Western Style:
Typically a light weight western saddle of barrel-racing style with small, rounded skirts and breast collar. However any style Western saddle allowed. Bridle can be mechincal hackamore, hackamore bosal or any style bridle and bit with equipment at rider's choice with roping or closed reins. Leg protection commonly seen. Tied downs are allowed. Riders usually dress in flashly western style clothing but levis and shirts are required. Hats for adults and helmets for children.
Following classes are some of the events in this division.
Barrel Racing:
A timed event, barrel racing is judged strictly on the time and a completed and correct pattern of a cloverleaf around three barrels. A five second penalty is added for each barrel knocked over and disqulaification for going off pattern. Size of pattern varies by breed association but average is 30 -35 yards a part in a triangle. Some associations add a penalty for a lost hat. Mistakes to look for: Split reins, unsafe equipment. Extra Credit for: A small note where the horse is in the pattern, color - coorindated rider and equipment. *NAN guidelines allows that preference given to barrel saddles over other saddles due to speed factoring in over heavy saddles. (I had a AAA mare that I ran a few barrels with one summer that she was home from the track. She flew over those things in my show saddle and we were never defeated)
Pole Bending:
A timed event based on pole pattern of serpentines around six poles with a straightaway begining and return. Five second penalty for each pole knocked over and disqualification for going off pattern. Poles are spaced 21 feet apart and the last pole is 21 feet from the timer. Mistakes: Poles should be set in rubber to prevent injury and any poles set in tires, flower pots, tin cans should be penalized. Split reins. Extra Credit: Color-Coordinated rider and equipment a plus. * NAN guidelines read barrel saddle takes precedence over other styles of saddles.
Catalog Race:
The announcer gives each rider a page number. Entrants run to barrel at end of arena, find page number tear out and race back with the fastest time and correct page number wins.
Steer Daubing:
Rider uses a "lance" to mark the steer within a circle painted on the steer's side. The circles are painted on both sides of a steer and are 16 to 20 inches in diameter. The lance is approximately 6' long and is padded at one end and soaked in a washable paint or white wash. The horse and rider are placed behind a barrier, usually the calf roping chute and a steer is releashed at the rider's signal. The rider has a 1 minute time limit after steer breaks the barrier to prevent needless chasing of the steer.
Barrel Crawl:
A timed race to end of arena where rider dismounts and crawls through a barrel remounts and return to finish line.
Pickup & Ride:
A timed race to end of arena, around a barrel pickup a rider and return.
Saddle Race:
A timed race where all the entrant's saddles and saddle pads are piled in a line and the rider rides bareback from a starting line to where the saddles are lined up. They then dismount, saddle the horse and ride back to finish line.
Boot Race:
A timed Race where boots are piled together at one end of the arena and the entrants ride to the pile from the stating line where the rider dismounts finds their boots, put them on and leads threir horse back to the start. (trick class - the show staff filled your boots with rocks!)
Hat Race:
In theory as above, usually for the smaller kids using hats instread of boots.
Cow Hide Race:
Rider ties a cow hide with lariat to one end, dallies to horn and drags the hide with rider aboard the hide back to the finish line. Usually done in pairs.
Fox and Hound:
A cloverleaf style barrel race but with two riders and two horses. The first horse leads and the second horse follows. Disqualification if second horse passes before the front of cinch before the first horse finishes the course.
Stump Race:
Cloverleaf style barrel race with twin coarse and two horses competing against each other. The course is done in a mirror fashion with a common finish line. Course is larger than normal cloverleaf barrels with front barrel 30 feet from finish line, barrels 75 feet apart and back barrel 94 feet from finish line. First horse from the cpmpeting pair to cross finish line wins the heat and goes on to compete in subsequence heats until a final winner is chosen.
Nez Perce Stake Race:
Similar to pole bending but horses compete in pairs and in heats until a winner is chosen. The course is done in a mirror fashion with a common finish line.
Rope Race:
Four foot ropes are loosely tied to a wire line or a lariat and strung across the arena about 2 feet higher than an average rider's head while mounted on horseback. Heats are suggested to have no more than 8 horses but not a requirement. Heats are conducted like musical chairs in which for example if there are 8 horse 7 ropes are tied until there is only one horse left.
