**How Show Jumping Competitions Are Judged: A Simple Guide**

Show jumping competitions are exciting to watch, but the way they’re judged might seem confusing at first. Judges focus on faults, time, and sometimes hold a jump-off to determine the winner. Let’s break down these elements so you can understand how riders earn their scores.

### Faults: The Most Common Penalties  
Faults are the primary factor in scoring. When a horse knocks down a rail, refuses a jump, or has more than one refusal at an obstacle, the rider receives a fault. Each fault adds four penalty points to the rider’s total score. Fewer faults mean a better result.

### Time: Beating the Clock  
Riders must not only clear obstacles but also do it quickly. There’s a set time for each course, and exceeding that limit results in time penalties. Judges penalize riders for every second they go over, so speed is just as important as avoiding faults.

### Jump-Off: The Tie-Breaker  
If riders have the same score after the initial round, they enter a jump-off. This is a shorter, faster course where the rider with the quickest time and fewest faults wins. The jump-off adds extra excitement and pressure to the competition.

To learn more about the details of judging, you can visit this helpful article on [decoding the judging criteria in show jumping competitions](https://turfmagique.org/decoding-the-judging-criteria-in-show-jumping-competitions/). Understanding these rules will make the sport even more fun to follow!