Tie breakers?

[TheBigEasy]

Could someone please point me to how ties are broken? I was at a schooling show today with Combined classes where this came up.

There were a couple of ties - and then a lot of discussion as to how they should be broken.
I tried to dig through the USEF, USEA rulebooks on my phone, to no avail.
Searching Google yielded mixed results. We found that ties are broken by the dressage score, the jumping score, and the dressage collective marks. Literally every way a tie could be broken was suggested.

Could someone point me to the appropriate reference for this?

[Janet]

EV 132.2,b

In the event of equality between any two or more competitors, the classification is decided by:

1. The best Cross-Country score including penalties for faults at obstacles, time penalties and any other penalty that he/she may have incurred on the Cross-Country Test.
2. If there is still equality, the classification is decided in favor of the Competitor whose Cross-Country time was closest to the optimum time.
3. If there is still equality, the Competitor with the best Jumping score including penalties at obstacles and time penalties.
4. If there is still equality, the classification will be decided in favor of the Competitor with the best collective marks in the Dressage Test.
5. If there is still equality, the tie will remain in the final classification.

[TheBigEasy]

Very helpful. Thank you. No wonder I couldn’t get anywhere searching “tie” in the rulebook. Never would have thought to search “equality”.