What is the difference between Table I and Table II jumper classes?

Table I and Table II are two primary scoring systems for jumper competition defined in the USEF and FEI rulebooks, and they differ fundamentally in how ties are resolved and how time functions in the scoring — differences that significantly affect competitive strategy. Under Table I judging, the result of the first round is determined solely by jumping faults — a horse with zero faults places above all horses with four faults, regardless of how much time each took to complete the course. Time matters only in that horses must complete the course within the time allowed to avoid time faults, but among horses with equal jumping faults, time in the first round does not differentiate them. All horses tied at the lowest fault total compete in a jump-off to determine placings, with the jump-off won by the fewest faults in the fastest time. This means that in a Table I class with multiple clear rounds, all clear horses compete in a jump-off regardless of how different their first-round times were. Under Table II judging — most commonly seen as Article 238 — the first round result is determined by jumping faults with ties broken by the time taken to complete the course. A horse with zero faults in a faster time places above one with zero faults in a slower time, making time within the first round a competitive factor rather than only a fault-avoidance threshold. When the class also includes a jump-off, the jump-off competitors are determined by the lowest fault total, and the jump-off is won by fewest faults in fastest time. The practical competitive implication is that Table II classes reward efficient riding throughout the first round, while Table I classes allow riders to prioritize accuracy over efficiency in the first round knowing that time will only matter in a subsequent jump-off.