Jumping            

        The jumping event in the modern pentathlon is a horse riding event. This event requires the athletes to draw an unfamiliar horse, while only allowing a limited practice period of twenty minutes for each competitor.  The allowed practice period is given so each competitor has a chance to become familiar to the new horse's mount. Each competitor is required to ride  350 to 450 meters. The original event was a cross-country course of several thousand meters. However, today's courses consist of twelve obstacles set within the perimeter of the riding area.  One obstacle is a double jump and another obstacle is a triple jump. Each jump is only allowed to reach a maximum height of 1.2 meters. Each competitor begins with 1,100 points. Points are lost for knockdowns, refusals, falling off, and are also deducted for each second over the time limit. If the final time is twice the limit, then the competitor is automatically eliminated. The time allotment for the ride is determined by the course length. It is usually between 60 to 77 seconds.

        Each horse that is used in the event is provided by the competition's organizational committee. The horse is trained over the course, in order to even out each horse's ability in the event.  This makes the event a test of the athlete's skill, because each athlete studies the course beforehand and creates his/her own plan of approaching jumps and taking turns. The main concern of   each competitor is keeping control of the horse.