7.1 Categories
Available in Novice Rider, Amateur, Open and all Youth divisions and Little Britches. Horses any age; yearlings may be shown after 1st July in the year foaled.
7.2 Showmanship is designed to evaluate the exhibitors' ability to execute a set of manoeuvres prescribed by the judge with precision and smoothness while exhibiting poise and confidence, and maintaining a balanced, functional and correct body position. Only the showman is being judged; the horse is merely a prop.
It is mandatory that the show management post any pattern to be worked at least one hour prior to the commencement of the first class. Patterns should be designed to test the exhibitor's ability. All ties will be broken at the judge's discretion.
7.3 Class Procedures: All exhibitors may enter the arena and then work individually, or each exhibitor may be worked from the gate. When exhibitors are worked individually from the gate, a working order is required. The following manoeuvres are considered acceptable: lead the horse at walk, jog/trot or extended trot, or back in a straight line, a combination of straight and curved lines; stop; and turn 90 (¼), 180 (½), 270 (¾), 360 (full turn) degrees or any combination or multiple of these turns. The pull turn is an unacceptable manoeuvre. The judge must have exhibitors set up the horse squarely for inspection sometime during the pattern.
7.4 Scoring: Scoring shall be on a basis of 0-100 with 70 denoting an average performance. Each manoeuvre will be scored from +3 to -3 with ½ point increments acceptable that will be added or subtracted from 70. Manoeuvre scores should be determined independent of penalties and should reflect equal consideration of both performance of the exhibitor's pattern and the form and effectiveness of the exhibitor and presentation of horse, to result in the following scores: +3 Excellent, +2 Very Good, +1 Good, 0 Average or Correct, -1 Poor, -2 Very Poor, -3 Extremely Poor. Exhibitor's overall form and effectiveness should also be scored from 0 to 5 with 0 to 2 Average, 3 Good, 4 Very Good, 5 Excellent.
7.5 OVERALL APPEARANCE OF EXHIBITOR AND HORSE The Exhibitor's overall poise, confidence, appearance and position throughout the class and physical appearance of the horse will be evaluated.
A. Appearance and Position of Exhibitor
Appropriate western attire must be worn. Clothes and person are to be neat and clean. The use of artificial aid is prohibited.
Exhibitors should be poised, confident, courteous and genuinely sportsmanlike at all times, quickly recognising and correcting faults in the positioning of the horse. The exhibitor should continue showing the horse until the class has been placed or they have been excused, unless otherwise instructed by the judge. The exhibitor should appear business-like, stand and move in a straight, natural and upright manner, and avoid excessive or animated body positions.
The exhibitor must lead on the horse's left side holding the lead shank in the right hand near the halter (not holding the chain) with the tail of the lead loosely coiled in the left hand. The excess lead should never be tightly coiled, rolled or folded. When leading, the exhibitor should be positioned between the eye and the mid-point of the horse's neck, referred to as the leading position.
The position of the exhibitor when executing a turn to the right is the same as the leading position except that the exhibitor should turn and face toward the horse's head and have the horse move away from them to the right.
When executing a back, the exhibitor should turn from the leading position to face toward the rear of the horse with the right hand extended across the exhibitor's chest and walk forward beside the horse moving backward.
When setting up for inspection, the exhibitor should stand angled toward the horse in a position between the horse's eye and muzzle and should never leave the head of the horse. Exhibitors shall use the "Quarter Method" when presenting the horse. The exhibitor should maintain a position that is safe for themselves and the judge. The position of the exhibitor should not obstruct the judge's view of the horse and should allow the exhibitor to always maintain awareness of the judge's position. The exhibitor should not crowd other exhibitors when setting up side-by-side or head-to-tail. When moving around the horse, the exhibitor should change sides in front of the horse with the minimal steps and should assume the same position on the right side of the horse that they had left on the left side.
Leading, backing, turning and initiating the set up should be performed from the left side of the horse. At no time should the exhibitor ever stand directly in front of the horse. The exhibitor should not touch the horse in any way, or cue the horse by the use of hands or feet at any time during the class.
