Equine Chronicle Ranch Horse Showdown Kicks Off Friday in Iowa!
By: Brittany Bevis
In an effort to support and encourage the fastest growing equestrian discipline in the industry, The Equine Chronicle is proud to be the title sponsor of The Equine Chronicle Ranch Horse Showdown that will take place Friday, Sept. 23rd and Sunday, Sept. 25th in Des Moines, IA.
The two-part event will be held in conjunction with the IQHA Fall Classic Futurity Show. For the Showdown, competitors will begin by showing in their corresponding AQHA Ranch Riding class. Then, for the Futurity portion of the event, horses and riders will compete in Ranch Pleasure and Ranch Conformation.
“They will do Ranch Pleasure. Then, right after that, in the arena, we take off the saddles and judge them on Ranch Conformation,” says organizer Jennifer Sheriff. “Most will be showing in their bridles. We have two goes on Friday and Saturday to three judges each.”$1,500 cash has been added to the Showdown this year and cash prizes will be presented to the overall non-pro champion and overall open champion. In addition, each winner will receive a full page color ad in The Equine Chronicle and $500.
Monies will also be awarded to the top five riders in both the open and non pro divisions, while 6th-10th place in each division will receive award bags. The highest point-earning horse from both Ranch Pleasure and Ranch Conformation will receive a trophy. Also, the highest point earning youth from the combined total of Ranch Pleasure, Ranch Conformation, and AQHA Youth Ranch Riding will receive a trophy.
The scoring system to determine final placings will be as follows:
Example: If there are 30 entries in a class, first place will win 30 points, second will earn 29 points, third will earn 28 points etc., and through 30th place will earn 1 point.
The six scores from AQHA Ranch Riding as well as the six scores from Ranch Pleasure and Ranch Conformation will be used to determine final overall champions, so competitors must show to all six judges.
Keeping with the traditional look and feel of this inherently Western discipline, Ranch Horse competitors should present their horses in working tack; silver is discouraged as are hoof polish and tail extensions. For the Ranch Conformation class, competitors are encouraged to show in either a rope halter, plain leather halter, or western bridle. Traditional working clothing is recommended.
We can’t wait to crown the winners of The Equine Chronicle Ranch Riding Showdown 2016!
If you’re at the show, don’t forget about the Fall Festival Feast, September 23rd at 6:30 pm in the stall barn. Have a theme for your cuisine, because food and presentation will be judged. The winner will receive 50 raffle tickets for a Blue Ribbon saddle/60″ Smart TV as part of the Iowa Quarter Horse Association fundraiser.
If you’d like to purchase a ticket, the price is $10 per ticket or 6 tickets for $50. 10% of total sales will be donated to Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. The saddle sponsor is JR Reichert and Lara Yungclas. The Smart TV Sponsor is A Touch of Sudden, Facebook Me, and Iresistable Sudden.
