Show Rules for Gypsy Horses ~ Feathered Horse Classic Fall & Spring Shows
Friesian Horses to Follow USEF Rules
Eligibility
A. The show is open to any gypsy type horse registered in a purebred studbook of any one of the registries (GVHS,GCDHA,GHA, & GHRA) A copy of the registration must be submitted with the entry.
B. The January 1 rule will be used to determine the age of the horse. For example: if a horse turns 3 years of age anytime during 2009 it will be considered a 3 year old for this show.
C. No horse under the age of 3 will be allowed entry into an under saddle classes.
D. The age of a youth exhibitor as of Jan 1 will be the age maintained the entire year.
General Rules
A. Attire
1. All handlers, riders and drivers must be suitably attired for their class. See specific division for full explanation on attire. All handlers are to wear long sleeve garments and full length pants/britches. Arms and legs must be covered. Sandals, slid on shoes or opened toed shoes will not be allowed.
2. No farm name, individual names, horse names, sponsor logo may be
displayed on the exhibitor, their attire, the header, the horse, or their vehicle.
B. The same exhibitor must handle the same horse through an entire class. Should additional handlers or change in handler be required due to physical limitation or emergency, approval must be obtained from the judge. At no time will a handler leave a horse unattended.
C. Once a class is called and the gate is opened to enter the ring, the gate will be closed after an appropriate length of time is given from the first horse entering the ring. The gate will remain open until the last horse and exhibitor enters the ring, as long as there is a continuous flow of entries into the ring. The judge can choose to close the gate or give additional time for tack/attire change. Once the gate is closed any horse leaving the arena is disqualified. If additional time is needed for tack/attire change the exhibitor is responsible to inform the ring steward prior to the class time.
D. Names of horses being exhibited will not be made known to the judge prior to the class and will not be listed on the judging card. Each entry will be identified by a number placed on the back of the exhibitor or appropriate place on carriage. Each horse will use the same number during the entire show.
E. An unruly horse must be excused from the ring by the judge for safety reasons.
1. A horse must be excused from the ring by the judge, ringmaster or steward. An exhibitor cannot protest this action.
2. Stallions to be excused when the handler is unable to correct the dropped stallion and/or stallion behavior in a timely fashion, or the stallion persists repeatedly.
F. Conduct by an exhibitor, owner, or immediate family member of an unsportsmanlike, abusive, or detrimental nature will not be tolerated, including but not limited to threatening, abusive, or intimidating conduct, physical, verbal or written, toward any individual or show official. Any person guilty of such conduct should be reported immediately to management. The show management may suspend the offender for the duration of that show.
G. Conduct or coaching designed to distract a horse or otherwise interfere with the showing of an exhibitor’s horse will not be tolerated.
H. Exhibitors and/or owners may not protest to the judge directly or by inference, the placing of a horse, while in the show ring. Any person guilty of such conduct will be excused from the show and forfeit their entry fees and any awards received at that show and the right to show in any additional classes at that show. A formal protest of class placings may be filed at the show office for a $50 cash fee. Protest must be made within one hour of the conclusion of the class being protested.
I. Any person who makes payment with a non negotiable check or who refuses to pay any entry fee, stall rent, or other fee will be reported to their respective sponsoring registry and any awards will be forfeited, until indebtedness is rectified within 30 days.
J. No class will be allowed to enter the ring after midnight or before 8:00 AM
K. There will be designated warm up areas.
L. No youth (under age 18) may show a stallion.
In Hand Division
A. Halter classes are designed to evaluate the quality of breeding animals to encourage improvement of the breed.
B. Horses will be viewed from the front, rear, and side and judged on Type, Conformation, Way of Going, Quality and Presence
C. Horses are to be shown square The front legs should be on a vertical line directly under the shoulder. The back of the hocks should be in a vertical line with the animal’s buttocks. At no time should the horse be stretched or parked.
D. Horses will enter the ring at a walk to the judge. When passing the judge, engage a trot for approximately 50’, turn at a 90 degree angle and continue trotting for approximately 50’ to allow judge the opportunity to see the trot from inline and the side angle. Line up as indicated by the ringmaster. Entries will be examined by the judge in the line up after all horses have been worked.
E. Gaits
1. The walk should be a natural flat-footed, four beat gait. The walk will be alert, with a stride of reasonable length for the size of the horse.
2. The trot should be a smooth, ground covering, two beat diagonal gait, with a slight flick of feather at the point of extension. The trot should be square and balanced with straight forward movement of the feet.
F. A horse may be shown clipped or unclipped, neither being penalized. Horses may be body clipped or shown in full coat. A small bridle path is also acceptable.
G. Horses must be serviceably sound, in good condition and well groomed. Judges may check teeth.
H. Appropriate dress does not include shorts, t shirts, sandals, slip on or open toed shoes. Attire for Halter classes is varied, but must be clean, neat and professional. Hats and gloves are optional.
I. Exhibitors may use any type of halter that compliments the horse. It should be well fitting safe halter, and can be of any type material. No knotted rope type training halters are allowed. A flat chain lead with the chain across or under the nose is permissible. A bridle with a bit is also acceptable.
J. Stallions tack is optional for stallions age 3 and over. Stallion tack is defined as a bitted open bridle (no blinders) with side reins attached to a surcingle that also has a crupper. These can be plain or decorative of any safe leather or synthetic material.
