2024 Rules

The Trilogy Series and its show organizers are committed to providing a safe environment in which all individuals are treated with respect. Individuals involved with the Trilogy Series acknowledge and accept that the welfare of the horse is paramount.

All rules are based on the Equestrian Canada Rule book, Section D, with some variation because of the schooling show nature of this series. A competitor is ultimately responsible for knowing and complying with these rules. Enforcement of show rules is the responsibility of show management, and officials.

To enter any/all of the Trilogy shows you must be a Trilogy member. This is an annual membership.Membership in Trilogy is open to all – simply fill in the online form from the “memberships” button.  Then e-transfer your payment to the membership secretary  (trilogycombinedtest@gmail.com). Members must also have a current Ontario Equestrian (OE) membership. These can be purchased online from www.horse.on.ca.

The Trilogy combined test series is open to both Junior and Open riders. The multiple divisions offered ensure that competitors are competing against other competitors who have similar skill or experience, regardless of age. Where there are sufficient entries, classes may be divided into Junior and Open divisions. 

A competitor is a junior rider until the end of the calendar year in which he/she reaches the age of 18. Juniors are not permitted to ride stallions in this series. 

The competitor number is assigned to the rider, not the combination of horse and rider. Where a competitor chooses to compete more than one horse in the same division, show management will assign separate numbers to identify each combination, and determine their placing in the class(es) on that day.

Riders will accumulate points based on their placing in each division at each show. At the final show of the season the overall division champions and reserve champions will be determined. Riders who compete in dressage only classes are eligible for dressage year end awards, but not for awards intended for combined test participants.   Each horse/rider combination may compete once in a division.  A schooling stadium round may be done directly after the competetive round (before leaving the ring) if the rider wishes.

• New division for 2024  -- EV70 -- (approx. 2'3) this will give riders moving up a smaller stepping stone.
• To qualify for year end awards, rider/horse combination must participated the full division in a minimum of 3 shows for overall placings
• To qualify for year end Dressage the horse/rider combination must compete in 3 of 4 shows in that division
• Total year end points will be determined by taking the 3 highest combined division points.
• rider/horse combination may only compete once in a division at each show.  
• overall year end will be placed to 8 th for all divisions based on qualifications stated above
• Year End Awards will be presented at final show

ENTRIES & CANCELLATION POLICY

Competitors may enter dressage only, stadium only or the complete division. 

New for 2024 we will be using COMPETE EASY as our entry system.

All entries for each show will be done through this portal (app or online)

 The person signing as person responsible is attesting that the horse and rider entered are capable of competing at the level entered. 

 Closing dates are one week before each show date. 

 No refunds will be issued after the closing date unless either a veterinary certificate or doctor’s note are provided to show management. 

As soon as the shows are ready for entries they will open on Compete Easy

All competitors must wear a properly fastened protective headgear which complies with or exceeds any of European, British, ASTM or Australian/New Zealand tested standards at all times while mounted anywhere on show grounds. Any rider competing in a Trilogy competition is permitted to wear a safety vest.

Appearance must be neat and clean with all riders in a long or short sleeve shirt with collar, breeches and riding boots or paddock boots and half chaps of a conservative colour. Gloves are required. Show jackets are optional. Spurs with a shank no more than 4cm, and a blunt end, to prevent wounding a horse are permitted.

Dressage test: Horses shall wear a snaffle bridle with a smooth mouthpiece (ie. twisted and roller bits are prohibited) with ring, egg-butt or bar type cheeks. The bit may be made of metal, rubber or synthetic material. Whips no longer than 120 cm (47”) including lash may be carried when riding in dressage warm-up and the dressage test. Ear hoods are permitted. There will be a tack check for each competitor prior to the dressage test.

Jumping test: Whips no longer than 75 cm (30”) are permitted, as are running martingales with rein stops, jumping boots or bandages, fly shields for ears only, hackamores or gags.

The first fall of competitor or horse will result in elimination from their current class.

A competitor is considered to have fallen when he/she is separated from their horse in such a way as to necessitate remounting. Where a rider falls, they are not permitted to remount in the ring. A horse is considered to have fallen when its shoulders and haunches have touched the ground at the same time. A rider who has fallen must be checked by a qualified professional who is in attendance at the show.

JUMPING TEST

This test is similar to an ordinary show jumping competition. In this series, the class will be timed at the Pre-Entry or EV78, EV 85 (or Entry) and EV90 (or Pre-Training) levels to determine the placing of each competitor in the jumping test. Timed stadium classes will use closest to the optimum time to determine placing where there are clear rounds. Riders will receive time penalties as per eventing rules for unnecessarily slow rounds.

At the Grasshopper - EV45,  EV60 and EV70, where clear rounds occur, the judge will determine placing based on performance ie. style, smoothness of round.

After the signal to start, competitors should cross the starting line within 45 seconds. Should a competitor be eliminated during their round, they will be signaled to stop, and must leave the course at that time.

Stadium speeds for each of the levels are as follows:

EV78 (Pre-Entry) and EV85 (Entry) – 300 m/m

EV90 (Pre-Training) – 325 m/m

Courses will have distances and optimum times posted on course maps. Start and finish points will be marked.

UNAUTHORIZED ASSISTANCE

Any outside intervention by voice, signs (except where dressage test is called), is considered as assistance to the rider or horse.  Any such help given to a mounted competitor between the start signal and crossing the finish line will be penalized by elimination of the competitor.

All competitors may do a second or “schooling” round immediately if the rider wishes, and they may be assisted by their coach in the ring at this time. Only the first round will count towards the rider’s score in the division. Competitors must notify the judge that they intend to ride a second round prior to starting.

SCORING

Dressage: The good marks from 0-10 awarded by the judge for each numbered movement of the dressage test are added together with the collective marks, and any errors deducted. Half marks are permitted. This is expressed as a percentage of the maximum possible good marks for each test. This percentage will be used to determine the placing of each competitor in the dressage portion of each division. The rider with the highest percentage score wins the class. Where there is only one entry in the class, the rider’s placing will be according to the following scale:

1stplace – 60% or higher

2ndplace – 57-59.9%

3rdplace – 54-56.9%

4thplace – 51-53.9%.

In order to convert the percentage mark to penalty points, the percentage mark is subtracted from 100, with the resulting figure rounded to one decimal digit. For example: the dressage score is 69.5%. Expressed as penalty points it would be 100 – 69.5 = 30.5 penalty points. 

Penalty points are added with the penalty points accrued in the jumping test to determine the overall placing in the division.

Jumping faults:

• Knocking down an obstacle 4 penalties
• First disobedience 4 penalties
• Second disobedience 8 penalties
• Third disobedience elimination 
• Fall of horse or rider elimination
• Omitting an obstacle elimination
• Not crossing start or      finish lines elimination

Disobediences are defined as a refusal, or run out.

A refusal occurs when a horse stops in front of an obstacle to be jumped, and steps back in any way. A stop followed immediately by a standing jump is not penalized, but if the halt is in any way prolonged, this constitutes a refusal.

A run-outoccurs when a horse is presented to the obstacle and avoids the obstacle.

Time penalties will be applied for exceeding the time allowed at the EV78 (Pre-Entry), EV85 (Entry) and EV90 (Pre-Training) levels. For each second or part second over the time allowed, riders will accrue .4 time penalty. Riders who exceed the time limit (twice the time allowed) will be eliminated. Completing the course in less than the time allowed is not rewarded.

Note to competition organizers: when medical personnel are attending to an incident, the competition must stop, unless there are sufficient medical personnel in attendance and available to respond to another incident at the same time.