At the KNHS (the Dutch equestrian federation), you don't decide for yourself which class you compete in — your winstpunten (promotion points) do. Collect enough of them at your current level, and you're promoted to the next class. This is how that system works: how you earn a winstpunt, how many you need, and what happens once the tally is full.
What a Winstpunt Is
A winstpunt is a point you earn for a good result at an official competition. Points are recorded on the combination (you and your horse together) of rider and horse, not on you as a rider alone. If you later start with a different horse, that new combination starts again from the bottom, even if you yourself have been competing for years. See also the term "promotion points" in the glossary.
The idea behind the system: whoever consistently performs well in a class belongs a level higher. Staying too long in a low class while you're beating the best riders there gives an unfair advantage over genuine newcomers — which is why promotion eventually becomes mandatory.
How You Earn a Winstpunt
Exactly when you earn a winstpunt differs by discipline.
Show jumping looks at your penalty points and, in the lower classes, your style mark:
| Result (lower classes) | Winstpunten |
|---|---|
| Clear round, style mark 75 or higher | 2 |
| Clear round, style mark 60–74 | 1 |
| 1–4 penalty points, style mark 75 or higher | 1 |
In the higher show jumping classes, the style mark drops away and only the course counts: a clear round earns 2 winstpunten, a round with 1 to 4 penalty points earns 1 winstpunt.
Dressage ties the winstpunt to your final score and placing in the test (a fixed exercise you ride for the judge). You ride a test, receive marks per movement and a final score as a percentage, and at a sufficiently high score or placing you earn a winstpunt. The exact threshold depends on the class and the rulebook — check the current criterion on knhs.nl.
In both disciplines, the same rule applies: you don't have to win to score points. A clean, fault-free round or a solid test already earns you something.
How Many Points You Need
There are two thresholds per class: one at which you may be promoted, and one at which it becomes mandatory. Between those two, you choose for yourself whether to stay or move on.
| Discipline | May be promoted from | Mandatory from |
|---|---|---|
| Dressage (B through M2) | 10 winstpunten | 30 winstpunten |
| Show jumping (lower classes) | 10 winstpunten | 40 winstpunten |
From the heavier show jumping classes (roughly 1.40 m and up), the promotion threshold is relaxed: usually a minimum of 5 winstpunten is enough to move up. These numbers are subject to changes in the rulebook — check the number that applies to your class and discipline on knhs.nl before you plan your season.
When the Promotion Becomes Final
Being promoted doesn't mean that from one day to the next you can no longer compete in your old class. Between the "may" and "mandatory" thresholds, you can still go back.
In dressage it works like this: once you've built up a tally of 5 winstpunten or more in the new, higher class, the promotion becomes final. From that point on you may no longer compete in the lower class — you've proven yourself at the higher level. If you don't yet have 5 points there, you may keep competing in both classes.
Relegation — dropping back to a lower class because things aren't going well for a while — is, in principle, not possible. The only way to start again from the bottom is with a new combination that has no points yet.
How the Points System Determines Your Class
Put the above in sequence, and the route looks like this:
- You start in your entry class (see Dutch Competition Classes Explained).
- You ride competitions and collect winstpunten for each good result.
- At the first threshold (often 10) you may be promoted, but you don't have to.
- At the second threshold (30 for dressage, 40 for show jumping in the lower classes) you must move to the next class.
- There, the tally starts again, and the whole process repeats until you and your horse reach the level that suits you.
The class you compete in is therefore not a choice you make again every season, but a consequence of your results. You don't work your way "up" through an application — you're promoted automatically once the points are there.
In Short
- You earn winstpunten for good results, recorded on the combination of rider and horse.
- Show jumping: clear round = 2 points, 1–4 penalty points = 1 point; in the lower classes the style mark counts too.
- Dressage: a winstpunt is tied to your final score/placing — exact threshold per class on knhs.nl.
- Promotion is allowed from about 10 winstpunten and mandatory from 30 (dressage) or 40 (show jumping, lower classes).
- In dressage, the promotion becomes final once you have 5 winstpunten in the higher class.
- Numbers sometimes change with the rulebook — check the number that applies to your class on knhs.nl.
See also: Dutch Competition Classes Explained · Applying for a KNHS Start Permit · Glossary for Competition Riders