The complete Concours of horsemanship (or the CEC ) is a equestrian Sport become Olympic discipline in 1900, like the Concours of jump of obstacles and the raising. Created in the beginning to test the capacities of the horses intended for the armed forces, this test evolved/moved little by little to become an equestrian discipline with whole share. In order to test the whole of the aptitudes of the horses, the complete contest gathers a test of Saut of obstacles, a test of raising and a specific test: the Cross-country race. Often qualified equestrian Triathlon, the CEC requires, contrary to other disciplines, a versatility on behalf of the Cheval like sound Cavalier.

Origins

The complete contest draws its origins from military tests. At the time where the Cheval was the principal means of transport of the Armée S, there were important for those to obtain enduring and strong animals, but also having a sufficient Dressage to be able to remain reliable in all circumstances. To test the horses, of the tests thus were born which consisted of a test of endurance and of crossing of obstacles on distances from 30 to 70 km.

In France, these tests were installation at the 19th century, but those whose philosophy approaches the modern complete contest were born at the 20th century, more the high level possible for the CEC, recognized by the international equestrian Fédération (FEI).

Tests

Of the three tests which compose the complete contest, two are whole disciplines with share: the raising and the Jump of obstacles. Nevertheless, if the format is equivalent, required qualities will be quite different. The traditional order of these tests is the following: raising, cross-country race, then jump of obstacles. This order is not due randomly: it is made to test the tender and the raising of the horse with the first test, its force and its endurance with the cross-country race, then its state of freshness with the jump of obstacles, more usually called in this context horse the .

Raising

See also: Raising (horsemanship)

The couple evolves/moves on a rectangular ground of 60 m out of 20 m and carries out a series of figures belonging to a program called taken again. The Jury, composed of two to five Judge S, evaluates ease and fluidity in the movements of the couple. Each figure is noted of zero (figure not carried out) to ten (excellent execution). The jury allots also overall notes allowing to consider a certain number of parameters depending on the technical level on the test, such as the precision of the execution, the tender of the horse, the quality of the paces, the impulse, the position of the rider, etc

If the test of raising of the complete contest takes again the majority of the rules and principles of the contest of traditional raising, it deviates some on some points:

  • the couple will be judged only on only one recovery, imposed according to the level of the test;
  • required raising is of a less level and differs in several points in the attitude from the horse.

For example, the resumption of raising of the international complete contests '' four stars '' of 2005 is in appendix.

Cross-country race

The cross-country race, test specific of complete, is a discipline which is not practiced that within the framework of a complete contest. Its characteristic is to occur on original grounds (Plaine, Bois, Gué) and to comprise fixed obstacles, contrary to the jump of obstacles where the bars are mobile.

The train (speed) required is higher than in jump of obstacles. This one varies according to the level, going from 500 to 570 m/min), against 420 m/min (approximately 25 km/h) in general for the jump of obstacles. The alliance of fixed obstacles and a high speed guarantees a spectacular, difficult test and involving risks for the rider as for the horse.

Unfolding

Recognition
A few hours before the turn or the day before, the riders are invited to the recognition of course . It is a question of carrying out the whole of the turn to foot to admit the way to be followed, the obstacles, to choose its trajectories, to raise the difficulties, to exchange felt with the trainers or the other participants. Without the authorization special of the jury of ground, it is formally interdict to make this recognition with horse, those in front of imperatively not knowing the obstacles before the passage on the cross-country race

As there can be a hundred leaving and that a turn of cross-country race lasts several minutes, there is permanently from two to four horses on the lathe simultaneously. It is rather rare that a couple catches up with some another, but when that arrives, the judges with the obstacles must prevent the competitor caught up with to announce to him to deviate in order not to obstruct the following rider.

Obstacles

The obstacles are built with natural materials, mainly of wood, and are made to imitate natural obstacles. Following the example CSO, the obstacles of the cross-country race are framed by two Fanion S, a red on the right and a white on the left. The obstacles are numbered on the basis of one, until the bearing last thus like number the full number of obstacles.

The maximum height of an obstacle is of 1,20 Mr. It takes a great responsibility, mainly on the level of safety. Indeed, in order to limit the accident risks, the obstacles must be conceived well and the well calculated distances between those.

A course of successful cross-country race must generate a certain number of faults without of eliminating all the participants. Same manner, an obstacle should not present difficulty largely higher than the others. In practice, it often happens that a precise obstacle is the outstanding difficulty of the turn, the equestrian jargon qualifies it then Justice of the Peace .

Once the built turn, the chief of track must carry out the official recognitions, then to be present at the time of the test to repair with the need the obstacles. It is often helped in this task the voluntary ones and motorized vehicles.