B. Appearance of the Horse
The horse's body condition and overall fitness should be assessed. The coat should be clean, well-brushed and in good condition. The mane, tail, forelock and wither tuft must not contain ornaments (ribbons, bows, etc.), but may be braided or banded. The length of mane and tail may vary, as long as they are neat, clean and free of tangles.
Hooves should be properly trimmed and if shod, the shoes should fit correctly, and clinches should be neat. Hooves must be clean and may be painted black or with hoof dressings or shown naturally.
Tack should fit properly and be neat, clean and in good repair.
7.6 Class Procedures: The exhibitor should perform the work accurately, precisely, smoothly, and with a reasonable amount of speed. Increasing speed of the work increases the degree of difficulty, however, accuracy and precision should not be sacrificed for speed. The horse should lead, stop, back, turn and set up willingly, briskly and readily with minimal visible or audible cueing. A severe disobedience will not result in a disqualification but should be penalised severely, and the exhibitor should not place above an exhibitor that completes the pattern correctly. Excessive schooling or training, wilful abuse, loss of control of the horse by the exhibitor, failure to follow prescribed pattern, knocking over or working on the wrong side of the cones shall be cause for disqualification.
The horse should be led directly to and away from the judge in a straight or curved line and track briskly and freely at the prescribed gait as instructed. The horse's head and neck should be straight and in line with the body.
The stop should be straight, prompt, smooth and responsive with the horse's body remaining straight. The horse should back up readily with the head, neck and body aligned in a straight or curved line as instructed.
The following manoeuvres are considered acceptable: lead the horse at walk, jog, trot or extended trot, or back in a straight or curved line, or a combination of straight and curved lines; stop and turn 90 (1/4), 180 (1/2), 270 (3/4), 360 (full turn) degrees or any combination of these turns. The pull turn is an unacceptable manoeuvre. On turns of greater than 90 degrees, the ideal turn consists of the horse pivoting on the right hind leg while stepping across and in front of the right front leg with the left front leg. An exhibitor should not be penalised if their horse performs a pivot on the left hind leg, but an exhibitor whose horse performs the pivot correctly should receive more credit. The Judge must have the exhibitors set the horse up squarely for inspection sometime during the class. The horse should be set up quickly with the feet squarely underneath the body. The exhibitor does not have to reset a horse that stops square.
7.7 An exhibitor should be penalised in the pattern independent of manoeuvre scores and deducted from the final score as follows:
A. Three (3) Points
- Break of gait at the walk or trot up to 2 strides.
- Over or under turning up to ¼ of a turn.
- Ticking or hitting cone.
- Sliding a pivot foot.
- Lifting a pivot foot during a pivot or set up and replacing it in the same place.
- Lifting a foot in a set up and replacing it in the same place after presentation.
B. Five (5) Points
- Not performing the specific gait or not stopping within 10 feet (3 meters) of designated location.
- Break of gait at walk or trot for more than 2 strides.
- Splitting the cone (cone between horse and exhibitor).
- Horse stepping out of or moving the hind end significantly during a pivot or turn.
- Horse stepping out of set up after presentation.
- Horse resting a foot or hip in a set up.
- Over or under turning 1/8 to ¼ turn.
C. Ten (10) Points
- Exhibitor is not in the required position during inspection.
- Exhibitor touching the horse or kicking or pointing their feet at the horse's feet during the set up.
- Standing directly in front of the horse.
- Loss of lead shank, including the chain or two hands on the shank.
- Blatant disobedience including kicking, rearing or pawing; horse continually circling exhibitor.
- Horse stepping out of or moving the hind end significantly during a pivot or turn more than one time.
D. Disqualifications (should not be placed, including):
- Loss of control of horse that endangers exhibitor, other horses or judge.
- Horse becomes separated from exhibitor.
- Failure to display the correct number.
- Wilful abuse.
- Excessive schooling or training; use of artificial aids.
- Illegal equipment.
- Off pattern, including knocking over or wrong side of cone or marker; never performing designated gait; over or under turning more than ¼ turn.
Novice classes: exhibitors going off pattern, knocking over or wrong side of cone, never performing specified gait or over or under turning more than ¼ turn than designated shall not be disqualified, but must always place below exhibitors not incurring a disqualifying fault.