Competing In AQHA Sponsored Events

Thinking about attending your first Quarter Horse show? Here are some things that you'll need in order to compete at the event. Having these items with you when you enter will ensure that you are allowed to enter and will speed up the process and reduce your stress level.

The first thing that you need to have with you is either a copy or the original of your horses papers showing the most current owner of the horse. If you are an amateur or a youth the owner needs to be a member of your family or guardian as specified in the AQHA rulebook. Youth and amateurs may not show a horse in either of those divisions on a transfer so be sure if you have just purchased your horse that you have completed the process with AQHA to transfer the horse into your or a family members name. AQHA offers a rush process that significantly speeds up the transfer if time is short.

Next you will need a current individual membership of the correct type to exhibit in the division of your choice. Those showing in amateur or novice amateur will require an amateur card, those showing in youth or novice youth will need a youth card. This card cannot be a joint membership card or in a farm name, it must be in your name only. If you have never earned 10 points in AQHA performance events in a division you may be eligible to add novice status to your card in that division. Exhibitors showing only the the open AQHA division will require a regular AQHA membership. You can find membership applications on the AQHA website but it can be confusing to purchase it there if you do not know what type of membership that you need. In the event that you forget your card you will be required to purchase a new one at the show and the show will charge you $5.00 extra for the processing of the application at the show. If the secretary finds that you do not have the correct type of card you may be able to upgrade the card at the show for a fee ( add amateur status to open card ).

The third thing which will most probably be required is a current health certificate along with a valid coggins test. Many shows will not allow you to unload your horse until you produce these documents but requirements will vary from state to state so contact your veterinarian for current information on your state.

Be sure to arrive early enough to fill out any required paperwork for the event. Show secretaries will love you if you print legibly rather than scribbling in cursive. Many shows have a master information sheet for the entire weekend on which you will be asked to provide your horses name, registration number, year of foaling and the current owner and location of the owner. It will also request information of all exhibitors including name, AQHA membership number, expiration date of membership, date of birth for amateurs and youth, and address. They may also ask for a complete address and phone number in the event that they need to contact you. You may also be asked to provide a signed check if you plan to enter classes throughout the show/weekend. Some shows are completely computerized and they will take photocopies of your papers and cards and all you will need to do is fill out the information for the classes you wish to enter. Either way this can take some time and the office can be backed up so arriving at the last minute to show can be problematic and stressful as you may not be able to enter in time and miss your class. Be sure when filling out your entries that you are using the correct show bill, it is a good idea to get one from the secretary rather than using one printed out on the internet or a magazine as changes may have occurred that came about too late to get changed in those media.

Finally, when deciding on which classes you want to enter consider the weather conditions under which you are competing, the condition of yourself and your horse and the scratch policy of the show. AQHA has a rule which covers scratches in its rulebook (433d). Shows can elect to use this policy or set their own. If you are not sure how long you want to be at a show you may want to wait and enter your last classes of the day a little later on as you may have to pay for the classes anyway in the event that you decide to scratch. I always assume if the scratch policy isn't listed on the showbill that I am working under the AQHA rule which allows the show the right to not refund scratches. That way I am not upset if I elect not to compete in a class and I am charged for it.

If everything is in order the show secretary will then assign your horse a back number to be used by everyone who will be showing that horse. Unlike most open shows, THE BACK NUMBER GOES WITH THE HORSE! It is important to not switch this back number as AQHA will be processing the results of show using the back number, horses registration number and the exhibitors AQHA membership number, thus only one back number per horse is allowed. Failure to follow this policy will result in your disqualification in the classes in which you did not use the assigned number. Once you have walked in the ring with the horse that is the number that must be used for the entire show.

Now on to the other stuff. It is helpful to take a look at the AQHA rule book to make sure that you understand the rules of the classes that you wish to enter. These rules specify the type of equipment you are allowed to use, the correct attire and how the class will be run. In addtion there are explanations of how the classes are judged/scored and what the judges should be looking for. A PDF version of the rule book is located on the AQHA website.

The last thing you may need are any copies of the patterns being used by the show for individual work classes. Some of these patterns will be created by the show management ( working hunter, jumper, trail horse ), others will be created by the judges ( horsemanship, equitation, showmanship ) and the rest are created by AQHA and specified by the judges when they arrive at the show ( reining, working cowhorse, western riding ). The patterns are required to be posted 1 hour prior to the class and most shows try to get them as early as possible to post. Be sure to ask where the patterns are posted when you enter so that you can either copy them yourself or obtain a copy to learn prior to your class.

If you have any questions about how the show will be run you can ask the show staff. They will have the most up to date information and should be able to relay any questions about patterns to the judge for clarification. By doing your homework ahead of time you will find your first AQHA show a much more rewarding experience.