The competition
Maarsbergen Horse Trials is a top international equestrian event in the discipline of eventing. Eventing is the all-around discipline of equestrian sports and thus the most complete form of equestrian sport. Eventing originated when horses were used in the army. To strengthen the bond between rider and horse and enhance the rider's riding skills, military competitions were held. Military is the forerunner of eventing. The modern eventing competition is a combination of a dressage test, a showjumping course and an all-terrain competition (cross country). The rider rides the same horse in all three tests, spread over several days. This ultimate challenge requires endurance, courage and confidence which only comes about with a strong bond between the rider and the well-trained horse.
Dressage
The basics of horse riding that test the horse's obedience and assess the harmony between rider and horse. The horse develops into a happy and athletic horse; a happy athlete.
Showjumping
Jumping a showjumping course with obstacles and bars to assess how fit the horse is. A pole falling off the obstacle gives penalty points for the combination. The course is on time.
Cross country
A test of courage, confidence and stamina over a galloping course with natural jumps and water fences that look impressive. The cross is considered the main element.
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Levels and formats
Levels indicate the difficulty of the tests and courses. In eventing, there are five international levels indicated by stars. The lowest international level is indicated by 1* and the highest international level is indicated by 5*.
There are also two formats: a short (S) and a long (L) course. The difference in the format is the length of the cross-country and the order in which the sections are ridden. In a short format (S), the order is dressage, showjumping and cross-country. In a long format (L), the order is dressage, cross-country, showjumping, where there is an extra inspection by a vet before the dressage and an extra inspection the day after the cross/before the showjumping.
A combination must first gain promotion points in a lower level on a short course. The structure in levels and formats is thus respectively: 1*, 2*-S, 2*-L, 3*-S, 3*-L, 4*-S, 4*-L and 5*. Maarsbergen Horse Trials will organise the following classes in 2025: 1*, 2*-S, 3*-S, and 4*-S. Each class includes a dressage test, showjumping course and cross-country course.
Parcours design cross country
The course builder of the Maarsbergen Horse Trials is Eric Winter, a well-known name in the eventing world. Eric started as a show jumper (participation in Horse of the Year Show, Hickstead, among others). In 1986, Eric started focusing on eventing. In 1989 and 1990, he participated as a rider in the competitions in Badminton and Burghley and he has represented Great Britain several times as a team rider. After his sporting career, Eric moved into cross-country course design.
Eric now has many cross-country courses to his name: including the Asian Games, the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials and ten times the cross country of the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. He was Technical Delegate (TD) of the Badminton Horse Trials from 2011 to 2014. In 2016, Eric was asked to become course builder of the Badminton Horse Trials. Together with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, this CCI5* forms the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.
Eric runs the Severnvale Equestrian Centre. A busy training centre with over 50 horses teaching every level: from children starting to ride to eventing riders at CCI5* level.
Eric Winter uses his experience to try to improve safety in the sport of eventing. He participates in the British Eventing Cross Country Safety Advisory Group.., He is a course builder and Technical Delegate (TD) for the FEI, and an A-list cross-builder and Technical Advisor (TA) for British Eventing.
Want to know more about eventing competitions?
Maarsbergen Horse Trials is organised under the auspices of the FEI. The FEI is the international equestrian federation.
The cross country course
Depending on the level, the cross country usually has 25 to 45 fixed obstacles such as tree trunks, wood piles, up and down jumps, water fences and ditches. The difference in level is the size of the obstacles and the number of obstacles in the course. At Maarsbergen Horse Trials, the 1* is the lowest section and therefore has the lowest and fewest obstacles in the course. The 4* is the highest section and thus has the highest and most obstacles.
Our course building team consists of enthusiastic volunteers who, led by Aert van der Goes, roll up their sleeves on one of many working days to build beautiful obstacles. We get help from British Dominic Moore of Jump 1 Equestrian Construction, a colleague of our course designer Eric Winter.