Pairs competition rules and other important information!

The course will consist of 15 cross country obstacles, all with a 65 cm option and with several also including options at 80 cm and/or 95 cm.  

∙ The optimum time will be calculated at a speed of 350 metres per minute (the usual pace for 65 cm cross country).  

∙ Time will be taken when the second rider crosses the finish line and time penalties will be calculated in the usual way for unofficial eventing (i.e. penalties for being more than 20 seconds inside the optimum time as well as for exceeding that time).  

∙ Refusals will be penalised in the normal way, with three refusals at a single fence (by the same horse)  constituting elimination for the pair who must then leave the course at a walk. 

∙ Similarly, any fall of horse or rider constitutes elimination.  

∙ There is no set number of total refusals allowed on course by the pair collectively, but the XC controllers reserve the right to pull up any competitors who they believe are not coping safely with the course and ask them to leave at a walk.  

∙ Three of the obstacles will be designated as Dressing Fences, where the object is for the two riders to jump as closely as possible together, with marks (0-10) being awarded based on how closely synchronised the jumps are. The fence judges’ decisions on these marks are NOT subject to any form of appeal.  

∙ Any time and/or jumping penalties incurred will be deducted from the Dressing Marks and the winning Pair will be the one with the highest score.  

The pairs have numbered with YELLOW discs.