CCI4*-S Meaning: Eventing Levels Explained After Davis's Win

CCI4*-S meaning: what the label says

A CCI4*-S is an international eventing competition (CCI stands for Concours Complet International) at four-star difficulty, run in the short format. The "4*" is the difficulty level and the "S" is the format, so the label tells you both how hard the fences are and how long the cross-country day is.

That is the whole code. Once you can read it, any entry list from a local international to a five-star suddenly makes sense.

The hook: Davis wins her first four-star at 48

At Stable View Oktoberfest in Aiken, South Carolina (Sept. 25-27), Mary Bess Davis and her own Imperio Magic won the CCI4*-S on a score of 39.9. It was her first four-star victory, and she said it took until 48 to get there.

Davis was the only rider to finish below 40. Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Limited Edition were second on 40.4, and Emily Hamel and Corvett were third on 41.2. Lucienne Bellissimo (Dyri) and Alyssa Phillips (Rockett 19) tied on 43.4 behind them.

The cross-country phase did the sorting: only two pairs went double clear there, meaning no jumping penalties and no time penalties. Davis was one; the other was Waylon Roberts with Fernhill Salt Lake, who finished seventh. Davis says her next target is the CCI4*-L at Morven Park.

The star levels, 1* to 5*

Since 2019 the FEI has used five stars. When it added a fifth, every existing level moved up by one, and a new introductory 1* was created underneath.

The US equivalents are approximate and come from USEA's guide to the change. As the stars go up, the fences get bigger, the courses get longer or more complex and the required speed rises.

Horses and riders can't skip ahead. Each level has minimum eligibility results that must be earned first, which is why a four-star win is a milestone and not a fluke.

S versus L: short and long formats

The letter changed in 2019 too. What used to be a CCI is now a CCI-L (long), and what used to be a CIC is now a CCI-S (short).

The FEI describes the difficulty of a short-format cross-country course as similar to the long format at the same star level, but shorter and with higher intensity. The long format asks for more stamina, and the FEI describes the horse as needing to be supremely fit.

• S (short): shorter cross-country, usually a shorter event, and a common step for riders qualifying or getting a horse ready.
• L (long): longer course, a bigger fitness test and, at the top, the format of the five-star events.
• 5*: only offered in the long format.

Schedules and phase order vary by event, so check the prize list. For the three phases themselves, see our explainer on what eventing is.

Why a clear cross-country round decides the leaderboard

Eventing is scored in penalty points, and lowest wins. Dressage puts the first number on the board, and show jumping and cross country add penalties to it.

Cross country is where the numbers can swing hardest. A refusal or a fall adds big penalties, and going over the optimum time adds more, while a clear round inside the time adds nothing at all.

So when only two pairs go double clear, everyone else is carrying some penalty on their score. Davis's 39.9 stayed at the top because she was one of the two who added nothing. Pamukcu, second, was only half a point behind, which shows how tight a leaderboard can be when the top of the field is otherwise close.

An amateur-friendly path?

The result is a good reminder that eventing has a visible ladder, and that not everyone on it is a full-time professional. The rider on top of a four-star podium may own the horse, and the win came a month after Davis finished as reserve champion in the Adequan USEA Advanced Final.

If you want to climb the ladder yourself, the system helps you:

1. Learn the national levels first. Start at the national divisions and work up, with a coach who knows your horse.
2. Earn your qualifying results. Each star level has eligibility requirements; check the current FEI and USEF rules before you enter.
3. Pick the format on purpose. Short formats are a lower-commitment way to test a level; long formats test fitness more.
4. Budget the whole event. Entry fees, stabling, travel and coaching add up quickly, so ask the organizer for a full cost sheet.

See our pages on disciplines and show prep for the basics.

What to watch next

Morven Park's Fall Horse Trials in Leesburg, Virginia run Oct. 8-11, 2026, and the venue is one of five in the US to hold a CCI4*-L. Davis has named that event as her next goal with Imperio Magic. Nothing is confirmed until the entries and start times are published.

If you follow the international side, our guide to the FEI Eventing Nations Cup shows how team competition works. Then you can read any results page with the same code: stars for difficulty, letter for format, and the double-clear count for who is really in the mix.