What does a refusal cost on the cross-country?
B · Beginner · Cross-country · 6 of 6Twenty penalties for the first refusal, run-out or circle at a fence. A second at the same fence costs 40. The third anywhere on the course means elimination. A refusal is a stop in front of the fence, a run-out is the horse going past it and a circle is crossing one's own track inside a combination.
How it works
- First refusal, run-out or circle: 20 penalties.
- Second at the same obstacle: 40 penalties.
- Third on the course: elimination.
- A refusal: at a fence higher than 30 centimetres, the horse "stops in front of the obstacle to be jumped".
- At low fences: a stop followed at once by a standing jump is not penalised. A prolonged halt or a step back is a refusal.
- A second refusal: the horse is presented again and stops or steps back again.
- A run-out: the horse avoids the fence so that its head, neck and the point of either shoulder fail to pass between the flags.
- A circle: between the first and last elements of a lettered obstacle, crossing one's tracks or going round the back of an element.
- Between separate fences: circling is free, as long as the horse has not been presented at the next fence.
- Trying again: after a refusal the rider may circle without penalty to come back to the fence.
- In a combination: the rider may retake elements already jumped, at the risk of new faults there.
- Changing your mind: allowed without penalty until the horse has been presented at the fence.
- Not connected: a stop or circle that officials judge to be unconnected with a numbered fence is not penalised.
The glossary has the refusal, the run-out and missed flag entry, the combination, cross-country and elimination.
Tricky cases
A horse refuses once at fence 6, once at fence 14 and once at fence 20. What is the result?
Elimination. The third refusal on the course ends the round, even though each was at a different fence.
A horse refuses twice at the same fence and then jumps it. What is the score for that fence?
60 penalties: 20 for the first and 40 for the second.
A rider turns a circle in open ground between two separately numbered fences to steady the horse. Is that a fault?
No, provided the horse had not yet been presented at the next fence.
A rider aims at the direct route, changes their mind two strides out and swings to the alternative. Is that a run-out?
It depends on whether the horse had been presented at the fence. A rider may change their mind without penalty. If the horse avoids the part of the obstacle it was presented at, it is a run-out.
Why the rule exists
Twenty penalties is about five rails in the jumping, so one refusal usually ends a rider's chance of winning. That weight is deliberate: a horse that stops at a solid fence has told its rider something, and the rule of three sends the pair home before the lesson is forced.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-country | 20, then 40 at the same fence. The third is elimination | FEI Eventing 548.1 |
| Eventing jumping test | 4, and the second is elimination | FEI Eventing 553.1 |
| Fences of 30 cm or less | A stop and standing jump is allowed | FEI Eventing 549.1.2 |
| Bounce fences | Clearing the first element counts as being presented at the second | FEI Eventing 549.2.2 |
From the rule book
Fédération Équestre Internationale, Eventing Rules 2026, articles 548.1 and 549. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: FEI Eventing Rules 2026 (PDF).