K. Specialty In Hand Classes
1. Get of Sire and Produce of Dam
a) Get of Sire entries and Produce of Dam entries must be shown with one handler per horse. Two or more offspring from the same sire or dam are shown.
b) Entries shall be presented under the same specifications as stated in the “In-hand Presentation” section above, with exception that all entries are stood up and judged, not to be moved on the line.
c) Sire or Dam are not shown.
d) Entries in Get of Sire or Produce of Dam must be made by the owner of the Sire or Dam or with permission from the owner, in the name of the Sire or Dam.
e) Any points awarded will go only to the Sire or Dam.
f) Emphasis to be placed on reproductive likeness, type, conformation, and quality of entries.
2. Bred in North America
a) Entries must have been bred and born in North America.
b) General in hand division rules apply.
3. Color
a) Color classes will be judged on richness, balance, and clarity of color, crispness of pattern, breed type and manners.
b) Color classes may be split into A) Patterned Horses and B) Solid and Blagdon Horses.
4. Dressage Suitability In Hand
Judged for conformation suitability to perform dressage movements. Horses shall be judged in hand and at the walk and trot on the triangle, and standing for conformation. 50% movement, 40% conformation, 10% general impression.
5. Ground Driving In Harness
a) The purpose of the class is to present a pleasant and pleasing turnout. The judging will be 70% on the horse, its performance, manners and way of going, 20% on the condition and presentation of the harness, 10% correct Pattern Execution.
b) Equipment, a bitted open bridle (no blinders) with side reins attached to a surcingle that also has a crupper. These can be plain or decorative of any safe leather or synthetic material.
c) The class shows the ability of the horse to be line driven, in a pleasant manner around a pattern of 3 cones at the walk, and slow trot, to include backing at the Judges discretion.
Under Saddle Division
A. Under Saddle
All under saddle classes are to be judged on performance, manners, and way of going. The breed can vary in movement. All are correct as long as the movement is clean and straight, and they do a true walk, trot, canter on a light rein with no gaiting, racking, or pacing. Excessive speed or slowness will be penalized. Excessive low or high head carriage not natural to the horse or the breed will also be penalized. (no peanut rolling or sky gazing). Manners are to be considered. All horses may be asked to back. Special show tack not required as long as the tack being used is clean and serviceable and appropriate for the discipline. Leather and synthetic are both acceptable materials for tack.
B. English Pleasure
1.The English Pleasure horse must display an agreeable attitude and his gait must be collected, controlled and balanced The pleasure horse must exhibit manners and a quiet willing performance on light direct contact with the bit. The pleasure horse will give the appearance that he enjoys the work he is doing and is a pleasure to ride.
2. In all English classes, riders can wear hunt coats of traditional colors such as navy, dark green, grey, black or brown. Maroon and red are improper. Breeches are to be of traditional shades of buff, khaki, canary, light grey or rust (or jodhpurs), with high English boots or paddock (jodhpur) boots of black or brown. Black, navy blue or brown hard hat (with harness for youth in any over fence classes) is mandatory. A tie or choker is required. Gloves, spurs of the unrowelled type, and crops or bats are optional. Hair must be neat and contained (as in net or braid).. In the English discipline tack and attire must match. Judges must penalize contestants who do not conform.
3. English pleasure gaits will be the walk, trot and canter (or just the walk and trot if a walk/trot class) both ways of the ring. The judge can call for a halt, and a rein back on the rail or in the lineup. The walk will be flat footed, free, elastic and ground covering with a four beat cadence. Horses must show purpose and intent to travel and willingness to perform a true flat footed walk without undo restraint. The trot must be pleasant, easy going with elasticity and freedom of movement. The canter should be slow, smooth and collected, straight on both leads and a definite three beat cadence. Transitions should be smooth and effortless without anticipation on the part of the horse. The judge may ask for an extended trot.
C. Suitability for Dressage
1. This is a rail class where the horse and rider are judged based on their
suitability for the dressage arena.
2. Gaits will be as described in English pleasure. The judge can also ask for free walk, extended trot, extended canter and hand gallop, as well as the collected gaits. It should be noted that the collected trot is a sitting trot. Ability to collect and extend is judged as well as manners, willingness and overall suitability for dressage.
3. Tack and attire will be English style and snaffle bit with English bridle. Full bridle with double reins and Pelham bit acceptable as well as standard bridle and English snaffle type bit.
D. Hunter Hack
1. Tack and attire will be English style. ASTM/SEI certified safety helmet that is buckled is required. All purpose, hunter or jumping saddles or other saddle without a horn are acceptable. Full bridle with double reins and Pelham bit acceptable as well as standard bridle and English snaffle type bit.
2. Horse and rider will be required to clear two jumps not to exceed 18” high. They will be placed in12 foot increments.
3. The horses will enter the ring and gather at one end. One horse & rider will proceed to jump two jumps and then hand gallop to a designated spot marked by a cone. Halt, back 5 steps, then stand quietly on a loose rein until excused. Repeat until all entries have completed. The judge then sends horses around the ring for a walk, trot, canter, rail portion of the class.
E. Western Pleasure
The western pleasure horse must show that he is quiet and obedient and a pleasure to ride. The gaits will be a western walk, jog and lope without being exaggerated. Extreme speed or slowness will be penalized. No peanut rolling or star gazing. The poll below the withers will be penalized. The face should be perpendicular to the ground. The judge can call for a halt and/or a rein back at any time. The Western Pleasure horse is to be shown with a light rein, but still maintaining contact with the horse. The horse should respond readily and willingly to the aids. The walk should be elastic and ground covering. The jog should be free, slow and easy but not shuffling. The lope should be smooth, slow straight and controlled. It should be a definite three beat gait.
1. The tack must be western style saddle and bridle, need not be show tack, but must be clean, and serviceable. If a direct contact type snaffle bit is used the rider must ride with two hands on the reins. If a shanked bit is used, one hand contact must be maintained.