OutWest Ranch Horse Shows

Registration for all OutWest Ranch Horse Shows in 2010 begins at 7:30am.  Shows begin at 9am, starting with Grand Entry (all competitors are welcome), national anthem and prayer, immediately followed by Conformation classes.  All competitors age 18 or younger may compete in the Youth class.  Competitors age 19 and older must show in the Open class. 

Awards are presented to Champion Mare, Champion Gelding, Reserve Champion Mare, Reserve Champion Gelding and Champion Youth and Reserve Champion Youth for all shows.  Points are tracked all season, with buckles presented to Champions for the OutWest Ranch Horse Show Series at the last show of the season. 

All shows are sanctioned by the Tri-State Horseman Association.  Please read the Ranch Horse Show Rules and Class Descriptions below.

Ranch Horse Show Rules

Working tack shall be used.  An excessive show of silver on saddles and bridles is not allowed.  All competitors shall wear western clothing.  This will include a long sleeved shirt with a collar, western boots with a heel, and a western hat.  Management may determine and announce whether long sleeved shirts or short sleeved shirts are more appropriate for the weather conditions.

Severe bits will not be allowed in any class.  Prohibited equipment includes wire chin straps, jerk lines, tack collars, and tie downs with metal in contact with the horse's head.  Tie downs will only be allowed in the timed event class.  A horse may be shown in a hackamore (bosal) at any age, but only while they are five years old and younger may two hands be used on the reins.  Protective boots will be allowed in all performance classes.  Split reins are allowed in all classes.  Roping reins are allowed in barrel racing and roping classes.  A romal rein may be used in any class.

Ranch Horse Show Classes

Ranch Horse Conformation Mares -Designed to showcase the conformation necessary for a ranch horse to do the job under saddle.  Horses are ridden into the ring for judging, one at a time, lined up, ground tied and stripped.  After inspection, horses are re-saddled and may be led or ridden out of the ring.

Ranch Horse Conformation Stallions & Geldings -Other specs same as above.

Ranch Horse Pleasure -Designed to show a ranch horse that is a pleasure to ride.  Horses are required to work both ways in the arena at a walk, jog or pleasure gait, and lope.  The walk is intended to cover ground.  The jog or pleasure gait should be faster than the walk, the extended jog or pleasure gait is truly extended, with longer, more ground covering strides.  The lope is a true 3 beat gait that is to be extended into a hand gallop, showing ground covering extension without excessive speed.  Horses to reverse at the trot or pleasure gait in one direction and reverse at a lope in the other direction.  Simple or flying lead changes allowed.

Ranch Reining -Pattern will be posted in the show office one hour before start of class.  Horses are to be judged on their ability to perform five basic sets of maneuvers -rollbacks, circles and lead changes, stopping, backing and spins.  Each of these five parts will receive equal credit of fifteen points.

Ranch Horse Versatility -This class features obstacles a ranch horse may encounter in daily work.  Pattern and obstacles will be posted prior to class.  May include, but not limited to gate work, trailer loading, simple pattern or maneuvers to show handiness, dragging obstacles, use of a rope, checking feet, ground tying, trot-overs (or pleasure gait), small jumps, moving objects from one area to another, etc.  Judge's discretion at number of refusals for an obstacle.

Ranch Cutting -This class is designed to show a horse's ability to separate a cow from the herd, hold that cow away from the herd and then drive the cow away from the herd and pen it.  The three minute time will begin when a rider crosses a time line just prior to entering the herd.  The rider will then separate one cow from the herd and work it for approximately 30 seconds before driving it to the opposite end of the arena and penning it.  The whistle will be blown at the one minute point in the run to let the contestant know to then pen the cow.  A rider will be disqualified if he fails to pen the cow at the end of three minutes, or if the cow returns to the herd after it has been clearly separated from the herd.  The contestant will have two turn back riders and two herd holders.  When the one minute whistle is blown, these helpers will immediately move out of position to the sides of the arena and allow the contestant to drive the cow past them and into the pen.  A horse is judged on its ability to handle the cow.  Reining of the horse is allowed during this class.

Cutting -This class is designed to show a horse's ability to separate a cow from the herd and hold that cow away from the herd.  In the three minute time, up to three cows may be cut from the herd with the horse being judged on its ability to handle the cow.

Ranch Roping

Barrel Racing -This is a timed event.  The standard loverleaf pattern is to be used with the contestant having the option of running either the left or right barrel first.  Two stop watches and a flag man will be used if an electronic eye is not available.  A five-second penalty will be assessed for each barrel down at the end of the run.  Either or both hands may be used on the reins.  A contestant is disqualified if the pattern is broken.

Pole Bending