Maple Ridge Equestrian Farm will hold the first free-jumping competition in South Africa in April 2008, as an unaffiliated event at the prestigious President’s Cup.

Free-jumping originated as a means to select which young stock should be used for jumping and which for dressage from an age when they are too inexperienced or young to be ridden. It is used in the major Warmblood breeding countries as a means of selection, studbook grading and sale of young stock. Breeders compete among each other using this kind of training to see who has bred a young horse that surpasses the others.

Horses are judged against horses in their same age category. The height of the jumps will reflect the horse’s maturity, confidence and natural ability. Experienced handlers, without hurting or frightening the young horse, will (in the same fashion as lungeing) encourage the horse to trot around the outside of the area over poles placed on the ground. When the horse has gained confidence trotting over the poles, the poles are raised each time, to a height that the horse is comfortable over.

There are one or two judges, depending on the competition or level of grading taking place. Horses are judged on the quality of the jump, his scope and technique.

The basic requirements for entering the free-jumping show are:

• Any single person or stud may enter any breed of horse
• The horse must have lunged before
• There are three categories for two-, three- and four-year olds (e.g. a two-year old is two on the date of the show)
• The horse should be in good health with its inoculations all up to date and recorded
• The horse is only allowed to wear front boots if necessary and a simple snaffle bridle or halter
• The horse may be plaited or unplaited.

Experienced handlers will be at the show in the arena, so rest assured that your horses are in professional hands. There will be European judges doing the judging and comments will be made on each horse, while educating the public on free-jumping.

Scoring

Each horse is scored from one to ten on three components:

Canter stride – Overall impression as a Grand Prix show jumper. This relates to temperament, character and intelligence

Technique – Suppleness of the body and use of the neck, tightness and quickness of the front legs and activeness of the hind legs with attention to overall ability and athleticism

Scope – The horse must remain careful and be able to handle the final width and height of the fence, relating to his level of experience.

Preparation programme

1. Get your horse leading in hand confidently and without hesitation, or resisting the pressure on the rope in a halter, snaffle bridle or lungeing caveson
2. Lunge him in the same area you’ve marked off for your free-jumping arena, either with jump uprights or barrier tape if you don’t have a specific arena
3. With someone helping you, standing in the middle, you may then take him off the lunge and allow him to trot around the area, not letting him come to the center of the arena
4. Young horses need not be pushed at home to jump high or be frightened and whipped or yelled at to jump. Take it slow! After each successful round, the pole may be raised until the horse produces a jump over the fence
5. Remember to let him take breaks and reward him for a job well done
   *Twice a week for 15-20 minutes is sufficient for a two-year old
   *Three or four times a week for 20 minutes for three- and four-year olds
6. The maximum height will possibly be 1,10 m for four-year olds.

Entry forms are available from www.mapleridge.co.za and can be delivered by hand to The Maple Ridge Farm in Kromdraai, or e-mail an electronic entry to tarryn.mapleridge@gmail.com.