Sack Race:
Two riders dismount and putting one leg in a large feed or gunny sack they race while leading their horses down to a finish line.
A variation is when after reaching the line at one when of arena the team mount (usually each other's horses) and race back to other end of arena to a finish line.
Keyhole:
A 20 feet in diameter circle with a 4' wide x 10' long neck in drawn in the arena with lime or chalk powder. The starting line is 50 to 100 feet according to arena and or associations from the entrance of the keyhole. Time starts as contestant crosses the starting line and runs to through entrance of keyhole, stopping within the confines of the circle. They may turn right or left in the circle. return to the entrance of the keyhole and run through it and back to finish line. Sets of markers are used at both start and finish lines and the horse must pass between both markers in order of their time to be valid.
Egg & Spoon:
Rider given an egg and large soup spoon at one end of arena and must ride back to other end of arena with the egg still sitting in the spoon. Fastest time with egg still in spoon wins.
Champagne Glass:
Rider given a champagne glass filled with fluid at one end of arena and must ride back to other end of arena with fluid still in the glass. Fastest time with most fluid in glass wins.
Bareback Dollar Bill or Sit A Buck:
Riders ride without a saddle and sitting on a dollar bill throughout a rail class called by a judge. Usual gaits are the same as Western Bareback Equitation classes. Riders with a dollar bill under them when the line up is called in are the ones placed. Judged on equitation and rather or not they kept their seats long enough to hold the dollar bill in place.
Beer Can or Soda Can Stack:
Riders race from a starting line to a barrel and stop long enough to place one beer or soda can on the top of an already stacked pile of cans. Rider places a can so that it stays and then turn around the barrel and races back to finish line. Pile of cans are the same number for each entrant to be fair so an attendant must be present to adjust the stack for each entrant.
Camp Draft:
Normally a mule or donkey performance but there are horses used in Australia and New Zealand. The horse and rider must escort a cow or calf down the arena and to a barrel in which they then turn around the barrel (hopefully together but the horse can lag behind enough to turn the cow or calf if they look as though they might run past the barrel) and return together back to end of arena.
Coon Jump:
Normally a mule or donkey competition but horses have been used in Australia and New Zealand. A small jump is placed with a box and the animal is led to jump and required to leap from a stand still over the jump. A blanket is usually thrown over the jump pole so animal can judge the height. Animal may not step out of the box before the leap. Handler may stand before the jump, at the side of jump or on the opposite side of jump. There are two styles of coon jumping, Saddled and Bareback. Stirrups should be tied up if saddles are used. Bareback is ually done with a halter. Jump must be free standing type with sliding knock-down bar setup (cups or pegs facing away from animal) Handler is required to where a hat.
Apple Bob:
Three styles of this event are note. Rider either rides to where a container of apples are placed in water and then (while mounted) reachs in the container and get a good bite on the apple, retrieves it and ride back to finish while holding apple in their mouth. The other is to dismount and bite the apple and then either remount and ride back or stay grounded a lead back the horse to finish line. Consideration as to age of rider and ability to mount and dismount are taken into consideration.
English Style:
English Huntseat saddle and hunt with snaffle bit are the most commonly used in gymkhana with the rider wearing usually English attire with the exception of the hunt coat often removed for comfort. Several gymkhana classes are seen with the usual gambit of novelty classes. The trick to setting up an English gymkhana class is to remember that two hands are used on the reins so if the class requires use of a hand the scene should be set up so rider can do the schedule task and return the hand to the rein. Commonly seen gymkhana events for English style riding listed below:
Apple Bob
Egg & Spoon
Beer or Soda Can Stack
Bareback Dollar Bill
Champagne Glass
Sack Race
Saddle Race
Photo Credit:
Obvious Asset owned by Cynthia Jameson in Barrel Racing. Note Rider is using a hackamore bosal so both hands are on the rein. Obvious Asset is a Power Steering Resin painted by Chris Nandell. She is a multi NAN carded champion model.
Sources:
The United States Equestion Association
Judge's Handbook For North American Nationals
Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors
Association The American Morgan Horse Association
International Arabian Horse Association
American Horse Council
Appaloosa Horse Club, Inc
American Quarter Horse Asociation
Australian Stock Horse Society Ltd