The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition, sponsored by Nutrena, Returns to Equine Affaire this November!
THE ULTIMATE TEST!
Equine Affaire’s hugely popular Versatile Horse & Rider Competition will return this November to Equine Affaire in Massachusetts. This year’s competition will feature up to 25 horse and rider combinations who will tackle the 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 $5,500 in cash as well as other prizes.
JOIN US AND FIND OUT!
The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition will take place with one round of competition in the Eastern States Exposition’s Coliseum on Friday afternoon.
THE COURSE
The course for the VHRC will be constructed within the 95 x 200 parameters of the 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.
$5,550 IN PRIZE MONEY AT STAKE
Cash and other prizes will be awarded to the top four riders.
FIRST PLACE: $2,500.00 cash prize, Champion rosette, and 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 is a timed race during which the performance of each horse and rider team is judged on each obstacle for quality of horsemanship. For each obstacle, the judge awards 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 are required to complete the course within a given time. Times are translated into points, and points from each obstacle are totaled. The horse and rider team with the highest overall point score wins.
HOW TO APPLY TO COMPETE
Complete and return an application packet containing the following:
