Vaulting is, essentially, gymnastics on horseback. The horse canters in a circle of at least 15m, guided by a lunger who stands in the centre of the arena. Vaulters compete together as part of a squad of six (with up to three on the horse at any one time), in pairs (also known as pas-de-deux), or as male or female individuals.
Competitors wear form-fitting catsuits, which are styled to suit their routines, and identifying numbers on either their arm, leg or back if competing as part of a squad. Vaulters also wear soft-soled shoes, similar to trampolining shoes, which can be dyed or covered to match their catsuit.
In Aachen, all vaulting competition will take place in Stadium 3, which has had a roof installed in order to make it compatible with the rules of the sport.
Great Britain is entering one female individual athlete at the FEI World Championships.
There are four divisions of vaulting competition, each with its own set of medals:
At a senior World Championship, the individual competition consists of three tests, split into two rounds.
Horse inspection: All horses are presented to the ground jury to ensure that they're fit and well prior to the start of competition. The ground jury will view the horses from a standstill, then watch them trot away, turn a small circle, then trot back again. If they have any concerns over a horse's ability to compete, that horse is sent to the hold box to be examined by the on-site vet. The findings are reported to the ground jury, then the athlete may choose to either represent their horse or withdraw from the hold box. If the horse is represented and the ground jury is still not willing to accept it, then the horse may not start the competition. The horse inspection is repeated prior to the final day of competition.
Round 1: Compulsory: The test includes eight compulsory movements but has no time limit. The scoring is based on the execution of the exercises and a score given to the horse.
Round 1: Technical: The one-minute test consists of five technical exercises and additional free test exercises. It tests motor skills such as balance, coordination, strength, jump force and suppleness. Scoring is based on execution of the exercises, artistic merit of the routine and a score given to the horse.
At the conclusion of round one, all individuals proceed to the final
Round 2: Free: The free test lasts one minute. Free tests are routines set to music that are devised by the vaulter, and include dynamic and static movements. Scoring is based on execution of the exercises, artistic merit and a score given to the horse.
The winner is decided by totalling the marks of the three tests, then diving by three – the highest score wins.
Tuesday 11 August
Wednesday 12 August
Thursday 13 August
Friday 14 August
Saturday 15 August
For the full vaulting schedule, click here.