Ask the Steward: CET medal class, equitation age, becoming an official and more

When schooling over fences, when must a second rail be added on the vertical face of the fence?

Any time a fence is built at or over 1.30 metres, there must be two rails. If the back rail of the oxer is over 1.30m and the front rail is below 1.30 m, there still must be two rails on the front face of the fence, and of course, only one rail on the back of the oxer. Fences should be marked at the 1.30m level and also at the 1.60m level. We call the 1.30 level the ‘gymnastic line’ – many exercises used in morning schooling at shows are not allowed over this level.

At the regional finals of the CET Medal class, can the trainer ride the horse the evening before the class?

Depending on the time of the class, “No one other than the competitor may ride the competitor’s horse on the days of the CET Medal competition or during the 24-hour period prior to the start of the first phase.” (ART G1110)

I get confused about the age of equitation riders. Is there an easy way to make sense of birthdays and ages?

Think of the age as the actual age of the child on January 1st of the competition year. That age goes throughout the calendar year with the child. So if you are 17 years old on January 1st, 2015, and your birthday is January 2nd, 2015, for purposes of riding in equitation classes in 2015 you are 17 years old.

I want to become an EC official. How do I start?

There are several paths, both diverse and parallel, regarding EC officials. If your interest is purely hunter/jumper, perhaps you are interested in becoming a course designer. If you love being outside in all-weather situations and are committed to the welfare of the horse, think about stewarding. Maybe judging is your interest. In all cases, information is available on the Equine Canada website (www.equinecanada.ca) and through the rule books, which are available online. For judging information, go to Book G Chapter 9, and for stewarding, look in Book A art 1315. You can also find steward-specific information in the General regs, Dressage regs and Hunter/Jumper regs. I urge you to research on your own and if you have further questions direct them to this email below.