The chiefs of track are approved at the national level by the local equestrian federations. To the international level, the federations present lists of chiefs of track to the FEI which approves them as an international chief of track according to certain criteria (not to have more than 70 years, to speak French or English, to have followed a specific court given by the FEI, and to have notable experience of organization of national competitions).

Judges with the obstacles

The courses of cross-country race long and are located on great extents. Whereas the other equestrian tests proceed in reduced enclosures and can be judged by the only appointed judge, it is impossible for the judge of cross-country race to have a vision of all the obstacles and this, more especially as several couples are launched at the same time on a course. Judges with the obstacles are thus appointed for each obstacle. In practice, if two obstacles are close, it is possible to assign these two obstacles to the same judge, but in the majority of the cases, there is only one obstacle per judge.

These judges must have a good knowledge of horsemanship and rules of the complete one. Indeed, they have the responsibility to judge if a horse made a refusal, precise but subtle concept (one will speak for example about rupture of the movement , or easier to judge, if a member makes a movement backwards). They are equipped with Talkie-walkie S in order to return account to the principal judge of the passage of each couple and the possible made faults. In case of doubt, they will have to consult the jury of ground or the delegate tehnic in order to determine the decision to take.

Moreover, it can happen that a competitor catches up with another of them on the course. The caught up with competitor must be obligatorily erased (without calculation of time) to let the following pass. This case arrives when a competitor wiped much refusal. The judge then alerts the judge with the obstacles who must then prevent the rider that it must put on side. He can also occur serious accidents requiring the intervention of the medical departments. The following competitors are then immobilized by the judges with the obstacles which must then time the time wasted by the competitors stopped in order to withdraw it from final time.

All these responsibilities are assumed by the voluntary ones, without which the organization of such contests would be impossible.

Medical departments

One of the conditions Sine qua non of the organization of a complete contest, whatever its level, is to have on the ground an emergency medical department. Indeed, within sight of the risks which presents this practice and of wide course of cross-country race, it is essential to be able to profit from the care urgently as quickly as possible in the event of serious fall. The departure of a test of cross-country race cannot be given in the event of unavailability of the medical departments.

Public
The courses of cross-country race have an awkward characteristic for the public : it is impossible to have an overall picture of the turn of cross-country race. There exist exceptional cases, as with Pompadour where the ground of cross-country race is in the middle of a Hippodrome, but it is necessary, in this case, to have Jumelles. For this reason, the spectators move along the turn, while going from obstacle in obstacle to try to see a competitor on each obstacle, or choose an interesting obstacle - often the ford - and settle there.

The large tests, at strong multitude, set up security measures (precise delimitation of the zone where the public can go and personnel along the turn) in order to limit the risks of embarrassment or accident for the competitors.

For the majority of the other tests, it is responsibility for each one to pay attention not to obstruct the participants. The judges with the obstacles, with their whistles, have the role of informing the spectators of the arrival of a competitor. Moreover, in practice, it is advised to carry out the turn of the course to back: in this manner, the competitors arrive vis-a-vis the spectators and not in their back. This practice present moreover the advantage of better seeing the competitors, because one earlier realizes of their passage and the chances to see them on an obstacle are increased.

Equipment of the horse and the rider

In order to limit the accident risks of the horse and its rider, certain equipment is obligatory while others are advised. Thus, a special helmet meeting standard NF IN 1384 in France, like one protect-back , kind of waistcoat rigid protecting the Spinal column, are the two obligatory protection measures for the rider. The horse is often equipped with gaiters reinforced for the former ones and the posterior ones. Bells will also protect the shoe S and, to avoid the wounds related to the Crampon S, one flap attachable with the strap offers a protection to the level of the passage of strap of the horse. There exist even straps incorporating this element directly.

Vaseline is often applied to the chest of the horse and the front face of its members, in order to reduce possible shocks with the obstacles. Crampons are added with the irons in order to increase adherence. There exists besides much of types of different cramps, according to the type of ground (grass, sand, mud) and its state (fatty, dry, deep).

Other accessories are often carried by the rider:

  • a special Stop watch, sounding the minutes and with a posting big size;
  • an arm-band carrying the indications of first aid, like the Blood group;
  • and of course, the many traditional equipment like the spur S, the Riding crop and boots.

and are often affected of a coefficient 2. The total is then withdrawn possible maximum note (10 with all the figures) to pass in system of negative points. A coefficient is then applied, according to the test. At the conclusion of raising, the competitors thus have points of penalty.

