2007—Ready or not, it’s here. Although some of us may still be a little
behind the curve, the KMSHA has been hard at work preparing for
the New Year well in advance of the annual celebratory ball
dropping in New York City. In
fact, thanks to the work of many people, balls that are
unexpected won’t be dropping at all as the Association heads
into its new show and promotion season. Let’s take a quick
look at just a few of the new things coming KMSHA's way for the
New Year.
Look for the new KMSHA/SMHA rulebook to make its appearance
soon. The book will go to the printer as quickly as the
sanctioning agreements for this year’s shows arrive. The 2007
rulebook has been expanded to include appendices that give clear
answers to the annual question: “What are judges looking for?”
Each division has now being assigned expanded descriptions of
ideal, average, and below average indicators of performance in
the areas of gait, performance requirements, and tractability,
as well as specific division requirements which come into play.
The appearance of these expanded definitions corresponds to
an important decision made in January by the members of the
Trainers and Show Committees. This is important, so take note:
In 2007 horses that do not fit the requirements of the
division may not be considered for ribbons in the class, no
matter how well they perform, per direction from the governing
body of your Association.
This means that if you present a park horse in a classic
class, a classic horse in a trail pleasure class, or a trail
pleasure horse in a country trail pleasure class, even if
correctly gaited, the horse that is incorrect to type for the
class may not be used.
How will this new policy be enforced? There was considerable
discussion about whether or not the Trainers Committee or
Show Committee should put spotters in the ring at the early
season shows and send out horses that do not fit the description
of the class during the initial entry before the gate was
closed. No one really wanted that job. The Committee members
then decided by majority vote, that they would prefer that
judges make the final decision about who should and shouldn’t be
in the classes. Their direction to me is that all entries in the
class will be allowed to compete the rail work and head to the
line–up, but horses who do not meet the requirements of the
class will be excused by
the judge before he walks the line and asks for the reinback.
What brought the Committees to this point? Human Nature. It’s
human nature to place a horse where you believe it can be a blue
ribbon winner. A park horse that spends most of its time in
third or fourth place, is likely to be moved by its owner or
trainer to the Classic ranks in hopes of getting that elusive
first place tie. Now we all may know that this park
horse doesn’t really fit the requirements of the Classic class,
but as the old book was written, gait had to come first; if the
park horse had the best gaits, he might end up beating the real
Classic horse, whose owner then heads over to the trail pleasure
division and the beat goes on.
There will be no penalty attached to being excused from the
line-up. The announcer will be required to announce that the
dismissals are because of incorrect way of going for the
particular division. Exhibitors will be able to return to the
show office and have their entry fees reapplied to the division
where the judge feels that they should be competing. The
judges’ decisions on excusing horses for incorrect divisional
performance will be final and binding.
And, please remember that this new policy does introduce an
element of subjectivity into the judging process. You may not
agree with the judges decision to open the gate, but the
Committees have determined that they believe the judges are the
best people to make the correctness to type call. They have also
said they are willing to live with the results and will support
the decisions of the judges.
Owners and trainers should remember that on the day horses
who may have always fitted nicely into one division may, through
excitement, cold weather, nerves, or just the fact of being a
horse not a machine, need to be moved to a different division.
KMSHA does allow horses to move back and forth between
divisions, although a horse and rider may only show in one
division per show. The exception to this rule is the western
division where entries from any division, able to exhibit the
true qualities of a western pleasure horse, are allowed to
compete in the western division.
Because the committee members are active in the show ring,
this decision to try to stop the tendency towards performance
creep that takes place in all horse shows was thoroughly
discussed before they arrived at their final decision. The new
policy is intended to reward the horses in the divisions where
they actually belong by discouraging through elimination owners
and trainers who put horses where they shouldn’t be competing.
If the to-type horses left in a class, after the
inappropriate horses have been excused, fail to execute correct
gaits, protective ruling, as outlined in the rulebook, will take
over in placing the class. Off-gaited horses will not be given
blue ribbons in 2007, even if they are the only horses left in
the class. The requirement for correct gaits in every division
still stands as the fundamental first test for performance. That
hasn’t changed for 2007.
A change in the sanctioning of shows is the elimination of
AAA-rated shows in 2007 and the addition of a category called
Schooling or Fun shows. The new requirements for classes, which
qualify shows for sanctioning, will be appearing on the KMSHA
website.
A-rated shows will be confined to regional areas, although
there are opportunities for regional shows to be AA-rated as
well, AA- rated shows can be for single day or back-to-back day
events. These shows that meet the requirements for sanctioning
outlined in Section 111.2 of the new rulebook will give the
exhibitors the opportunity to earn double high points at the
show.
