Horse Judging Rules &
Resources
CONTESTANTS AND
ELIGIBILITY
1. Each state is invited
to enter one 4-H Horse Judging Team.
2. Teams may be selected
by any procedure which a state deems appropriate.
3. Contestants must be at
least 14 years of age, but not have reached his or her 19th
birthday as of January 1 of the year in which this event is held.
4. All contestants must be
members of 4-H in the state they are representing during the year
in which this event is held and participation eligibility must be
certified by the State 4-H Leader.
5. Certification of
participation eligibility should consider the following: “This
contestant has not participated in post-secondary course work in
the subject area of the national 4-H competition, nor has he or
she participated in training for post-secondary competition in the
subject area of the national 4-H competition.” See details
below.
A. Post-secondary
undergraduate students may participate in and/or complete
freshman and sophomore level equine management or communications
courses. Students completing a junior, senior or graduate level
equine and/or communications course are ineligible to
participate in the National 4-H Horse Competition.
B. Students are
ineligible to participate in a National 4-H Horse Competition if
they are currently enrolled in courses that provide specific
training for the competitive event in which they are
participating. For example, student participation in collegiate
horse judging events, on intercollegiate horse judging teams and
in intercollegiate communication events would eliminate a
4-Her’s eligibility to participate in the National 4-H Horse
Competition.
6. Contestants (including
team alternates) may participate in only one contest per year at
the Roundup. After competing in this contest, they are ineligible
to compete in the same specific contest again. Contestants must
not have competed previously in this contest in the Eastern
National 4-H Horse Roundup in Louisville or the Western National
4-H Horse Classic in Denver.
THE CONTEST
1. A team may have three
or four members; when four are entered, the three highest overall
scores will make up the team totals.
2. All contestants will
report to the Superintendents at Broadbent Arena, Kentucky State
Fair & Exposition Center, at 8 a.m., November 4, where they will
receive full instructions regarding the contest. Each will be
assigned a number, group, and be given placing cards. All
contestants will remain with the assigned group throughout the
contest.
3. Contestants shall not
wear any clothing, pins or badges that will, in any way, reveal
their identity or the state they represent. Hats are prohibited in
the judging arena.
4. While the contest is in
progress, there shall be no conferring between the contestants or
anyone else except as directed by the Contest Superintendents or
their representative.
5. Four to six halter
classes will be judged. The following breeds may be represented in
halter classes: American Saddlebred, Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred
(Hunters), Appaloosa, Arabian, Paint, Pinto, Morgan, and Draft
Breeds. Contestants will give oral reasons on two or three halter
classes. All halter classes will be judged as sound of limb, eye,
wind and mouth.
6. Four to six performance
classes will be judged. The performance classes will be chosen
from Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle,
Hunter Hack, Western Riding, Reining, Plantation English Pleasure
Walking Horse, Pleasure Driving, Stock Seat, Hunt Seat, Saddle
Seat Equitation and Saddlebred Three-Gaited and Country English
Pleasure. Oral reasons will be required on one or two performance
classes. Performance horses will be judged as seen (Unsoundness to
be penalized accordingly). All tack and attire is considered
legal.
7. The animals will be
designated 1-2-3-4 worn by the handler/rider.
8. Horses will not be
handled by the contestants, but time will be provided in halter
classes for close inspection and to observe the horses at a walk
and trot.
9. Fifteen (15) minutes
will be allowed contestants to judge non-reasons classes and 17
minutes will be given contestants during reasons classes to make
their observations, take notes, and fill out their placing cards.
10. Two minutes will be
allowed to give oral reasons to the judge. Contestants may use
notes when judging, but are not permitted to use notes while
giving oral reasons. The Contestant’s placing card will be made
available to them upon entering the reasons room if they request
it. A total of four sets of Oral Reasons will be presented.
11. OFFICIAL placings will
be given about 5 p.m. at the Kentucky State Fair & Exposition
Center.
12. An Awards Breakfast is
scheduled for Sunday Morning at 8 a.m. in the South Wing
Conference Center of the Exposition Center.
CONTEST SUPERINTENDENTS
1. It shall be the duty of
the Superintendents to see that all rules and regulations are
carried out.
2. They shall have a
committee to assist them.
