Equine Affaire's Popular Versatile Horse & Rider Competition is Returning to Ohio!

2011 Ohio Versatile Horse & Rider Competition Champion, Lori Montgomery, with Willie

2012 Application Materials Now Available!

2012 Versatile Horse & Rider Competition Application

Think You Have What It Takes?

For the second year, Equine Affaire's hugely popular Versatile Horse & Rider Competition will again be featured at Equine Affaire in Columbus. The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition—known to some as the "VHRC"—will be a timed and judged race through an obstacle course created to test communication between horse and rider as well as each competitor’s horsemanship skills and athletic prowess. As the horse and rider teams race through the course and work through each obstacle they will be judged on several horsemanship criteria as well as overall performance. Contestants will compete for $5500 in cash as well as other prizes, and the competition will be suitable for riders of any discipline and horses of all breeds. Jennifer Moshier will judge the 2012 competition while special guest Aaron Ralston will serve as commentor.

For more information about the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition, please contact:

Allison McClure
Program Assistant
(740) 845-0085 ext. 109
Email

Join Us and Find Out!

The 2012 Versatile Horse & Rider Competition will take place on Thursday and Sunday, April 12th and 15th in the coliseum at the Ohio Expo Center. A maximum of 30 preselected horse/rider teams will participate in the competition. The qualifying runs will be conducted on Thursday evening, and the top 10 horse and rider teams will advance to the Finals on Sunday morning.

The Course

The VHRC course will be constructed within the 90’ x 212’ parameters of the Ohio Expo Center coliseum and will feature numerous trail obstacles and riding challenges such as: jumping over obstacles, backing up through a pattern, pole bending or roll backs, various gymkhana games, working gates, riding over or through “spooky objects,” gait/lead changes, flexing, working on the diagonal, etc.

$5500 in Prize Money at Stake!

Cash and other prizes will be awarded to the top four riders.
Top 10 riders will receive ribbons.

FIRST PLACE:
$2,500.00 cash prize Champion rosette Title of “Equine Affaire Versatile Horse & Rider Champion”
SECOND PLACE:
$1,750.00 cash prize Reserve champion rosette
THIRD PLACE:
$1,000.00 cash prize Rosette
FOURTH PLACE:
$250.00 cash prize Rosette
FIFTH THROUGH TENTH PLACES:
Rosette

Objectives and Judging

The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition will be a timed race during which the performance of each horse and rider team will be judged on each obstacle for quality of horsemanship. For each obstacle, the judge will award performance points on a scale of 0-5 based on the horse’s attitude, the rider’s horsemanship, and the team’s overall performance. Horses and riders will be required to complete the course within a given time. Times will be translated into points, and points from each obstacle will be totaled. The horse and rider team with the highest overall point score wins.

How to Apply

Please return an application packet containing the following:

NOTE: Riders must be at least 18 years old to apply
Completed 2012 Versatile Horse & Rider Competition application
Signed copy of 2012 Versatile Horse & Rider Rules & Regulations
Payment
Recent video of horse and rider schooling, competing or working. Youtube video link preferred; DVD format accepted.
A short paragraph about horse and rider

Application deadline February 15, 2012.

More questions? Click here for frequently asked questions.