The USEA Eventing By The Levels Handbook

61 • The rider demonstrates level-appropriate cross-country pace between jumps and how to appropriately effect the overall speed over the entirety of the course. • The rider knows and can produce the correct pace, length of stride and balance required for the various jumping ef- forts and questions. • The rider consistently produces the appropriate timing for and change in rider position and horse's balance for gallop, rebalance, approach, and jump on cross-country. • The rider uses their position and aids to influence the can- ter on landing, slower/same/faster, without interfering with the horse's jumping effort. • The rider is consistently able to recognize if a distance to the jump will be short, long, or average, and understands how to react in each case, without interfering with the horse's jumping effort. Increased difficulty in the technical elements of a cross-country course should become familiar and comfortable for the horse and the rider. The rider should be confident navigating: • Up/down bank combinations with single fences, shorter related distance on up-banks and three stride or more re- lated distance on down-bank. • A "true" coffin combination including a downhill landing on the "A" element, on one, two or three stride related dis- tances. • Water to water in combination with narrow jumps, and/or drops/banks in and out of water. • A sunken road with minimum 21 feet between the step in and the step out. • Fixed related distances which do not lend well to variation, from bounces to three strides. The rider's knowledge and understanding of the technical elements should include the ability to recognize and ride the correct line for: • Offset combinations on related distances, 1+ strides de- pending on angle. • Corners, including narrow corners. • Narrow fences including the triple brush and roofs. • Corners and narrow fences in combination with other fenc- es on related distances, 3+ strides depending on angle. Preliminary level riders should be responsible, with guidance from their coach and coach as necessary, for managing their participation in the cross-country phase of competition, including: • Walking, analyzing, and developing a plan to execute a cross-country course at the Preliminary Level, including measuring the course and using a watch. • Warming up, cooling down and appropriately caring for their horse after cross-country. Exercises and Concepts The coach should confirm the rider's understanding of and ability to perform all exercises identified under Starter through Modified Level Cross-Country Exercises and Concepts. Increased difficulty of exercises should encourage accuracy, control, agility, boldness, and above all, confidence and understanding in the horse, using: • Turning lines on 3+ strides. • Angled lines, including in combinations on 1-3 strides. • Combining more imposing questions such as tables and oxers with accuracy questions such as narrows and cor- ners on 3+ strides. • A wider variety of fence shapes including narrow corners, wide narrow-face fences and owl holes. • Offset parallel jumps on 1-3 strides measured middle to middle. • Banks, ditches, and water with terrain features, and in 1-3 stride combinations with various types of fences including narrows and corners. • A sunken road with 21 feet between step in and step out, and a fence 18' after the step out. Exercises which strengthen the horse's and rider's ability to work in the gallop and canter, such that they may: • Effectively and efficiently produce and transition between multiple stride lengths in an active, balanced canter for multiple different types of fences and combinations. • Produce the correct canter for the bounce distance on cross-country over a variety of fence shapes. • Maintain the gallop position and a balanced gallop for ap- propriate sustained intervals using terrain.

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