Hobby Horse Competitions Explained

A hobby horse competition looks like an equestrian show with the horses replaced by riders. Numbered courses, scored dressage tests, class levels, rosettes. If you have never entered one, the rulebook can feel opaque. This is what happens on the day, how you are judged, and how to prepare for your first class.

What Is a Hobby Horse Competition?

It is a judged event where riders perform equestrian disciplines on a hobby horse. Entries are split by age group and by level, riders go one at a time in a marked arena, and a judge scores each round against published criteria. The bigger shows run several hundred entries across a weekend and are organised by clubs or national federations.

Most events are open. You do not need a licence, a club membership or a qualifying score to enter the lowest classes; you sign up, pay a small entry fee and turn up.

The Two Main Disciplines

Show Jumping

You ride a numbered course of fences in order, within a time allowed. Knock a pole and you take four faults; refuse and you take four faults plus lost time; take the wrong fence and you are eliminated. Clear rounds go to a jump-off against the clock, and the fastest clear wins.

Dressage

You ride a memorised test in a 20 x 40 m arena marked with the standard letters. Each movement is scored out of ten with a written comment, and the total is converted to a percentage. Above 65% is a strong round at club level.

Supporting Classes

• Showmanship — the horse itself is judged on craft, turnout, tack and breed accuracy.
• Costume — matched horse-and-rider themed outfits, scored on presentation.
• Freestyle — dressage choreographed to music, judged on both technical work and artistic impression.

Class Levels and Fence Heights

Level	Fence height	Who it suits
Intro / Lead rein	20–30 cm	First-time riders, young children
Novice	40–60 cm	A few months of training
Intermediate	70–90 cm	Regular competitors
Advanced	100–120 cm	Experienced, athletic riders
Elite / Championship	130 cm+	National-level competitors

Age groups typically split at under 10, 10–13, 14–17 and adult, though this varies by organiser. Enter one level below where you think you belong for your first show. Riding a clear round in a small class teaches you more than a stop in a big one.

How Judging Works

In Jumping

Faults are objective. What separates riders at the top is the quality of the round: a steady rhythm between fences, a straight approach, and a horse carried in a consistent outline rather than swinging loose in the air.

In Dressage

Judges score each movement on accuracy and correctness. The recurring points lost are the same everywhere: transitions that happen two metres past the marker, a centre line that drifts, and a canter whose footfall pattern collapses when the rider gets tired.

What Judges Notice About the Horse

The horse's head position is part of the picture. A firmly stuffed head holds its outline through take-off and landing; a soft one folds and flops, and it shows in the score. This is the main reason competitive riders spend more on their horse than casual riders do.

Major Hobby Horse Events

The Finnish Championships

The largest event in the sport and its unofficial world championship, held annually in Finland with entries running into four figures. Winning here is the benchmark result in hobby horsing.

Hobby Horsing at Olympia and Other Horse Shows

Established equestrian shows have started adding hobby horse classes and demonstrations to their programmes, with London's Olympia Horse Show among the best known. These appearances put the sport in front of mainstream equestrian crowds and have driven a lot of its recent growth.

Club and Regional Shows

Where most riders actually compete. Smaller, cheaper, friendlier, and usually announced a few weeks ahead through club social media. Start here.

How to Prepare for Your First Competition

1. Read the class list early. It tells you heights, age groups and whether the test is published in advance.
2. Learn the dressage test cold. Ride it on foot in your garden until you stop thinking about what comes next.
3. Train at height. If your class is 60 cm, train at 65 cm so competition day feels small.
4. Check your tack. Tighten the bridle buckles, restitch a loose mane, make sure the stick has no splinters.
5. Walk the course. Count strides between fences and find your turns before you ride it.
6. Warm up properly. It is a running and jumping sport, and cold legs cause refusals.

What to Bring on the Day

• Your horse, plus a spare bridle
• Trainers with grip, and a second pair if the ground is wet
• Tidy riding clothes: dark trousers, plain top, hair tied back
• Water and food, because show days run long
• Needle and thread for repairs between classes

Frequently Asked Questions