The selection process in the formative years has been geographically based whereby riders submit their performances to their State Branch and representatives of the State Branch then rank these riders. Each State has been limited to nominating 5 riders for consideration by the National Selectors. From the nominations the National Selectors then choose 20 riders to form the squad. As there are very few occasions (if any) where all of the top young riders compete in the same competitions it is not possible for the National Selectors to see all of the contenders competing under the same conditions.

The State Young Rider Jumping Squads have now reached a sound maturity in each State with processes in place to support the Squads with specific training, competitions and High Performance support, it is appropriate to restructure the selection procedure and implement a program to complement the High Performance Jumping program.

Therefore a two competition selection series will be conducted in each State between July 1 and December 20 in 2008, where the young riders will be ranked according to their performance and up to the leading twelve (12) riders are nominated to the National Young Rider squad for 2009.

Competition Format

• Each State will be eligible to conduct qualifying competitions.
• The two competitions must be conducted on separate weekends.
• Both rounds of a competition must be conducted on the same day.
• Each competition will be conducted under the FEI article 273: 3.3 and 4.3 (The first round not against the clock)
• Eligibility
• Competitors must be a member of the Equestrian Federation of Australia and the horse must be registered with the Equestrian Federation of Australia.
• Riders must be aged between 15 and 20 as at the 1 January of the year of selection.
• Competitors may only take part in one first round competition and one second round competition.
• Competitors may take part in competition one in one state and competition two in another state
• Competitors may ride more than one horse in the competitions and receive a ranking for each horse.
• All riders start in the first round and all riders are eligible to start in the second round unless they are eliminated or retire.
• Riders who retire or are eliminated in the first competition are eligible to take part in the second competition but cannot obtain an overall ranking.

Courses

• The course plans will be prepared by a course designer chosen by the National Committee from the FEI list of Course Designers.  The 2008 courses will be designed by Graeme Watts FEI (I).
• A detailed plan of each course will be prepared with sufficient measurements for an accurate course to be replicated.
• Accompanying each course plan will be a material list with an illustration of the construction of each obstacle and its dimensions.
• The courses must be accurately laid out by a national level three or FEI course designer.
• The first round of each competition will comprise either 11 or 12 obstacles.
• The second round will comprise 8 to 10 obstacles.
• The course for the second round of the competition must be different to the first round. Competitors will walk the second round.
• The courses may be used for other competitions but the Young Rider competition must be the first competition over the courses.

Results and Rankings

• In each competition competitors will be placed according to the aggregate penalties over both rounds and the time incurred in the second round.
• Overall rankings will be determined by adding the penalties from the four rounds and the times of the two second rounds.
• Should there be equality of penalties after the four rounds the rider with the lowest combined time from the two second rounds will be placed highest.
• Once all states have conducted their competitions, results from all of the competitions will be collated; rankings assigned and posted on the EFA National and State Branch websites.
• Should a rider qualify in the top twelve with two or more horses the rider will receive the ranking of their highest placed horse and have the other qualified horses listed against their name.The next ranked ranked rider will be added to the list.