A helpful guide to the World Equestrian Games 2018
The 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) will be held in Mill Spring, North Carolina, USA at the Tryon International Equestrian Centre from the 11th to 23rd September. WEG is held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle and attracts the very best equestrian athletes in the world over eight disciplines.
Eventing
Run as a three day event with the dressage and show jumping at four-star level and the cross country at three-star level. Medals are awarded to both teams and individuals.
Show Jumping
Run over five days with a rest day, the team competition is decided after three rounds of jumping, with the top individual riders going forward to decide the individual medal placings on the final day.
Dressage
The grand prix is run over two days and will decide the team medals, with the best three scores counting. The best 30 individuals from the grand prix will contest the Grand Prix Special, which will decide the first set of individual medals. The top 15 from the Special will then take part in the Freestyle or Kur for the second set of individual medals.
Para Dressage
Para Riders are graded depending on their disability, with grade I being the most impaired and grade V the least.
The individual WEG championship test is ridden first, which will determine the champion for each grade. The team test follows and scores from this solely determine the team medals. On the final day, one third of the combinations in each grade qualify for the freestyle competition, which will decide the final set of individual medals.
Driving
Driving Trials is a similar format to Eventing, with a day seeing the combinations drive a dressage test, day two is marathon day, followed by a final day of accuracy with the cones phase.
Vaulting
This is best described as gymnastics on horseback. There are four different competitions in the WEG vaulting — male and female individual, pas de deux and squad.
Reining
Each rider wearing cowboy attire rides a pattern similar to a dressage test and must show 360 spins, sliding stops, flying changes, small and slow canter circles. The riders only have one hand on the rein with a loose contact, their seat must do the majority of the work.
Endurance
This is a 160km race, completed in one day. Horses are eliminated at the vet gates if there is any concern regarding the horse’s overall welfare, condition or fitness. The final check is 30 minutes after finishing the competition.
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