This page contains information about, and downloads for, National, Provincial, and FEI rules plus the Guidelines for both barrel competitions and other unrecognized classes that may be offered in Canadian competitions. Also included are links to the FEI Guidelines and Code of Points.

National Rules

The 2025 National rules are available on the Equestrian Canada Vaulting Rules.

Note that the National Rules reference aspects of the FEI Guidelines for Judges and the FEI Code of Points, found below. Canadian specific Notices regarding the FEI Guidelines should also be reviewed.

Judging Codes - In case you are wondering about those mysterious abbreviations on your scoresheets, here's what they mean.

 

COMPETITION POLICIES

2026 Competition Policies, referred to in the National Rules, offer direction to Coaches, Officials and Competition Management concerning topics such as competition levels, eligibility, special provisions for vaulters with a disability and video competition protocols.

2026 VaultCanada Competition Policies - Clean Copy

2026 VaultCanada Competition Policies - Markup Version

Provincial Rules

Provincial competitions include all levels from Beginner Walk to 3*.

The 2025 EVABC / HCBC Provincial Rules are available for download here.

Note that the Provincial Rules reference aspects of the National Rules and the VaultCanada Competition Policies, found above, and also the FEI Guidelines for Judges and the FEI Code of Points, found below.

FEI Rules

The FEI Rules, Guidelines for Judges, Code of Points, and Qualification Criteria are available here on the FEI website.

Recommendations for Barrel Classes

Vaulting organizations in Canada fundamentally believe that vaulting is an equestrian sport, and that the competitors (i.e. the horse, lunger, and vaulter) work as a team during training and competition. In other words, the horse is not a simple “apparatus” such as a balance beam in gymnastics, but is as integral to the sport as the vaulter – the essence of vaulting is the harmony that exists between the horse and the vaulter. While barrel classes are not recognized in the rules, we believes that the barrel plays an important part in the conditioning and training of vaulters in support of work on the horse. Some provinces have established official recommendations for these non-recognized barrel classes and these can be downloaded here:

• British Columbia (EVABC)
• Alberta (AEVA)

 

Recommendations for Entering Barrel Classes

This guideline has been created to provide coaches with a rough idea of which barrel class may be suitable for an athlete to enter, based on their horse division. This guideline has been created with an average athlete in mind, and may not be appropriate for athletes who have significant dance/gymnastics background, or for athletes who have a significantly higher degree of difficulty in their barrel routine as compared to their horse routine. 

Barrel Level	Fundamentals	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
Horse Level	- fundamentals - beginner walk - intermediate walk - vaulters requiring assistance	- intermediate walk - advanced walk - beginner trot	- intermediate trot - advanced trot - beginner canter	- intermediate canter and above

 

Guidelines for Unrecognized Classes

At the discretion of the competition manager, unrecognized classes may be offered to encourage participation by those who are not entering the recognized classes included in our Rule Books. These guidelines are intended to clarify the requirements for the unrecognized classes which may be offered in Canadian competitions.

• British Columbia (EVABC)