Old pics of Penalty Zones?

[Tazzie]

I have a friend that didn't know anything about Penalty zones, but is an avid eventer now. Does anybody have any good pics that I could show her?

[lizathenag]

It was an invisible zone usually marked with paint markers around the jump where penalties (like falling off) would be assessed. I remember holding on until I got out of the zone.

Someone will remember but I think it was 20 (yards?) in front and 10 to the side and after the fence. or something like that.

I remember pacing it out as a TD but my memory fails me.

[Auburn]

In Alabama, they would flag the penalty zones (using small flags like the lawn service folks use), so that the Jump Judges could see them easily. I know that they were a pain for the Organizers to place, but as a jump judge, I really liked them.

[fooler]

Working from memory which is not always the best. . . .

Starting from the fence the penalty zone went
10 meters width to either side of the fence, this width was maintained
out to 20 meters from the front of and 10 meters from the back side of the fence.

[flutie1]

Don't even mention the words "Penalty Zone" or someone will think they're a great idea and bring them back.
Ugh ............

[flutie1]

10 meters front and side, 20 meters back.

[Gnep]

I think they are a great idea.

Every jump judges gets a paint gun an can shoot riders that screw up within that penalty zone.
The rider with the least paint splattered all over wins the save riding award and gets a free ride at the AEC.

[Tazzie]

Don't even mention the words "Penalty Zone" or someone will think they're a great idea and bring them back.
Ugh ............

haha! That's the last thing I want to do! I was just trying to educate her on some of the history of eventing. I knew about the zones but I hadn't started eventing myself, or even going to events as a spectator, at a time when the zones in use.

Thanks for the info!

[shawneeAcres]

Personally I think penalty zones should have been kept! It makes the whole job of jump judging MUCH MUCH easier among other things. Sorry but I LIKE the way the sport was for YEARS AND YEARS before people started fiddling with it and messing it up!

[Foxtrot's]

I liked the old style too - but then I'm a status quo kinda person. The penalty zones got complicated too, when a rider went in and out of them on the approach by cutting a corner.
Many a rider has escaped a penalty fall by hanging on for that cruical 20 meters, even if by the hook of a spur.

[KSevnter]

Personally I think penalty zones should have been kept! It makes the whole job of jump judging MUCH MUCH easier among other things. Sorry but I LIKE the way the sport was for YEARS AND YEARS before people started fiddling with it and messing it up!

Now that is spoken like someone who didn't have to spend hours flagging the zones! Ugh, they were the worst.

[shawneeAcres]

Now that is spoken like someone who didn't have to spend hours flagging the zones! Ugh, they were the worst.

Oh YES I did! I ran the Lochill Farm Horse trials for quite a few years!

[KSevnter]

Oh YES I did! I ran the Lochill Farm Horse trials for quite a few years!

Then you must be very masochistic! :) Only kidding!

[shawneeAcres]

Then you must be very masochistic! :) Only kidding!


I admit didn't like having to measure and mark them, but as a rider or jump judge makes life SO much clearer and easier! Of course, we are now starting up a new HT here in CEntral NC and it is a lot easier not having to do that I will admit.

[Jupes]

I think they are a great idea.

Every jump judges gets a paint gun an can shoot riders that screw up within that penalty zone.
The rider with the least paint splattered all over wins the save riding award and gets a free ride at the AEC.


OMG, Gnep. You are a trip!

[Auburn]

:lol::lol::lol::lol: I vote for Gnep's penalty zone!

[RiverBendPol]

Personally I think penalty zones should have been kept! It makes the whole job of jump judging MUCH MUCH easier among other things. Sorry but I LIKE the way the sport was for YEARS AND YEARS before people started fiddling with it and messing it up!

What she said!

[TXnGA]

If you have ever seen Thrills and Spills I or II they have short xc clips of penalty zones and the riders hanging on (and yes sometimes by a spur) and trying to get the horse to move over into the penalty free zone to not gain those 20 hated penalties... it was hilarious... You can see the rider tugging on the bridle of the horse to get him to move forward into the zone while hanging on the underside of the neck by a spur or stirrup. I did not event during that time, but I think it was a good idea... who knows what is in store for eventing.
But those were the days where it was a great dressage test to break into the low 40s and you could even place with a stop on xc....

:winkgrin::winkgrin::winkgrin::winkgrin::winkgrin:

Good dvd to watch as well as any badminton, burleghy or rolex videos. I always have one in my dvd player to watch and hopefully learn something.

[subk]

Penalty zones at the lower levels were nice clear things, but find me an upper level rider who wants them back! It took an advanced degree to figure out the zones for multi-jump and option combinations. We used to also have "an official course walk" the day before. You needed to show up at a time (not of your choosing) so you could walk with an official so they could explain/defend what the zones were.

I'm with flutie--yuck!

[Hilary]

I've come to see that they are not useful for organizers, so I won't advocate too hard for them, but we used to mark them with lime (powder) and the pony clubbers had to re-lime the lines after a horse would tear them up. We'll probably end up with lung disease (although all the creosote we soaked up will kill us first).

they did make it easy for a fence judge to know if the actions were related to the fence. I hadn't thought about the ABCD type fence issues.