From Horses to Riders, Judges Explain the Art of Show Jumping

New York Times

12-03-2025

As show jumping horses stride through the arena, there is undeniable majesty, beauty and skillfulness. But when the medals are awarded, it can be hard to tell what exactly is being judged. This should help.
Jumpers
At the Dutch Masters, or the Olympics, when the horses vault over towering obstacles and perform hairpin turns at a gallop, there is just one simple objective: speed. Riders memorize a complex pattern of jumps, called a course, and then go for broke over them, slaloming between and around and over, to shave seconds. It's a horse race over big sticks.
But whiz too fast around that bend, or misjudge that angle, and the riders and their horses risk tipping a pole with an errant hoof — and earn a four-point deduction for every knocked-down rail. And in some heats, going over set time allowed can add a fault per second over. While speed is the goal, it can also become an obstacle: a 1,200-pound horse going too fast can swing wide and drift around a turn, adding seconds to the judge's stopwatch.
'Oftentimes, in the very best performances you will see it actually looks like the rider is not doing much of anything,' said Anthony D'Ambrosio, a course designer. 'The round is so smooth.'
Hunters
In this discipline, which is most prevalent in the United States, horses go slow, canter languidly over jumps set at regular intervals and are judged not for velocity, but on a horse and rider's grace.
Judges demand that the horse carry an even tempo and have a balletic stride like they are strutting down a catwalk. But a nice demeanor matters too.
'How pleasant is the horse?' said Rob Van Jacobs, a hunter judge from Seattle. 'Does the horse look happy to do their job?'
One of the frustrations many riders have with the discipline is that so much relies on the innate qualities of their horse. These are often things that can't truly be taught.
The rider's ability can help, Van Jacobs said. If a rider chooses, say, a bad takeoff point for a jump, so that the horse stutter-steps over it (called chipping), for example, even the most glamorous horse can lose. 'You still have to come to the party, so to speak, as the rider,' he said.
One of the most complex aspects of the hunter division is the diametrically opposed demands that the horse blast over jumps, but do it slowly. Some have resorted to dubious means: exhausting their horses or administering sedatives, which are illegal in competition. Random drug testing by the sport's governing bodies has caught even those at the top. Van Jacobs said he was mindful to not award suspicious performances, like an animal that performed without vibrancy.
'We have people in place that have responsibility and a job to do to manage these things,' Van Jacobs said, 'And then I have a job to do too: to judge what I see in front of me.'
Equitation
Based on the principles of the ideal cavalry officer, the discipline judges the rider's conformation to this standard: straight shoulders, a flat back and a steady hand. But the goal is more than aesthetic, according to Geoff Case, a judge.
'The simple answer is that form follows function,' he said. Sitting up tall, for example, means the rider's body weight won't interfere with the horse's ability to leap into the air. 'The aesthetically pleasing part of riding means that the rider is in harmony with the horse,' he said.
When judging, Case visualizes a vertical line running from riders' shoulders, to their hips, to their knees, to their ankles. They should stay steady even in motion. 'As a judge, these angles immediately draw your eye,' he said. When a rider steps before a judge with this impeccable position, 'It means you sit up and pay attention.'
To Case, the determining factor of an equitation winner comes down to sheer skill.
'I think we have turned the sport a little bit more into a question of the rider's ability rather than a question of the horse's sheer ability,' he said. 'However, it will always be a combination of the two.'