Show jumping competition types under FISE rules: the pyramid of events

Not all show jumping competitions are the same: there is the little club show at the riding centre and there is the five-star international leg. In between sits a real pyramid of events, each with its own rules, services and value. Here we explain it with the FISE National Regulation, from Arts. 25-54.

In short

• Art. 26 classifies competitions into nine families: club/inter-club, promotional, training shows, development shows, national, of federal interest, special events, young horse circuit, international.
• Club and inter-club shows (Art. 27) are not entered in the regional calendar, give no qualifying results, and inter-club events admit up to 60 pairs invited from other bodies.
• Promotional shows (Art. 28) go up to 115 cm, or 125 cm with a Course Designer and Show Office of at least level 1, and can count towards licence upgrades.
• National competitions are classified by days (type A, B, C) and by prize money in stars: 0-1 star on the regional calendar (Art. 48), 2 to 6 stars on the national calendar (Art. 49).
• Trophies (Arts. 51-54) are circuits of two or more competitions with a combined final ranking.
• Source: FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition).

The classification of events (Art. 26)

The regulation starts with a map. Art. 26 lists the competition types, which we can read as the steps of a pyramid: at the base the events for starting out and practising, at the top the elite competitions reserved for the most competitive pairs. As you climb, the required services grow (jury, show office, timing, medical assistance), so do prize values and the weight of results.

At the base: club and promotional. Club and inter-club shows (Art. 27) serve to practise the discipline, including in non-competitive form. They are not entered in the regional calendar: the organiser notifies the Regional Committee at least 48 hours in advance. Members ride the club shows; inter-club ones add up to 60 pairs from other bodies, provided they are invited. Results are not qualifying for riding licences, and prizes stay as objects of modest value (under 500 euros), with no cash.

Promotional shows (Art. 28) go one step up: they enter the regional calendar, with the programme published by the Regional Committee. You can schedule ground poles, club classes, ponies, dressage and classes up to 115 cm (up to 125 cm with a Course Designer and Show Office of at least level 1). The interesting point for competitors: here classes can become qualifying for licence upgrades, but only with a level 1 Course Designer and Show Office, and this must be declared in the programme with the letter Q.

Training shows, special events, young horses, internationals

The training show (Art. 29) is, as the name says, training in the form of a competition: it runs under the rules of schooling rounds, has no ranking and no prizes, and penalties are not announced. A pair that jumps a clear round may be given a rosette. Ideal for gaining arena experience without the pressure of a result.

"Special event" competitions (Art. 31) are national competitions held in high-profile public settings — parks, squares, fairs, public land — in structures set up for the occasion, excluding the permanent facilities of affiliated bodies. They have free programming for classes, fees and entry criteria, with one limit: the organiser's pool of invitations cannot exceed 75% of the pairs that can enter. In return for the extra burden, the Federal Council may exempt them from the entry-fee shares due to FISE.

The young horse circuit (Art. 32) is dedicated to training the young sport horse, under specific rules approved by central FISE or the Regional Committee. International competitions (Art. 33) sit at the top: they admit Italian and foreign athletes and follow the FEI Regulation as well as FISE rules. Competitions of federal interest (Art. 30), instead, refer to Book VI of the General Regulation.

Development shows: the FISE-EPS bridge (Arts. 34-46)

A category of their own are the development shows (Arts. 34-46), designed to spread grassroots sport. They are organised by FISE, or co-organised with affiliated Sports Promotion Bodies (EPS), and put FISE members and EPS members in the same arena. The programme features play/schooling show jumping classes open to both (within the limits of the A licence), but also competitive classes reserved for FISE members only holding a Brevetto or level 1 riding licence, from 90 cm to 115 cm (Art. 37).

For competitors the benefit is concrete: in the play classes there is a single starting order and a joint ranking (Art. 38), and results entered into the system can count towards riding licences, including the 80 cm classes useful for the Brevetto (Art. 46). It is the step that links the promotional world to the truly competitive one.

National star-rated competitions (Arts. 47-49)

Here we enter structured competition. Art. 47 classifies national competitions on two criteria. By days: type A (three or more days), type B (two), type C (one). By prize money: from 0 to 6 stars (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6), per the table in Art. 106. The two scales are independent: a one-day show can carry many stars, and vice versa.

The administrative dividing line is drawn by the calendar. Competitions at 0 and 1 star (Art. 48) go into the regional calendars run by the Regional Committees, with no compulsory classes and a free number of classes. Competitions from 2, 3, 5 and 6 stars (Art. 49) move to the national calendar. As the stars rise, so do the technical obligations: at 3-star and 5-star shows each day must include classes reserved for 4, 5 and 6 year-old horses and a level class (C130 or C135 depending on the season period); the scheduling of a Grand Prix is compulsory from 3 stars up, i.e. at 3, 5 and 6 stars (Art. 70.2). Technical note: purchase vouchers, gold tokens and vouchers with a monetary value count towards the total prize money and can change the competition's format (Art. 50).

Trophies: competitions that last a season (Arts. 51-54)

The map closes with trophies (Arts. 51-54). They are not a single competition but a circuit of two or more competitions with a final prize — trophy, challenge prize or similar — awarded on the combined ranking, not on the single leg (Art. 54.3). The organiser must prepare a dedicated regulation at least 40 days before the start, with participation and award criteria and prizes (Art. 53). Calendar entry follows the level: regional for trophies on 0-1 star competitions, national for those from 2 stars up (Art. 52).

The commentary. The pyramid logic is not bureaucracy for its own sake: it tells a pair where it can, and where it makes sense to, compete. A young horse or a novice rider grow up among club, promotional and development shows, where results help licence upgrades without the pressure of prize money. Those aiming high find in the national star-rated and international events a more demanding setting, with compulsory classes and full services. Reading this classification well, even before the programme, keeps you from entering the wrong competition.

Related deep-dives

To understand how to read a programme and how a real competition works, go back to the guide to show jumping rules.

Source and disclaimer

Content verified against the FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition), Arts. 25-54 (classification of events, development shows, national star-rated competitions, trophies). 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.