Schooling shows will become the reasonably priced entry level
for people who might want to try showing a horse but aren’t
ready to jump in with both feet. Schooling shows will be able to
offer 4 regional classes that qualify for the high point
program, so exhibitors can get started on their high points
without having to commit to competition on the recognized show
level. There will be no sanctioning fee for schooling or fun
shows.
Also new for this year is the introduction of Academy
Equitation. Outfitting a rider to compete in the formal
equitation classes is an expensive proposition. It also takes
time and effort to develop an equitation horse, so people need a
place to get started.
Academy Equitation is that first step that allows riders, 17
and Under and 18 and over to get ready for recognized shows.
That’s right— Academy Equitation includes classes for adults.
Entries must have a cutback or dressage style saddle, an English
bridle with cavesson, and must wear a long or short sleeved
shirt, white or pastel in color, a four-in-hand tie of
conservative color, and black pants, preferably jodhpurs,
tie-downs and a black boot in order to compete. Helmet rules as
otherwise outlined in the rulebook still apply to this division.
The Academy Equitation pattern for the show year will be
posted on the KMSHA web site. Saddle up and try your hand at
Academy Equitation in 2007. It’s the perfect place for new
riders and horses. Horse show managers may offer Academy
Equitation only at regional fun or schooling shows. New patterns
for the Equitation classes in recognized shows will also be
available on the web site and in the rulebook. Pattern score
sheets will also be available. The patterns will be in use for
the entire competition year. The canter pattern will be required
for the Grand Championship Equitation class at The
International.
Moving along, an old issue from 2006 has a new answer for
2007. The controversy over how to deal with horses that have
clipped themselves during a class will be dealt with in this
manner.
Horses who come to the line-up showing signs of one foot
clipping-up will be allowed to remain to be judged, unless the
injury is deemed by the judge to be significant. Horses that
show injury on two feet or legs will be automatically excused.
As we must remind ourselves, a horse can clip himself when he
stumbles and regains his footing; when he cross fires in the
corners; or, if he comes to a quick stop because the horse
alongside fails to observe good ring protocol and cuts in front
of him. These would be examples of accidental clipping.
Accidental clipping that results from a one foot injury that is
not significant will not be penalized, and judges have been so
directed.
Exhibitors are also reminded, however, that horses that show
signs of clipping are frequently horses that have been
over-ridden, or are not balanced. Over-ridden or out-of-balance
horses are to be penalized in final judging according to the
rulebook.
As the desk sergeant used to warn the officers in the old TV
show Hill St. Blues, “Be careful out there!” That’s still good
advice for exhibitors, owners, and trainers. Show your horse but
don’t show him past his limits to sustain gait and balance and
don’t use your horse like a demolition derby car. Other
exhibitors have rights in the ring, too. Be careful out there.
Continuing with what’s new, we have new shows coming up in
2007, as well as some new
guidelines for existing shows, the majority of which are
benefits. One of these guidelines concerns prize money.
When prize money is offered by horse shows and classes don’t
fill sufficiently to allow entry fees to help fund the prize
money, the charities and school teams that these shows support
are the losers.
Last year there were some hard feelings from exhibitors when
on-site decisions were made to reduce prize money. This year to
make the prize money situation clear the new sanctioning policy
is as follows: If an insufficient number of entries, as
determined by show management, are in a class, at national or
regional sanctioned shows, the show may offer less prize money
to the exhibitors than was advertised. That announcement that
prize money may be lowered due to insufficient entries must be
declared on the show bill and published a minimum of 30 days
before the event.
If you want to keep those paybacks coming in at advertised
levels, the solution is simple – get out there and support the
KMSHA sanctioned shows which give people a place to perform
while raising money to support deserving charities and school
teams.
The new innovative Junior Robinson Pot O’Gold Jackpot will
add additional interest to this
year’s show season. Although it won’t have any impact on
judging. the program may fatten the wallets of exhibitors who
pre-register their horses, regularly attend KMSHA sanctioned
shows, and turn in good enough performances that they find
themselves in the ribbons and in the money. Complete
details of the Pot O’Gold are to be found
here.
Finally, the last change I have to report is that Sandy
McCart, the long time go-to-girl for the KMSHA, has resigned her
position. Sandy has been an invaluable source of assistance to
me in my first year with the KMSHA. I have admired her ability
to keep all of her various activities on behalf of the
association going and producing results. She will certainly be
missed by the KMSHA. I wish her every success in her new
position, which for the first time in many years will not have
anything to do with horse shows or horse organizations.
In fact, Sandy tells me, if she gets access to a trailer, she
might even come out and show with the KMSHA in 2007. That would
be a new thing for her after many years, the chance to be in the
ring rather than standing outside it watching others have the
fun that she helped to organize.
The year changes, events move on, but some things do remain
the same. It takes dedicated, good people to make an
organization work. Sandy McCart certainly fitted that
description, as will the people who must step up to take up the
slack that she leaves behind. Fair winds and following seas,
Sandy.
Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse
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