Question on Show Rules

[Hal & Deb Bryant]

Please don't take this as a complaint - only as a question.

We showed 3 different times this summer under 8 different Judges in the "New" Light Harness Class.

The rules book calls for: flat-footed walk, trot and extended trot.

At none of the shows was the extended trot called for by the Judges.

We held our horses back, waiting for the extended trot call - and it never came.

Now we are not complaining - how can we - our horses have placed well all season -

but we also feel that we did not get the opportunity to show our horses at their best.

We spent valuable training time on 3 gaits .

We talked to the Ring Stewards before each class and they all told us that the class calls for 3 gaits -

but apparently the Judging is only on 2?

Is there a polite/correct way to inform the Judges that the extended trot is being overlooked

or are we mistaken about the rules?

 

[ruffian]

What do you mean by "light harness class"? Western or Classic Pleasure?

 

[Hal & Deb Bryant]

What do you mean by "light harness class"? Western or Classic Pleasure?

Light Harness is a new class for 2 or more in AMHR, hitched to a carriage - not a viceroy.

Light Harness as opposed to Draft Harness.

 

[dannigirl]

Wow, since this was the National show, it would have been hard to ask the judges. I looked it up in the rulebook. Not that I doubted you knew the rules, but that way if I say something to another person, I can say I know because I looked. If it had been a local show, you could have asked why you weren't required to show the extended trot. Even now--after the show is finished, I think I would ask the judges if I saw then at another show or even possibly contact your board member to see what they can find out for you. I would want to know, as you do, so I would be looking for a way to learn. I know you and Hal spend a lot of time teaching them. It is too bad you missed your chance on national video to show them off.

 

[Margo_C-T]

If the current Rulebook calls for the extended trot in the class you mention, you are certainly NOT 'wrong about the rules'!

What is 'wrong' is judges who do not follow the applicable Rulebook, ESPECIALLY at the breed's highest-level show. I personally consider such 'sloppy' judging unconscienable.

I'd contact the national organization, ask some pointed questions about why they would hire people who don't seem to know or faithfully follow the Rules they are to judge under. I'm betting that management paid little, if any, real attention to the quality of the work done by their hires...and they SHOULD. Exhibitors are paying good entry and other money, and should fairly expect to receive fair, knowledgeable, ethical,rule-following,well-qualified evaluations from the people hired for the job!

(Yes, I have strong feelings about such things...!)

Margo

 

[ruffian]

I found the rules for draft harness, which only call for a walk and trot. Where are the rules for the light harness? Thanks

 

[Karen S]

Here is the new rule in the 2010 ASPC/AMHR Supplement:

Section X, Page 265

ADD: Part 18-1 AMHR Light Harness Driving

A. Classes may be offered for pairs, tandems, unicorns, four-in=hand,

six-in-hand, 4 abreast, etc.

B. Gait Requirements: Hitches are to enter the show ring at a trot

going counter-clockwise (to the right). The horses should be judge at the

fl at footed walk, trot and extended trot both ways of the ring. The walk

should be a relaxed fl atfooted walk, a four beat straight movement and

easy going. The extended trot should be ground covering and reaching.

Extreme animation is to be penalized. Horses should be asked to stand

quietly in the line upand rein back at the discretion of the Judge.

C. Horses must be harnessed in light harness with breast collar, full

collar, (not full hames). Britching is permitted. Harness may have side

check or over-check. Liverpool bits are not allowed. Check bit and

martingales are optional.

D. Vehicle should be two wheeled (meadow-brook type), or four

wheeled buggy, buckboard type or antique carriage. No viceroys, racing

sulkies, or fi ne harness rigs allowed.

E. Exhibitors shall not be allowed to wear formal type wear (evening

gowns or tuxedos). Casual or western type wear is appropriate, hats may

or may not be worn, but all clothing should be appropriate to the type of

vehicle that is being used.

F. Judging to be based 70% on way of going, 20% on equipment &

harness, 10% on conformation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hal & Deb,

My guess would be that since this is in the new 2010 supplement that the show management, Steward and Judges just didn't know it was there. They were thinking it was just like the regular draft class. I know some show managers pull the driving classes and their gates for the judges and show announcer to be sure they are correct.

Karen

 

[ruffian]

Ah - that's why I couldn't find it. Need to get ANOTHER update! Thanks Karen!!!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Thank you for sharing the rules, Karen! I'm excited about this new addition to the AMHR lineup since I hope to have a pair and/or tandem going in the next couple of years and had no interest in switching to draft harness turnout.

I do have some concerns with the following sections though:

C. Horses must be harnessed in light harness with breast collar, full

collar, (not full hames). Britching is permitted. Harness may have side

check or over-check. Liverpool bits are not allowed. Check bit and

martingales are optional.

So let me see if I understand this. Checks are optional (yay!). Britching is allowed, breast collars or neck collars are allowed as long as they aren't "full hames," meaning a draft-type collar with the little balls on the end of the forks or a Scotch collar. Any other leverage bit EXCEPT Liverpools are allowed?? What's up with that? Liverpools are completely appropriate to both pair and tandem work and without a mandatory check there is no reason at all to exclude them unless you're excluding ALL leverage bits...which there isn't any reason to do either.

What is the reasoning behind singling out Liverpools?

Are blinkers required? Can the horses have shoes?

D. Vehicle should be two wheeled (meadow-brook type), or four

wheeled buggy, buckboard type or antique carriage. No viceroys, racing

sulkies, or fine harness rigs allowed.

What about all the modern two- and four-wheeled vehicles that are out there? Does this mean I'm not allowed to drive my Bellcrown in this class because it isn't a "Meadowbrook type" even though it's perfectly appropriate and elegant for a tandem? What about four-wheeled pair vehicles meant for CDE? Those are not "buggies," antiques OR buckboards but are certainly light harness vehicles.

I appreciate that this is a new division and am grateful it's offered in whatever format but there appears to be a lot of room for improvement in the rules. Especially if, as Hal says, the current rules aren't even being followed!

Leia

 

[dannigirl]

Thank you for sharing the rules, Karen! I'm excited about this new addition to the AMHR lineup since I hope to have a pair and/or tandem going in the next couple of years and had no interest in switching to draft harness turnout.

I do have some concerns with the following sections though:

So let me see if I understand this. Checks are optional (yay!).Sorry, it said 'check bit' is optional--not "check". Britching is allowed, breast collars or neck collars are allowed as long as they aren't "full hames," meaning a draft-type collar with the little balls on the end of the forks or a Scotch collar. Any other leverage bit EXCEPT Liverpools are allowed?? What's up with that? Liverpools are completely appropriate to both pair and tandem work and without a mandatory check there is no reason at all to exclude them unless you're excluding ALL leverage bits...which there isn't any reason to do either.

What is the reasoning behind singling out Liverpools?

Are blinkers required? Can the horses have shoes?

What about all the modern two- and four-wheeled vehicles that are out there? Does this mean I'm not allowed to drive my Bellcrown in this class because it isn't a "Meadowbrook type" even though it's perfectly appropriate and elegant for a tandem? What about four-wheeled pair vehicles meant for CDE? Those are not "buggies," antiques OR buckboards but are certainly light harness vehicles.

I appreciate that this is a new division and am grateful it's offered in whatever format but there appears to be a lot of room for improvement in the rules. Especially if, as Hal says, the current rules aren't even being followed!

Leia