ride, and 20 min between classes), but that doesn’t account for “waiting for the trainer” if it is a multi-ring show. You normally walk your course immediately before your class starts, but if you get there early you can walk when it i set for an earlier class.
It is possible (but not easy) to warm up without a ground person. People aren’t being intentionally rude, they just assume that everyone ha a ground person. Yes, you can bring your husband, and he will be fine.
Regardless of whether there is an official order-of-go or not, expect it to be changed on the fly based on “waiting for trainer”. If there is an empty ring (waiting for trainer), it is OK to offer to go early.
And as with everything else, stay hydrated, and keep as cool as you can. And have fun.
thanks, Janet, SO helpful!!! (and you know what eventers know and don’t know about this stuff…)
Yeah, my husband is perfectly happy ordering our Olympic team riders around in warmup so I am sure he can do what needs to be done for me 
In our area, you want to check the schedule a couple of days prior to confirm the number of entries. That will allow you to gauge, roughly, when your division/class will start.
Make friends with the ingate person. Say hi - ask them when they want you to be ready. If they know what they are doing, they can tell you that trainer X has hunter conflicts so to be ready at the start of the division … or will let you know that trainer Y has 20 students that they are going to start from the beginning, so come an hour later and you should be good to go. Similar to what Janet said, they want to keep the ring moving so if you’re available early, they will often (gladly!) take you!
We usually aim to start warming about 15 trips out, give or take. I’d rather warm up well than feel rushed, that is just nerves and preference on my part. Your hubby may want to hang out by the ingate until you are however many out that you prefer (usually 8 or 6 trips out we start jumping). We don’t have requirements (yet) of who is ‘qualified’ to set jumps - your hubby would be more than welcome here.
Have fun! Great experience to get into some different rings and see some different courses.
Just be prepared for the fact that the only class with a dependable start time is the first class of the day. After that, anything can happen.
They could have an empty ring for an hour while they wait for the last horse to come from another ring, or they could have half the class scratch at the last minute, so the class might be over in the blink of an eye.
It’s also possible that they could rearrange the schedule by moving classes from one ring to another, so the original schedule would really go out the window in that case.
If the class has a website that lists the number of entries online the day before, that’s helpful, but still no guarantee.
Good luck and have fun!
Rated jumpers are different than eventing show jumping. Bring your coat, but no stock ties—a show shirt is fine. Depending on the class/height, a polo and tan breeches will be fine, too. Know if your class has a jump off—learn it and your course as the JO goes immediately after your clear round. Having your husband there to set fences in the warm up will be the easiest for you. He can also check the back gate board for you, move you up or down as needed, hold horse while you use the bathroom, etc. I would even watch a few YouTube videos of jumper classes at your height, and definitely watch some of you can before you go in. Good luck and have fun!
I would say you’ll be perfectly fine in a polo, regardless of whether it’s an A or B level. You will definitely see people who are wearing polos and any color breeches. Your husband knows how to set jumps in the ring I mean the jumps are set he’ll just be there to adjust height and move a ground line as you Like It. It’s definitely preferable to have a person to you know raise and lower your fences, but you can always ask somebody if you can just follow behind them and that’s not uncommon either especially since usually you’re going to have a number of people warming up at the same time and so either grooms or ground people will work together one group will be doing the fences etc. Have fun jumper shows are great, and people tend to be you know very nice
Make sure you familiarize yourself with the class formats (tables and sections). It matters.
In one, it’s timed first round. In another, it’s a jump-off immediately following the first round. In yet another, it’s optimum time. There are several variations.
The class format will be posted on the same sheet as the course at the ringside. Here’s a good link: https://www.equivont.com/blog/jumper-tables-for-dummies.
When you’re looking at the different types of classes in the rule book and comparing it to the schedule for the show, you are most likely to see the following classes offered:
2.A. A first round, followed by a subsequent jump off against the clock for those who are tied after the first round. (2.A- jump off After first round is complete for the whole class.)
2.B A first round followed by an immediate jump off against the clock after a quick break in the ring, for those who are clear in the first round. (2.B- jump off after Break.)
2.C A first round, then if you’re clear you continue directly into the jump off from the last jump of the first round to the first jump of the jump off. (2.C- Continue to jump off.)
You may also see a schooling or blue ribbon jumper class offered, where it is just one round, and everyone who goes clear within the time allowed gets a blue ribbon. It’s possible there could also be a speed class with the first round against the clock, although that is a little less common at a smaller show.
Most shows would only have a 2A class for the higher levels or for a classic, but you never know.
hah, gertie, I actually found that already.
Thanks, all! I think I can handle the rules and learning the courses, and I’ll definitely plan to bring hubby for help.
It’s the timing thing that kills me. Now I remember why I don’t do this sport - gah!
Looks like I’m definitely going to do the B show just from a schedule perspective. And I’m doing pretty low level stuff (.9 m I think, maybe 1.0) so I don’t think calvin, I’ll be rubbing elbows with anyone too fancy…
Lots of good advice. The B show is definitely a better choice in terms of cost and the fact that they tend to be a bit more relaxed and are generally smaller. I have mostly shown without a trainer over the past several years, but I always bring at least one friend to help on the ground and to drink a beer or whatever with me afterward!
