Show Jumping LIVE

Horses didn’t do a lot of jumping until fences began appearing in previously open fields as a result of the adoption of a series of laws creating property rights and boundaries.  

The sport of show jumping developed from challenges created by this new obstacle, and fences started showing up in sport arenas during 19^th century equestrian competitions in Europe (known at the time as ‘Lepping’ or ‘horse leaping’).  An early form of show jumping competition was included at the 1900 Paris Olympic Games.  The sport was then included in its current format at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, and has continued to evolve and gain in popularity as a spectator sport.

Courage, Control and Technique 

Grand Prix is the highest level of show jumping competition, and one of the most exciting sports to watch.  Held under International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) jumping rules, the horse must jump a course of 10 to 16 obstacles, with heights up to 1.6 meters (5’3”) spread out up to 2 meters (6’7”).

A horse must have courage to jump fences as well as athletic ability and skillful technique to handle the sharp turns and bursts of speed necessary to navigate difficult show jumping courses.  Different breeds of horses have been successful show jumpers, and while most are tall (over 16 hands, 145cm/57in), there’s no correlation between size and athletic ability, and tall horses don’t necessarily have an advantage in jumping competitions.  In fact, pony-sized horses may sometimes compete in open competition with adult riders. The most famous example is Stroller (1950-1986), a cross-bred who was only 14.1 hands, but won 61 international competitions and an individual silver medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics, jumping one of the only two clear rounds in the individual competition.

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