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 the following steps:
 a) enrolling a number of participants in the competition, the participants being horses controlled by respective riders and together becoming competitors;   b) determining whether the number of competitors is Y x , where ‘X’ and ‘Y’ are positive integers greater than 1 and ‘Y’ is an odd integer;   c) responsive to the number of competitors being Y x , dividing the competitors into Y (X−1)  competitor groups with Y competitors in each group;   d) judging each competitor group in a horse jumping contest based on predetermined criteria, the horse jumping contest including a plurality of physical obstacles;   e) determining a winner of each competitor group;   f) advancing the winner of each competitor group to a next round, in a non-final round; and   g) repeating steps b)-f) until only Y competitor groups can be formed with the winners from step f).   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein Y=3. 
     
     
         3 . A method of conducting a horse jumping competition, the method comprising the following steps:
 a) enrolling a number of participants in the competition, the participants being horses controlled by respective riders and together becoming competitors;   b) determining whether a number of the competitors is a predetermined positive integer exponentiation base;   c) dividing competitors into competitor groups based on the predetermined positive integer exponentiation base;   d) judging each competitor group in a horse jumping contest based on predetermined criteria, the horse jumping contest including a plurality of physical obstacles;   e) determining a winner of each competitor group and eliminating a loser of each competitor group;   f) advancing the winner of each competitor group to a next round, in a non-final round;   g) repeating steps c)-f) until only two competitor groups can be formed with the winners from step f);   h) implementing steps c)-e) and advancing the winner of each competitor group to a final round; and   i) declaring a tournament winner, in said final round.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined positive integer exponentiation base is 2. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a round contains more difficult obstacles than a previous round. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a round contains obstacles placed closer together than a previous round. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of physical obstacles comprises at least one of Arrowhead, Bank, Bounce, Brush Fence, Bullfinch, Coffin, Combinations, Comer, Ditch, Drop Fence, Log Fence, Normandy bank, Oxer, Rolltop, Shark's Teeth, Skinny, Stone Wall, Sunken Road, Table, Trakehner and Water. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a consolation round is held following each round to determine the placement of each of the losers in relation to one another. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 holding a qualifying stage to eliminate at least one of the number of participants in the competition.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 allowing more prestigious or better or more experienced or more popular participants to advance to later rounds automatically without competing in the qualifying stage.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein dividing the competitors into the competitor groups comprises:
 randomly assigning the competitors into the competitor groups.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein dividing the competitors into the competitor groups comprises:
 assigning skilled or experienced or popular competitors with other such competitors.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 3 , 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.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , 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. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , 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. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , 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. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , 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. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the physical obstacles comprise a plurality of Water obstacles. 
     
     
         19 . A method of conducting a horse jumping competition, the method consisting of the following steps:
 a) enrolling a number of participants in the competition, the participants being horses controlled by respective riders and together becoming competitors;   b) determining whether a number of the competitors is a predetermined positive integer exponentiation base;   c) dividing competitors into competitor groups based on the predetermined positive integer exponentiation base;   d) judging each competitor group in a horse jumping contest based on predetermined criteria, the horse jumping contest including a plurality of physical obstacles;   e) determining a winner of each competitor group and eliminating a loser of each competitor group;   f) advancing the winner of each competitor group to a next round, in a non-final round;   g) repeating steps c)-f) until only two competitor groups can be formed with the winners from step f);   h) implementing steps c)-e) and advancing the winner of each competitor group to a final round; and   i) declaring a tournament winner, in said final round; and   advancing the winner of each competitor group to a next round, in a non-final round.   
     
     
         20 . A method of conducting a horse jumping competition, the method comprising the following steps:
 a) enrolling a number of participants in the competition, the participants being horses controlled by respective riders and together becoming competitors;   b) determining whether a number of the competitors is a predetermined positive integer exponentiation base;   c) dividing competitors into competitor groups based on the predetermined positive integer exponentiation base;   d) judging each competitor group in a horse jumping contest based on predetermined criteria, the horse jumping contest including a plurality of physical obstacles;   e) determining a winner of each competitor group and eliminating a loser of each competitor group;   f) advancing the winner of each competitor group to a next round, in a non-final round;   g) repeating steps c)-f) until only two competitor groups can be formed with the winners from step f);   h) implementing steps c)-e) and advancing the winner of each competitor group to a final round; and   i) declaring a tournament winner, in a final round,   wherein the next round contains obstacles placed closer together than a current round.