Something you may already know is that H/J people can be very cliquey and snotty; I’ve gotten to the point where I am obnoxiously friendly and go out of my way to smile and congratulate people on good rounds and such. Sometimes this works and people are great and sometimes they look at me like I’m a lower-class loser, but it’s their loss. I always have drinks and baked goods in my trailer! I think it’s because we tend to run in groups and are often part of these big barns where a trainer might have a whole bunch of riders. So, barn cliques are a thing and I’ve absolutely felt a chill before when I’ve tried to chat with people. I have been a H/J person my whole life but at this point I board and train with eventers and they are SO MUCH nicer to each other at events, in general, that it can be a little shocking to experience the H/J scene. Remember, though, if anyone is snotty: it’s not you, it’s them. 
My usual B show outfit is a polo and tan or very light grey breeches. In the rated jumpers we tend to pin our numbers (which are bigger than the bridle numbers but smaller than the XC numbers in eventing), to our pads, so bring a handful of little safety pins unless you don’t care. I can’t stand having a number tied to my waist, so I always pin mine, regardless of whether I’m at a schooling show or a rated one.
I have a pile of white BOT Contender II square pads with my horse’s show name embroidered on them, and we always compete in one of those. I prefer a white pad but we jumpers are a somewhat more adventurous group than the hunters (definitely not as much as eventers, lol!!), so as long as your tack is clean and you look tidy you should use whatever your horse is comfortable in.
Good luck and have fun!!!
ETA: Also, remember Doug Payne routinely competes in the jumpers, up through GP, and wins on his event horses in his eventer tack (monoflap saddle, etc.)!
That advice probably applies to most horse show situations. Lol.
OP, please do not go to this show with this preconceived theory that people at these shows are all “cliquey and snotty”.
There are “cliquey and snotty” people at all horse functions, heck, everywhere in life. Even in the eventing world - gasp.
I sometimes think people want to not like others. I also think that sometimes what is called “cliquey and snotty” is more “busy and tired”.
Go be the person your posts sound like you are. Happy, polite, and cheerful and I have no doubt you will find that most of the other people you encounter will react back the same way.
I knew people would not like that I wrote that, but as I said I’ve been a H/J person my entire life and I stand by it. I thought the OP might want to be prepared in case they encounter this sort of behavior, since so many of my eventer friends have been truly shocked by it when they’ve gone to jumper shows.
I love the jumpers and I will continue to be part of that world, but I really like how nice eventers tend to be to each other, from the FEI level down to the unrecognized.
You might also note that I said some people can be like this; not everyone, not all.
Actually you said this:
Which more implies a blanket statement of all, not that it is a random few.
My experience is there are snotty and rude people everywhere. I have encountered them at events too, more often than I would like to. I did not find the hunter/jumper people to be anymore or any less snotty and rude.
Ok! You win (sort of). Cool. I will discount the experiences and observations of a lifetime.
OP, I am really sorry I derailed your nice thread. I hope you have a great time, definitely provide beer/whatever drinks he likes to your husband for helping you, and win some ribbons!
Amen to everything you said. But this right here needs to be on a T shirt!
Eta: At some point, unless they’re actively trying to sabatoge you, does it really matter if they’re not interacting? Be it because they’re cliquish, socially awkward, nervous, whatever? I’ve competed in jiu jitsu tournaments. Drove to and supported my step kids at meets for every organized sport under the sun. Gone to watch my nieces & nephews & friends’ kids do their school team sports. At all of them, the social tone is no different than that of a horse show.
At music auditions, people barely speak beyond pleasantries. Some of it is cliquishness, for sure. Mostly, they’re nervous, they’re stressed. They’re physically exhausted and trying to save energy. They’re worried because they told the babysitter they’d be back by 5pm & auditions are already running 2 hours behind due to an accompanist conflict. Even if they happen to be skilled onversational facilitators under ordinary circumstances, they’re off their game. I feel it’s much the same case at horse shows, with the added worry about how the horse is holding up to contend with.
we went through that constantly in open shows with our backyard horses, it was with great remorse that our poor little horses hauled in our older but safe two horse trailer without a trainer bet them …repeatedly … in their breed shows they were well respected and we had a great time, but those open shows were another world
Lots of good advice! I’m going to add one minor thing that will help you look the part—pin your number to your saddle pad, don’t tie it around your waist, and check which side the in-gate person is on to know which side to pin it to.
Unless I’m at a venue that I know is going to be very dressed up (like if you are going to WEF or something) or you plan on competing in a money class, a polo is totally fine. Heck, I’ve even seen people doing the adult jumpers during the weekday at WEF in polos.
Once at an AA show I saw a girl competing in a tie die tee shirt. That was a little weird.
Talk to the in gate person and tell them you don’t usually do jumpers. They are usually friendly and will even tell you what class you are doing if you forget what the section numbers mean (power and speed, jump off after clear round, etc). They also love it if you are flexible on when you go in the order. Then they will be your best friend.
You will need someone on the ground to warm up. It’s not uncommon to share the warm up ring with other rings and you don’t want to go out there and find all the warm up jumps set for 18 inches and 4ft with no in between. You also will want them so they can keep an eye on how far out your round is.
It can be hard to gauge how far out you are. Some places run a tight ship and rounds will go fast; others are more relaxed and it’s not uncommon for them to wait for the rider to memorize the course, or do one last warm up fence, or whatever. Even the first class of the day won’t necessarily start on time. Usually I head out to warm up when the class before me starts, unless the class is very small or very large.
