Your First CCI*: What to Know Before You Start

Riding your first CCI* is a significant step in an eventing career. It brings together the three phases you already know—dressage, cross-country and show jumping—under FEI rules, with a higher level of organisation and scrutiny than most national competitions. The aim is not simply to enter an international class, but to arrive with a horse, rider and support team prepared for the whole week.

For Australian combinations, the pathway usually runs through Equestrian Australia and the relevant state branch, such as Equestrian Victoria, Equestrian NSW or Equestrian Queensland. Class names and qualification requirements can change, so read the schedule carefully before committing. A CCI1*-Intro is not automatically the same as a CCI1*, and the technical demands, eligibility rules and minimum requirements may differ.

The best preparation is practical and progressive. You need a reliable horse, a realistic competition plan, correct documents, suitable equipment and enough experience to make good decisions when conditions change. Learning from established event riders, including the training approaches shared through Schramm Equestrian, can help you understand what the first international start demands beyond the three minutes in the dressage arena.

Choose The Right International Class

Start by confirming exactly which division you are entering. FEI eventing classes use specific names, heights, speeds, qualification rules and time limits. A CCI1* may involve a different level of cross-country difficulty from a national one-star class, even when the obstacles look familiar. Check the official schedule for height, dimensions, speed, maximum jumping efforts, dressage test and permitted tack.

Your horse’s temperament matters as much as its results. A good first CCI* candidate should travel calmly, recover well after work and remain rideable when the atmosphere becomes busy. Recent competition form should show consistency rather than one exceptional performance. A horse that is brave but mentally overwhelmed, or athletic but difficult to manage, may need more time before making the step.

Sort Out Eligibility And Paperwork

FEI competition involves more administration than a standard local event. Confirm rider and horse memberships, registration, qualification records, passport requirements, vaccinations, entries and any medical or identification documents well in advance. Your EA state branch and the event secretary are the safest sources for current Australian requirements.

Allow time for your horse’s FEI passport or registration details to be checked, particularly if this is the first international-level event. Vaccination records must be complete and correctly recorded, and the horse’s name, markings and ownership information should match the paperwork. Keep digital copies of important documents, while carrying the originals in a waterproof folder during travel.

Prepare For The Cross-Country Test

Cross-country preparation should develop accuracy, rhythm and judgment rather than simply increasing jump height. Practise narrow fences, angled questions, combinations, banks, ditches, water and changes of terrain. Your horse needs to understand how to stay in front of your leg while listening to half-halts, because the course can demand a quick change from forward travel to careful balance.

Australian ground conditions deserve specific attention. A dry summer event near Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide may produce firm, grass-covered footing, while a wet weekend can change the take-off and landing surfaces completely. School on different surfaces where possible, monitor the forecast and learn how your horse moves when the ground is hard, slippery or holding moisture. Walk the course more than once and identify where you can preserve energy without losing the required pace.

Build A Complete Flatwork Strategy

The dressage phase sets the tone for the weekend. At CCI* level, judges expect a horse that is supple, attentive and willing to maintain a consistent rhythm. You do not need to manufacture extravagant movement; accurate transitions, straight lines and a calm, obedient test are often more valuable than chasing expression that makes the horse tense.

Practise the exact test, but avoid drilling it until the horse anticipates every movement. Ride the patterns from different entrances and in unfamiliar arenas so the test remains a conversation rather than a memorised sequence. Australian competitions can involve long travel, bright sun and warm temperatures, so include short schooling sessions after arrival and allow your horse time to settle before the official warm-up.

Protect Soundness And Foot Balance

A first CCI* places a substantial physical demand on the horse. Schedule a sensible programme that includes conditioning, strength work, recovery days and regular checks from your veterinarian, farrier and bodywork professionals. Increase workload gradually and record how the horse feels before and after faster work, hills and jumping sessions.

Foot management deserves particular attention when moving between Australian surfaces and venues. Some horses perform best in shoes, while others remain comfortable barefoot with careful trimming and suitable footing. The practical comparison in shoeing and barefoot care can help you frame a discussion with your own farrier, although every decision should be based on the individual horse, workload and environment.

Train The Rider As Carefully As The Horse

Rider fitness supports safer decisions, stronger position and better recovery across a demanding competition. Include cardiovascular work, leg and core strength, mobility and balance in your weekly routine. You should be capable of staying effective during a long cross-country course without gripping, losing your upper-body stability or becoming mentally rushed.

Fitness planning also needs to suit normal Australian life. Early-morning rides may be more practical during a Queensland summer, while riders in regional New South Wales or Western Australia may need to plan around long distances between training facilities. A broader fitness perspective can be useful when building sustainable habits rather than relying on a last-minute programme before the event.

Plan The Competition Week

Treat the event as a logistics exercise. Map the route, allow extra time for traffic around major centres such as Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, and confirm where the horse can be unloaded, stabled, fed and exercised. Pack water from home if your horse is sensitive to unfamiliar supplies, and bring enough hay, feed, buckets, first-aid items, spare tack and weather-appropriate clothing.

Australian biosecurity and horse movement requirements vary by state and can change with disease alerts. Check current transport, property identification, health declaration and venue-entry requirements before leaving home. Follow the event’s stable rules and the relevant state animal-welfare legislation, particularly around transport duration, rest, hydration and veterinary care. Good preparation protects the horse and prevents an avoidable administrative problem.

Ride The Weekend In Stages

On arrival, keep the horse’s routine as familiar as possible. A short walk, quiet hand-grazing session or light schooling may be more useful than trying to produce a perfect final workout. Check the arena, cross-country map and show-jumping timetable, then decide when the horse will eat, rest, drink and be groomed. Your support team should know who is responsible for each task.

During competition, focus on the next phase rather than calculating the final result. In dressage, ride the test you have prepared. In cross-country, make clear decisions, respect the time and adjust when the horse needs support. After cross-country, prioritise cooling, hydration, veterinary observation and recovery before thinking about the final score. Show jumping then becomes a test of careful management and partnership, not a chance to repair every earlier mistake.

Make your first CCI* a deliberate learning experience. Review the dressage marks, cross-country notes, time, jumping penalties, travel routine and the horse’s recovery with your coach and support team. Use those observations to shape the next training block, and keep building the calm, capable partnership that makes international eventing sustainable.