3. The Superintendents
will take no part in rating the contestants.
4. They shall have charge
of all records and shall have all ratings received, tabulated, and
totaled.
5. The Superintendents
will be responsible for monitoring all cuts on official placings.
JUDGES
1. Classes will be placed
in accordance with the rules of the American Horse Shows
Association or the respective breed association rules, if
applicable.
2. The judges shall place
the classes while the contestants are working in the arena. The
judges shall enter their placings on the placing card, indicate
the cuts to be made, and file that card with the Superintendents
for final review and approval. Referee judge(s) may be used at the
discretion of the Superintendents.
3. When the contestant has
finished their reasons, the reasons listener will place the
reasons score upon the contestant’s placing card and turn it in
for tabulation.
DETERMINATION OF
RATINGS
1. Fifty (50) points shall
constitute a perfect mark on placing and fifty (50) points a
perfect mark on reasons.
2. Breaking ties(priority
order)
a. If tied for a division
award in halter or performance, the contestant or team having the
highest reasons score in that division will be listed first. If
tied for a division award in reasons, the contestant or team
having the highest overall placing will be listed first.
b. If tied for individual
or team overall award, the contestant or team having the highest
overall reasons score shall be listed first.
c. If still tied for
either of the above, the contestant or team having the highest
score in placing reasons classes shall be listed first.
d. If still tied, the
contestant or team with the highest overall placing score in all
classes shall be listed first.
e. If still tied, the
contestant or team with the highest single reasons score shall be
listed first.
f. If contestants are
still tied from a,b,c,d and e above, the youngest contestant or
team shall be listed first.
CUTS
The Eastern National 4-H
Horse Judging Contest ha adopted the recommended Cut Scale of the
National Horse Judging Team Coaches’ Association, That scale is
given below and we encourage all states to consider its adoption.
Cuts
Description
1 Horses are
extremely similar; no obvious reason why one should be placed over
the other; or both horses have numerous faults and none supersedes
the others; placing is strictly a matter of personal preference;
placing varies among the official judges.
2 Horses are very
close, but one horse has one or two qualitative or quantitative
advantage; the majority of official judges would not switch the
pair, but half of the contestants could logically switch the pair.
3 Horses of
similar quality, but there is some logical placing in favor of one
horse; either one horse has several advantages or one has several
faults; all official judges would agree on the placing; no more
than one third of contestants would be expected to switch the
pair.
4 Horses are not
of similar quality; one horse has several decided advantages based
on many points; all experts would quickly see the placing; no
guesswork or personal preference required to make placing; no more
than 10% of the contestants would be expected to switch the pair.
5 Large numbers
of extreme differences between the horses; placing is obvious to
everyone on first, quick observation; careful study not required
for the placing; pair consists of an inferior horse vs. a
consistent winner; only very inexperienced, uninformed contestants
would switch the pair.
6 Horses not even
comparable; differences reflective of a champion quality horse or
performance vs. a horse or performance that is not of show
quality.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Awards will be
announced and presented to the top ten individuals and teams.
2. A Coaches’ Meeting is
scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night, in the Kentucky Fair and
Exposition Center. Judging Contest registration will start
promptly at 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by the coaches meeting.
3. For further details or
information, contact the Superintendents.
4. Entry Deadline:
September 15 of the current year. Entry must be made on special
form (OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM-EASTERN NATIONAL 4-H HORSE ROUNDUP) and
signed by the respective State 4-H Leader or Extension Horse
Specialist and mailed to Jennifer Elwell, Eastern National 4-H
Horse Roundup, 1636 Big Springs Drive, Shepherdsville, KY 40165.
Contestant entry and registration fee must accompany the entry and
checks made payable to North American International Livestock
Exposition. Credit card payment is available.
5. Headquarters and
Lodging-Executive Inn, Watterson Expressway at Fairgrounds (978
Phillips Lane) , Louisville, Kentucky 40213(502-367-6161). Special
rates are available for all participants in the Roundup.
Reservations must be made on the reservation form that is
available from the North American International Livestock
Exposition and this entry packet.
6. Each state is totally
responsible for lodging, meals, and travel arrangements for its
contestants.
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4-H is a
youth development program of the Cooperative Extension Service and
the