Show jumping competition

Abstract

A method of conducting a horse jumping competition comprising enrolling a number of participants in the competition, determining whether a number of the participants is a predetermined positive integer exponentiation base, dividing competitors into competitor groups based on the predetermined positive integer exponentiation base, judging each competitor group in a horse jumping contest based on predetermined criteria, determining a winner of each competitor group and eliminating a loser of each competitor group, declaring a tournament winner, in a final round, and advancing the winner of each competitor group to a next round, in a non-final round.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of conducting a horse jumping competition, the method comprising:
 enrolling a number of participants in the competition;   determining whether a number of the participants is a predetermined positive integer exponentiation base;   dividing competitors into competitor groups based on the predetermined positive integer exponentiation base;   judging each competitor group in a horse jumping contest based on predetermined criteria;   determining a winner of each competitor group and eliminating a loser of each competitor group;   declaring a tournament winner, in a final round; and   advancing the winner of each competitor group to a next round, in a non-final round.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined positive integer exponentiation base is 2. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a round contains more difficult obstacles than a previous round. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a round contains obstacles placed closer together than a previous round. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising obstacles, wherein the obstacles include at least one of Arrowhead, Bank, Bounce, Brush Fence, Bullfinch, Coffin, Combinations, Corner, Ditch, Drop Fence, Log Fence, Normandy bank, Oxer, Rolltop, Shark's Teeth, Skinny, Stone Wall, Sunken Road, Table, Trakehner and Water. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a consolation round is held following each round to determine the placement of each of the losers in relation to one another. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 holding a qualifying stage to eliminate at least one of the number of participants in the competition.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 allowing more prestigious or better or more experienced or more popular competitors to advance to later rounds automatically without competing in the qualifying stage.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dividing the competitors into the competitor groups comprises:
 randomly assigning the competitors into the competitor groups.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dividing the competitors into the competitor groups comprises:
 assigning skilled or experienced or popular competitors with other such competitors.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dividing the competitors into the competitor groups comprises:
 assigning skilled or experienced or popular competitors with competitors who are not skilled or experienced or popular.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein assigning the skilled or the experienced or the popular competitors with other such competitors comprises minimizing a maximum difference in skill or experience or popularity between the competitors in each competitor group. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein assigning the skilled or the experienced or the popular competitors with other such competitors comprises minimizing an average difference in skill or experience or popularity between the competitors in each competitor group. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein assigning the skilled or the experienced or the popular competitors with competitors who are not the skilled or the experienced or the popular competitors comprises maximizing a maximum difference in skill or experience or popularity between the competitors in each competitor group. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein assigning the skilled or the experienced or the popular competitors with competitors who are not the skilled or the experienced or the popular competitors comprises maximizing an average difference in skill or experience or popularity between the competitors in each competitor group.