The simplest form of unaffiliated competition is the Clear-round Class. This is an excellent way of introducing an inexperienced horse and rider to the sport. Each rider pays a small fee to tackle a course of jumps. If you jump a clear round you win a rosette, but the real usefulness of the competition is that if you jump a fence badly you can turn around and jump it again. Most organizers of these classes are extremely tolerant and will even lower a jump for you if you horse continually refuses. In a proper competition you would be eliminated after three refusals.
The next stage is the two-round competition. Each competitor tackles the same course of fences and if you jump a clear round you go through to the jump off. This is ridden against the clock and the fastest clear round wins.
Fences in unaffiliated classes start as low as the organizer wishes. There may even be leading-rein classes with jumps only 18 inches (45 cm) high. Fences usually go up to 3 feet 3 inches (1.2m). Affiliated competitions start with a novice class with fences at about 3 feet 3 inches (1 m) abd continue through the grades to courses with jumps which are weel over 6 feet (1.8 m) high.
There are also other types of jumping classes such as "Take your own line". This involves a course of fences which each have a differnt value in terms of points to be won. You jump as many fences as you can in the time allowed, in any order you like, with the aim of accumulating the maximum number of points. The Puissance involves jumping a short course of fences; these included a wall, which is always the highest jump. The fences are gradually raised until nobody is able to clear the wall.
Derby competitions have cross-country-type obstacles in the arena, such as banks and ditches. Some shows also hold relay competitions between teams of show jumpers, or for added entertainment they may build two identical courses side by side over which competitors race. Time faults are added for knock-downs.
One of the advantages of showjumping is that jumping a course of fences does not take out as much out of a horse as, say, a day's hunting or a hunter trial, so the show jumper can compete far more frequently than many other show horses. You could compete in different classes on the same day and, provided that your horse is fit enough and is enjoying his/her work, you might compete nearly every weekend. In theory this offers both the horse and the rider the chance to gain experience fairly quickly.