Sanctions, disqualifications and appeals in show jumping: how they work

When something goes wrong — non-compliant attire, improper conduct, up to the most serious cases affecting the horse's welfare — the regulation does not have a single answer: it has a graduated range of measures. Here we explain, with the FISE National Regulation (Book X, Arts. 182-188), what the sanctions are, what each one entails, who decides them and how you appeal.

In short

• There are four basic sanctions and the President of the Ground Jury applies them: warning, fine, specific minimum penalty, exclusion (disqualification) from one, several or all classes (Art. 182).
• The fine is a financial penalty from 20 to 200 euro; if the offence is repeated or especially serious it escalates to disqualification (Art. 184).
• Disqualification excludes rider and/or horse from one, several or all classes; the list of causes is in Art. 183.
• The Warning Card is an alternative to disqualification for the less serious cases; two cards within 365 days lead to referral to the Judicial Bodies (Art. 185).
• Measures are immediately enforceable; the appeal follows the procedures of the FISE General Regulation (Arts. 182 and 188).
• Source: FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition).

Who can be sanctioned and who decides (Art. 182)

Sanctions do not concern only the person riding. Art. 182 takes in competing athletes, owners and keepers of horses for breaches of the regulation, of FISE or CONI rules, of the human and equine anti-doping rules, as well as conduct that endangers the horse's welfare or disrupts the smooth running of the event. There is also an important principle: the athlete answers on a basis of strict liability for the conduct of their aides (instructors, assistants, those with parental authority) when they benefit from it, even potentially and even unknowingly.

The basic sanctions are imposed by the President of the Ground Jury, who has four tools: the warning, the financial penalty (fine) from 20 to 200 euro, the specific minimum penalty (the least applicable penalty, where set) and exclusion, that is disqualification from one, several or all classes. Every measure is recorded in the President of the Ground Jury's Report, and in the most sensitive cases a communication is also sent to the Judicial Bodies.

The graduated range: from warning to disqualification

Warning and fine. These are the lowest steps. Art. 184 establishes that a fine punishes any breach that, by its seriousness, does not require disqualification: for example failing to report the withdrawal of a horse declared a starter, entering the arena before it is opened for the walk, not carrying the bridle number, or arguing with the Jury during a class. The sums collected as fines are paid to FISE by the Organising Committee.

Disqualification. This is the highest of the Jury's sanctions: Art. 183 defines it as exclusion of the rider and/or the horse from one, several or all classes of the show, and states that it does not rule out more serious disciplinary sanctions provided by the Statute and the regulations. The list of causes is broad and includes, among others: riding without a valid authorisation for the year or with a horse not entered in the Federal Horse Register; entering a class not permitted for age or characteristics; the non-permitted or excessive use of whip and spurs; schooling horses on the competition arena; frauds; doping; seriously improper conduct towards officials, other competitors or the public.

The commentary. The logic is clear: the same minor breach, if repeated or especially serious, moves up a step and becomes disqualification. The regulation does not reward those who "try again": proportionality is the rule, but repetition pushes it upward.

The Warning Card: a second chance that leaves a trace (Art. 185)

For breaches that would cause disqualification but are not among the most serious, the Jury can choose an alternative route: the Warning Card. It is not available for everything — the most serious cases are excluded, such as riding without a valid authorisation, a horse not entered in the Federal Register, frauds and rapping or brutality judged serious enough to cause disqualification. Whoever receives it must sign it in acceptance: refusing to sign leads to referral to the Judicial Bodies.

The card is not a clean slate. It counts as a pending charge for 12 months, and anyone who accumulates two within 365 days is referred without delay to the Sports Judicial Bodies; from the third onwards the aggravating factor of repeat offending applies. The Federation keeps a dedicated archive of the cards issued, precisely to trigger the referral once the threshold is reached.

Frauds, rapping and brutality (Arts. 186-187)

Frauds (Art. 186). Taking part in a class for which athlete or horse are not entitled, or any irregularity over the horse's documents and origin, entails disqualification from all classes and referral to the Sports Judicial Bodies. This applies even if the abuse is discovered after the event, when the results are reviewed.

Rapping and brutality (Art. 187). Before, during and after a competition it is forbidden to "rap" horses and to commit acts of cruelty or brutality; a breach is punished with disqualification of the horse and/or rider and, depending on the seriousness, with transmission of the case to the Judicial Bodies. On this topic, which closely concerns welfare and the correct use of the aids, we refer you to our dedicated page: horse welfare and the use of aids.

How to appeal (Arts. 182 and 188)

The Jury's measures are communicated to those concerned with adequate reasons and are immediately enforceable. Those affected can, however, appeal: Art. 182 refers to the FISE General Regulation (Title V, Book VI), while for the procedures and manner of lodging complaints Art. 188 refers to the General Regulation, Book VI, Title VI "Complaints". In practice show jumping does not define its own complaint procedure: it inherits it from the general federal framework.

The commentary. The system is built to be fast in the arena and guaranteed afterwards: the Jury decides at once because the competition cannot stop, but the route of complaint and appeal always remains. Whoever disputes a decision has a formal channel; whoever wants to argue during the class, on the other hand, risks a sanction in turn. The place for disputes is not the arena, it is the procedure.

Related deep-dives

For the full picture, go back to the guide to show jumping rules.

Source and disclaimer

Content verified against the FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition), Arts. 182-188 (general provisions on sanctions, disqualification, fine, warning card, frauds, rapping and brutality, complaints). Verified on 15/09/2026. Independent, informational guide, unofficial and not affiliated with FISE: in competition the regulation in force prevails, and it updates by season.