Features > What is the Battle of the Breeds?

Compulsory Skills

Compulsory Skills test each horse's responses to basic aids, similar to a dressage test. Each competitor has the choice of riding or driving the test. This is the only competition in the Battle of the Breeds which is judged. The other components are won by collecting the most points in the fastest time, to keep the Battle as fair as possible.

Precision Driving

The Precision Driving course consists of a series of cones and obstacles, similar to a cones course at a combined driving competition. The course is timed and drivers try to go as fast as they can! The horse and driver combination must negotiate the obstacles and keep their track between the pairs of cones. Each cone has a golf ball placed on top of it - if the horse or the cart's wheels knock the golf ball off of the cone, time penalties are added to the score. Fun obstacles are also used, such as a water obstacle and a cone which the driver must knock the ball off with their whip.

Barrel Racing

In stead of being set up in the familiar three-barrel pattern, the barrel race uses four barrels and is run in a cloverleaf pattern. This is to level the playing field, so to speak, between horses and breeds that would normally do barrel racing, and those that would not. After everyone has run once, the top six teams run again for prizes.

Trail Competition

The Trail Competition at Spruce Meadows is like no other!! Competitors have 90 seconds to complete as many obstacles as they can. Each obstacle is worth points - the more difficult the obstacle, the more points awarded for its completion. After 90 seconds are up, competitors can choose whether or not to do the bonus obstacle - a large blue ball which the horse must roll through two upright standards, or the "goal posts," within 30 seconds. Competitors who are successful get an additional 100 points added to their score; however, if they haven't gotten the ball between the posts when they buzzer sounds, 100 points are subtracted from their score.

Jeopardy Jumping

Jeopardy Jumping is set up similar to the trail course, but with jumps instead of trail obstacles. Each jump is worth so many points, depending on its degree of difficulty. Competitors are not given a course to follow - instead, they must make one up that allows them to accumulate the most points in a given time limit. Horses that have refused three times are not allowed to accumulate any more points and are excused from the ring. At the end of the time limit, they can choose whether or not to do the bonus obstacle, a large, solid, purple Telus jump. If they are successful, 100 points are added to their score. If not, the 100 points are subtracted from their score.