What is Vaulting? 

The sport is most commonly known as Equestrian Vaulting.  Vaulting is best defined as gymnastics and dance by moving horseback.  It is kind of like trick riding, though more like a gymnastics beam routine on the back of the horse, with a combination of the dance of a floor routine.  Vaulters as long as three-years-old to even up into adult can compete in this sport.  

Levels

There are a combination of levels vaulters can compete in and take 'test' to move up in levels known as 'medal' tests.  The medal levels start at the trot level of vaulting and go from bronze, silver, to gold.  There are three levels of difficulty vaulters compete in:

• walk

• trot

• canter

And within each difficulty there is a level called compulsories for the vaulters that start at D level and move up to one star and two star, and so forth.

The information and rules on levels and competitions for further information can be found on the AVA site, American Vaulting Association.

Within each level there are categories people can compete in.

• compulsories - which is a test in itself that each vaulter must compete in to get to the next level

• individual freestyle - where an individual vaulter has one minute to perform a minimum of ten moves to music of their choice.  

• pairs routine - where there are two vaulters on the horse performing to music of their choice for 1.5 minutes.

• team routine - where their can over five people apart of this group and there can only be a maximum of 3 vaulters on the horse at one time.  They get a longer duration of time to perform on the back of the horse a combination of moves that can involve lifting or any other moves used or created by the team.  During this routine a vaulters can jump off the horse and another team member can come running over to join the remaining on the back or the horse.  There is no set amount of time that one of the team members is allowed on the horse.  The routines are often designed by the team members on this team routine and their coach.

History

Vaulting is a sport with origins reaching as far as 2,000 years ago.  It is believed it was started in Roman, where people would perform acrobatics on the backs of cantering horses.  The English name of  'vaulting' comes from the the French word "la voltige", which means trick riding or acrobatics.

During the Renaissance, it was used as a test for the calvary.  It wasn't until after the wars with Germany that the modern vaulting was developed.  

Vaulting experienced a short lived career as an Olympic sport as an art form in the early '80's and once during the '90's.  To this day, vaulting is only considered a World Games Sport and not an Olympic sport.

Lets challenge this and get Vaulting back into the Olympic sport category, where it belongs!

Vaulting in the United States

Vaulting is very popular in Europe and only recently has seen a take off in popularity in the United States back in 2010.  Though it has been practice by many people across the United States, the level of popularity is picking up.  The West Coast has a strong popularty as well as the East Coast, and the popularity of the sport is growing.  The United States does have a team that goes to the World Games.  

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