The predecessor to eventing originally began as a form of endurance riding, without jumping or galloping. Originally developed to test the ideal military mount, eventing has evolved into a sport in which all levels of riders can compete.

There are four levels of competition in Eventing, designated by stars. The levels are indicated by one star through four stars. Four stars is the highest level of competition, and 4 stars is the same level of competition as Olympic Eventing.

Since the inception of the sport of Eventing, British bred event horses have been acknowledged and rewarded as the best in the world. This is due to the fact that few horses have been specifically bred for eventing. Furthermore eventing is a low priority in European breeding programs accounting for only about 3% of the equestrian sports.

Three-day eventing consists of three elements: dressage, endurance and show jumping. Three-day eventing consists of one day each of dressage, show jumping, and one of cross-country riding. This places extreme demands on the horse's muscoskelatal system. The efforts of both the training program and the competition are rigorous. Eventing horses are athletes and need to be obedient, intelligent and bold with obvious strength and soundness.

At the higher levels of eventing, each horse must pass veterinarian inspection before and after completion of the course. Such information is essential to inform other injury prevention projects and to develop counter measures to reduce falls and injuries during eventing.

The simplest form of eventing, horse trials, is a one-day event. It is a good starting point for most competitors. At the lower levels of Eventing, basic level dressage tests are used and fences are smaller and inviting. It is especially beneficial for beginners interested in trying eventing but are unsure if it is a fit for themselves or their horse.

Eventing is one of the most dangerous equestrian activities. Though eventing competitors take great pains to carefully prepare and train their horses for all eventualities, accidents or mistakes can happen. Improved protective equipment, which was made mandatory in 1999, have reduced the severity of head and facial injuries in eventing.

Rob Daniels has been an equestrian rider for 25 years. He has studied various disciplines additional articles are available at: Riding Stable - http://www.riding-stable.com and Horse Stall http://www.horse-stall.net