DISCIPLINE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Below are the links to the NZPCA Discipline Regulations, NZPCA General Regulations, Equestrian Sport NZ Discipline Regulations and the International Mounted Games Regulations.
NZPCA GENERAL REGULATIONS
The purpose of the General Regulations is to set out the processes for various matters referred to in the NZPCA Constitution that are not otherwise provided for in other Regulations.
NZPCA General Regulations -
DRESSAGE
NZPCA Dressage Championship & Area Selection Regulations
2025 (effective 1 August 2024) ESNZ Dressage Rules - link includes 2025 updates - https://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/disciplines/dressage/resources/
EVENTING
Eventing / One Day Event (ODE) / Horse Trials evolved from the training of cavalry horses. It combines three disciplines/tests in one competition and is run on a cumulative penalty basis. The competitor with the least penalties at the end is the winner. Eventing is currently an Olympic discipline.
The first of the three tests is Dressage - the good marks are turned into penalty points so they can be added to any jumping penalties.
The second test is Cross Country, where a course of natural obstacles is jumped in numerical order, inside an optimum time; being over the time, stopping at obstacles or rider/horse falls incurs penalties.
Test three is Jumping one round in an arena, the objective is to jump all the fences clear in numerical order and inside the time allowed. Fences knocked down and refusals incur penalties as does exceeding the time allowed.
The specification for each class - (NZPC 65), (NZPC 80), (NZPC 95) and (NZPC 105) includes the distance of the cross country and show jumping courses, the speed cross country and jumping, the number of jump efforts and the dressage tests etc which can be found in Annex 5 of the Eventing NZ (ENZ) Rule book.
Eventing is a discipline at which NZ has excelled with numerous Olympic and World Championship successes. It is also one of a handful of sports where men and women compete on equal terms and the genuine amateur can compete against a world or Olympic champion.
2022 NZPCA Eventing Championship & Area Selection Regulations - http://www.nzpca.org/asset/downloadasset?id=7dd8dac4-e439-4ade-945a-6adb88350c1c
2025 (effective 1 August 2025) ESNZ Eventing Rules - https://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/esnz/rules-regulations/eventing-rules/
MOUNTED GAMES
Mounted Games is an equestrian sport where games are played requiring athletic ability, hand to eye coordination, determination, perseverance and a competitive spirit. Also involves an ability to work together with other riders and a willingness to help one another.
Mounted games were initially inspired by of Prince Philip, who in 1957 the first Mounted Games Championship was instrumental in its inclusion at the Horse of the Year in London.
The sport of Mounted Games as it exists today was founded by Norman Patrick, with the formation of the Mounted Games Association.
Mounted Games are played in pairs and teams at the NZPCA Zone Finalsand at the NZPCA Championships.
Often Gymkhanas include teams, pairs and individual games. NZPCA holds Zone Finals annually and NZ Team Mounted Games Championship annually in each Island with a virtual result. KCAPC competes in Zone 2 along with teams from Waikato and Bay of Plenty Areas.
2023 NZPCA Team Mounted Games Regulations - https://www.nzpca.org/asset/downloadasset?id=85b2a950-a38e-4d59-8e5d-f635e0c1d234
2025 IMGA Rule Book - https://www.mounted-games.org/imga/games/rules/IMGA%20Rule%20Book%202024.pdf
JUMPING
Jumping (Show Jumping) – is one of the three Olympic equestrian disciplines.
Horse and rider are required to complete a course of obstacles, involving turns and changes of direction and located in an enclosed arena. The aim is to jump the course in the designed sequence with no mistakes. If any part of an obstacle is knocked down or if the horse refuses a jump, “faults” are incurred.
Depending on the type of the competition, the winner is the horse and rider combination which incurs the least number of penalties, completes the course in the fastest time or gains the highest number of points.
2025 (effective 1 August 2025) ESNZ Jumping Rules - https://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/disciplines/jumping-show-hunter/resources-remove/jumping-and-show-hunter-rules/
SHOW HUNTER
Show Hunter - is judged-on balance, style and rhythm over a course of fences to develop smooth, safe jumping, balanced and confident horses. It is ideal for young or green horses to experience competition and for less experienced riders.
The Show Hunter horse should wear the minimal amount of tack and be well groomed and well turned out.
The judging of Show Hunter is a positive procedure emphasizing style, manners of the horse and a quiet smooth way of covering the ground and jumping out of an even stride.
2025 (effective 1 August 2025) ESNZ Show Hunter Rules - https://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/disciplines/jumping-show-hunter/resources-remove/jumping-and-show-hunter-rules/
FIRST START
An Introduction to Competitive Riding, meeting the growing needs of our young and inexperienced pony club members. They allow new or inexperienced riders to practise the necessary skills in a safe competition environment.
2021 NZPCA First Start Regulations - http://www.nzpca.org/asset/downloadasset?id=592b33a4-01e7-4e61-9d25-7417498b41e0
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