TOC and pattern contests are most like...
Dressage is a good analogy. 100% of pattern and most of the TOC, around 85%, is precision aerobatics. The public loves, and everybody talks about, freestyle segments, but they're the least factor in scoring.
The big difference between Pattern and TOC is that the TOC places a huge premium on flying the Unknown precision routines. It requires a fairly knowledgeable spectator to appreciate this element of the event.