What is the cattle trial in Working Equitation?

The cattle trial is the fourth trial: a team of riders cutting nominated cows from a herd, one rider at a time, against a three-minute clock.

It is timed, not marked. Riders are classified by the time taken plus any penalties. There is no mark out of ten anywhere in it.

It is the team trial. One rider works at a time while the other members of the team help contain the remaining cattle.

I · What the Trial Requires¶

The trial requires live cattle, suitable ground, secure containment, a team of riders and the welfare provisions required by the rules.

At WAWE world and continental championships, the Cattle trial contributes to the Team Championship and also produces its own Cattle Trial Classification.

Under the WAWE international rules, Juniors do not ride the Cattle trial.

II · How the Trial Is Ridden¶

A team of four riders (three at a minimum) work together to cut four pre-selected cows from a herd held in a containment zone, one cow per rider, in an order the jury sets.

Each rider takes their turn. While one rider cuts and drives their cow to the demarcated area, the other three hold the remaining cattle in the containment zone and may not cross the line marking the working rider's area. Once the cow is out, one or more of them may help drive it to its destination.

The trial starts as the cutting rider crosses the line defining the containment zone.

It ends when the cut cow is in the designated area with all four legs, and the rest of the herd is in the containment zone.

The limit is three minutes. A rider who exceeds it is disqualified and scores nothing for that cow.

The cows are identified by neck ring colour or number, drawn in the presence of the team leaders once all the animals are in the containment zone. The entry order of the teams is drawn at the same time. If there is a problem with a cow, the President of the Jury may draw a replacement.

III · The Arena¶

The ground is level and clear, and a sandy surface is strongly recommended. It may be grass or compacted earth if it is neither too hard nor slippery. The pen may sit inside or outside the cutting zone.

IV · The Penalties¶

The international and Portuguese rules apply different penalties when another cow crosses the containment line, and the Portuguese penalty varies with herd size.

Any cow that leaves the herd before its turn has to be brought back to the containment zone. In Portugal, the attempt may be stopped once the actual time plus penalties passes three minutes.

V · How It Is Scored¶

Riders are ordered by their time plus penalties, and that placing is then converted into points.

Points are awarded on the same principle as every other trial: one point for taking part, and one more for each rider ahead. The cattle trial classification is then built from the points total of the team's riders.

Internationally, only the three best results achieved by a team's riders count towards the team classification. The winning team is the one with the highest number of points.

The Cattle trial also produces its own classification. Under WAWE, a team that does not participate in the Cattle trial cannot enter the Team Championship classification.

Read next How the classifications are built

VI · The Welfare Rules¶

The rules contain specific welfare requirements for the cattle and penalties for mistreatment.

Any mistreatment is penalised by the President of the Jury immediately. A rider who behaves in a way that endangers the safety of their horse or the cattle is disqualified for mishandling. Cattle prods may only be used if they cause no injury, and any injury or trace of blood caused by a rider disqualifies them.

A veterinary surgeon is present from the arrival of the cattle, through the trial, until every animal has been loaded again. Water buckets and a shaded rest area have to be provided for the breaks.

VII · Working with a Live Animal¶

Working Dressage follows a known test, and the obstacle course is walked before it is ridden.

The nominated cow moves independently, so the rider has to respond to its direction and speed as the attempt develops.

The rider uses the same balance, changes of direction and responsiveness required elsewhere in the discipline while adapting them to the movement of the cow.

VIII · When the Working Day Returns to the Arena¶

The first three trials preserve pieces of working riding inside an arena. The Cattle trial brings the animal that gave much of that riding its original purpose back into the competition.

A dressage test can be learned. An obstacle course can be walked. A cow makes its own decisions, and the rider has to read them while keeping the horse organised enough to respond.

The balance, quick turns and responsiveness developed elsewhere in the sport now have an immediate job.

For College Members, that makes the Cattle trial a particularly clear way to understand why so much of Working Equitation looks the way it does.

The gate, bridge, barrels and pen preserve working problems in arena form. Live livestock makes the reason behind those questions visible again. A horse has to reorganise quickly, remain calm under pressure and respond while the situation is changing in front of it.

The welfare rules add another part of the standard. The rider is responsible for controlling the animal while preserving its safety, and the competition gives that responsibility consequences. The trial is timed rather than marked, so the result brings together the team's work, the elapsed time and any penalties.

Branch Three can take Members further into those competitive decisions, from reading the animal to understanding how the team, the clock and the penalties shape the result.

The Cattle trial is the rarest of the four, yet it gives perhaps the clearest view of where the discipline began: the other trials preserve pieces of the working day; here, horse, rider and livestock meet again in the arena.

Read next Where Working Equitation came from