As always, performance showers and tack/doll makers, feel free to use any of my photos for documentation! (Please send me photos of any model sized setups!)
It’s been a minute since I’ve been to a horse show.
I’m lucky enough to live maybe ten minutes from Twin Brooks Horse Showing Association where various horse shows are held from spring to the beginning of fall. I’ve wanted to see a ranch horse show since learning about them, so I ventured out to watch the East Coast Ranch Riding Association show a few weeks ago. I didn’t arrive early enough to see the halter classes, but I was able to watch some of the pleasure, trail, and ranch riding classes.
The East Coast Ranch Riding Association aims to promote “education for western horse enthusiasts to ride and trail a versatile western horse…”
In the pleasure classes I watched, horses moved at a walk, trot, extended trot, stop, and back. I didn’t see the levels that would have included loping.
Per the rules, the ideal stock horse should have a natural, level-headed carriage at each gait. I watched various levels of pleasure ranging from youth to open.
In the ended, they lined up in the center of the ring. I loved this pony!
In trail, entrants maneuvered through various obstacles. The speed was determined by level. Below are the two patterns.
1. Right hand gate.
2. Walk over poles
3. Lope right lead/extended trot over poles and into chute.
4. Back the “L.”
5. Trot through a cone serpentine.
6. Halt, remove, and replace letter in mail box.
7. Extended trot to pole. Side pass right over log.
8. Walk over bridge.
It started to rain so I missed the ranch riding classes. But I did save the patterns!
This was fun and if my schedule allows I hope to watch some of their other shows this summer!
Kristian Beverly 