With high level, the recoveries being longer (25 figures against a score in the lower level), the total of the accumulated penalties is higher. To give an order of magnitude, the first at the conclusion of raising with high level will have a penalty turning around 35 or 40 points, whereas it is not rare that the first in the regional tests have less than 30 points. The major part of the participants have a note of 15 or 20 points higher than the first.

Penalties with the cross-country race

Various marking systems exist according to the countries and the level of the competition. These systems have some basic principles:

  • the refusal is strongly penalized with 20 points for the first refusal and 40 for the second. In comparison with the scores obtained on raising, two refusal are very penalizing and mortgage any chance of victory. After three refusal on the same obstacle or four on the whole of the course, the couple is eliminated and must leave the track;
  • the fall of the rider costs 65 points, while that of the horse is eliminatory. One second fall of the rider is eliminatory;
  • According to the level of the test, it run time is given according to speed (related to the level of the test) and with the distance from the turn. The goal for the couple is then to approach this time known as ideal , without exceeding it. Indeed, each second in excess will give penalties, and, in the event of equality at the time of the final calculation, it is often the couple which carried out a course while being closest to ideal time to the cross-country race which will be indicated victorious. If the competitor exceeds ideal time, of the penalty are added with the score according to the scale suivant :
    • on the truck drivers, 1 point of penalty a second in excess,
    • on the steeple, 0,8 points of penalty a second in excess,
    • on the cross-country race, 0,4 points of penalty a second in excess.
  • Enfin, if the competitor exceeds the time limits (double of ideal time), it is eliminated.

Penalties with the horse one

With traditional CSO, there exist many time formulas: with stoppings, without stoppings, etc the horse one of the complete contest is simpler: only one turn, without stopping, with an ideal time that should not be exceeded (but to go more quickly is not used for nothing). The scale of the points is however more severe than with the CSO: a bar will be worth 5 points (4 points in CSO) and a refusal 10 points (4 points in CSO). Excluded these some differences in the scale, the rules of horse of complete are mainly those of the Concours of jump of obstacles.

The horse and its drive

Model of horse of complete contest

A good horse of complete contest must have multiple qualities in order to satisfy the requirements of three different tests. It must be close to blood, have beautiful paces for the test of raising, be fast, nimble and enduring for the cross-country race, but also good jumper for the CSO. The required horses have bottom and a good gallop. The character is frank, voluntary, but also calm and generous. Conformation must be good, with a powerful and long neck, solid members and a developed back-hand. The ideal model has good balances, a back and a croup rather long, a developed rib cage and dry tendons. The horse of complete is mainly of intermediate size.

The races which are appreciated in complete contest are the Anglo-arabe, the French Selle, AQPS and the English Pur-sang.

The veterinary surgeon comes to a conclusion about the aptitude of the horse to continue the tests. If it decides elimination, its decision is without call.

Various levels in the complete contest

The international complete contest is divided into two types of test: the CCI, or international complete Contest and CIC, or international Contest compounds. The first represent more the possible high level whereas the seconds are assimilated to large national tests opened with the other equestrian federations.

International complete contests, or CCI

Until 2004, the principal difference, in addition to the level between these two tests, was the format of the cross-country race. If the CIC were not different from the other tests, the CCI, as for them, had a test of cross-country race into four phases (in the order):
  • a truck driver;
  • a steeple;
  • a truck driver;
  • then the turn of cross-country race in itself.

The equestrian jargon qualifies these four phases of, respectively, phase has, phase B, phase C and phase D.

The steeple is a course court of 3,1 km traversed with a train very constant of 690 m/min and only composed of obstacles of flight. The test of cross-country race, with this format, takes a particular dimension: one needs a horse prepared extremely well on the physical level, and the time necessary graft two contests are more important (about the six weeks) in order to enable him to recover. Moreover, the test of jump of obstacles is made even more difficult from there for the reasons explained above.

However, the new payments set up by FEI for the Olympic Games of summer of 2004 preserved only the test queen of the complete contest: cross-country race, preceded by a truck driver. Since 2004, in order to agree with the Olympic Games, the majority of the international contests are organized with this only basic test. The reasons of this change are multiple (gross requirement of preparation, number of contest limited, difficulty of the organization, but so media) and were discussed.

Nowadays, it there more so much conceptual difference between the CIC and the CCI, although the latter remain, by their level and their prestige, the queen category of the complete contest. In addition to the level, the only distinction between CIC and CCI are in the order of the tests : for a CIC the order is: Raising then CSO and Cross-country race. For a CCI the order is: Raising then Cross-country race and CSO.

To classify the CCI (and even CIC), of stars (from one to four) are associated at the end determining the level. One will speak then about CCI **** (to pronounce “CCI four stars”) or about CIC*. By abbreviation, the term of CCI or CIC is sometimes omitted in the denominations of the tests. These tests are organized every year, except for the Olympic Games and of the world equestrian plays which are organized every four years, and which are regarded as CCI ****.

Olympic Games

The world equestrian plays are organized every four years, in alternation with the Olympic Games, and this, since 1900.

The complete contest failed to be removed Olympic Games following a proposal of the International Olympic committee in 2002. Vis-a-vis the increase in the number of Olympic sports, this last sought to remove the sports too expensive or not media enough. Finally, the compromise was to change the format of the competition which passed thus to that of a CIC, with the suppression of the phases of truck driver and steeple, and the addition of an additional CSO in order to answer the Olympic principle which wants that only one test determines a single classification.

Indeed, the classification by team is built by adding the three best results out of the four couples composing the team.

Teams

Individual

Championships of the world

The Championnats of the World of complete contest are organized every four years at the time of the world equestrian Jeux. These tables recapitulate the podiums into individual and by team since the creation of this test in 1990 with Stockholm in Sweden. The classification by team follows the same system as the Olympic Games, without however using the principle of making leave the couples on two lathes horse.

Teams

Individual

The CCI **** annual

The CCI **** annual is held at the same places since decades. In 2007, the competitions for A-grade officials having obtained four stars are:

Thus, there exist six CCI **** each year at fixed places, to which comes to be added, every two years, that organized alternatively on the site of the Olympic Games and the championships of the world. It should be noted that it is particularly difficult to organize one four stars : for logistics, it is necessary to have a ground which can accommodate the cross-country race, which is particularly rare. Under these conditions, construction every four years of a ground of cross-country race for these two tests, which will be useful sometimes only once, involves an effort and an important investment.

Championships of Europe

See also: Championships of Europe of complete contest of horsemanship, Championships of Europe

Other levels

In the small tests, it often arrives, for reasons of Logistique, that the test of jump of obstacle is between raising and the cross-country race. It is indeed faster for the participants to just connect the horse one behind raising because the equipment is similar (it is often enough to change net and to add gaiters), and the heating is already made. Moreover, the visit veterinary surgeon located after the cross-country race is not essential any more.

This order strongly changes the initial objective of the test of horse. Even if the objective remains the same one, the horse does not have the tiredness of the cross-country race and the task is strongly simplified for the rider. Let us note moreover than it happens that the horse develops a Pathologie (Tendinite, Inflammation) at the time of the cross-country race and that this one appears after the end of the cross-country race when the horse cools. In the traditional order, it becomes impossible to leave on the lathe horse. With the inverse order, this problem does not arise any more, which creates some interrogations.

This made report, it should however well be understood that, without this order, it would be quite simply impossible for the organizers of small tests to make hold the contest over only one day without increasing the needs considerably human and logistic. This order also makes it possible to support safety for the small tests, the turn of horse making it possible to eliminate those which would be badly prepareds to face the cross-country race. Moreover, over only one day, it would be difficult for the candidates to lavish the care necessary after the cross-country race and before the turn of horse (showers, bands, clay or other ointments). For a competition over several days, the time of recovery is more important and facilitates these treatments, as well as the recovery of the horse.

Characteristics of the classification by team

The complete contest is one of the rare sporting disciplines where there exist two classifications per test: an individual classification and a classification by team. Although the dimension of sport of team really does not exist in this discipline, this irrefutable fact perdure for a long time in international competitions to oppose the competitors according to their country. There exist nevertheless such classifications in small tests, but more by effect of imitation of the high level. Indeed, the FEI authorizes the contests by team only on the tests of the type CCI and exceptionally on certain CIC.

A team is made up from three to four couples of the same nationality and the score of a team is composed by adding the three best results with the participants. So less than three couples finished all the tests, the others are credited with a score with: 1000 points.

At the time of the CCI traditional ones, it is with the organizer to specify the number of teams authorized by nation (a competitor will be able to always leave as individual if it meets the conditions, but it is necessary that the teams are complete). At the time of the Olympic Games or world equestrian plays, only one team is authorized by nation :

  • 1912-1924: four riders per team, the three best scores are entered;
  • 1928-1956: three riders per team, the three scores are added;
  • 1960-1992: four riders per team, the three best scores are entered;
  • 1996-2000: four riders per team, the three best scores are entered, a rider can contribute in individual test and by team, the horses cannot it.

Appendices

Recovery CCI **** of 2005

Here an example of resumption of raising of complete contest, (for the significance of the letters, to refer to the article Raising):

Heights and maximum widths of obstacles of international contests

These data result from the official payment published in 2006 and published by FEI.

Speeds, distances and time on the international courses

These data result from the official payment published in 2006 and published by FEI
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