By Leigh Ballard
The South Kentucky Ranch Horse Association (SKRHA) held its spring show at the Western Kentucky Ag Expo Center at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY on April 13-15. The event opened on Friday night with a freestyle reining competition. Saturday was a very full, long day, ending in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Classes for Conformation, Showmanship, Cutting, Ranch Riding, Reining were held early in the day. Then, after a break, classes for Boxing and Working Cow Horse continued into the night. After Cowboy Church Sunday morning, show classes resumed with Trail and Horsemanship, and more Cutting and Reining classes. The show drew over 400 entries with over 100 horses from all over the southeast and midwest.
High Point Youth winner for the show was Leah Piper and True Rey Hickory. High Point Amateur was Jennifer Michelle Foster and Phantom Yankee. High Point Open winner was Jed Lawrence and Shiners Q Nic. The very busy judge for the show was Roger Elder. The judge, in almost every class, provided exhibitors with constructive comments about their horses, their style, and their maneuvers after he placed the class, but while they were still in the ring. Competitors were able to take away valuable pointers and instruction from the judge, and understand why he placed them the way he did.
The American Ranch Horse Association began in 2004 to promote versatility in western riding and working horses. The ARHA evolved from Quarter Horse and other stock breed associations. They wanted have a place to show a horse that could do everything. There are now 12 charters and over 7,000 members of the ARHA.
Many of the horses showing in ARHA are American Quarter Horses, but other western stock-type breeds like Appaloosas and Paints are also well represented. ARHA horses are all-round performers. The goal of ARHA is that horses shown in their association do not specialize just in one area like Conformation (Halter) or Ranch Riding (Western Pleasure), but are versatile in many areas. The horses are cross-trained, and it is not uncommon to see the winner of the Reining class competing in the Trail class, or the Ranch Riding horse in a Cutting class.
Exhibitors and horses must hold membership and registration in ARHA. Rules require western attire for exhibitors, and horses are shown as naturally as possible in working tack. The ARHA believes in a natural appearance and natural free movement and head carriage for their show horses. False tails and banded or braided manes are not seen, and heavily ornamented saddles and halters are discouraged. Versatility requires both horse and rider to work harder to be able to do everything, but the founding members were able to put together an organization that accommodated a family atmosphere and a helpful, sharing and supportive venue for like-minded members who wanted to showcase the all-round abilities of a ranch horse.
ARHA has affiliates in the mid-south and southeast. Murfreesboro, TN is home to the Volunteer Ranch Horse Association (VolRHA) which holds shows at the MTSU Miller Coliseum. The VolRHA has an upcoming show May 26-27. Southeast Region 5 is home to other affiliate charters including those in central Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, as well as Tennessee and Kentucky.
Another focus of the AHRA is to provide educational opportunity and learning venues for its members. So there is also a scholarship fund for youth. The SKRHA show provided the youth high point winner with a spot in the Shawn Flarida clinic at the upcoming AHRA World Show in July, which will be held July 16-21 at Roberts Arena in Wilmington, Ohio.
Visit the ARHA website at www.americanranchhorse.netfor information on membership, mission statement, upcoming shows and more.
Photos: (photos by Meredith Skaggs, PunkinPatchPhotography)
Gilley_1: Leslie Gilley on Lil Dualena CD in the Amateur Boxing Class
SKRHA_7: A youth exhibitor who was in several classes throughout the day.
The South Kentucky Ranch Horse Association (SKRHA) held its spring show at the Western Kentucky Ag Expo Center at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY on April 13-15. The event opened on Friday night with a freestyle reining competition. Saturday was a very full, long day, ending in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Classes for Conformation, Showmanship, Cutting, Ranch Riding, Reining were held early in the day. Then, after a break, classes for Boxing and Working Cow Horse continued into the night. After Cowboy Church Sunday morning, show classes resumed with Trail and Horsemanship, and more Cutting and Reining classes. The show drew over 400 entries with over 100 horses from all over the southeast and midwest.
High Point Youth winner for the show was Leah Piper and True Rey Hickory. High Point Amateur was Jennifer Michelle Foster and Phantom Yankee. High Point Open winner was Jed Lawrence and Shiners Q Nic. The very busy judge for the show was Roger Elder. The judge, in almost every class, provided exhibitors with constructive comments about their horses, their style, and their maneuvers after he placed the class, but while they were still in the ring. Competitors were able to take away valuable pointers and instruction from the judge, and understand why he placed them the way he did.
The American Ranch Horse Association began in 2004 to promote versatility in western riding and working horses. The ARHA evolved from Quarter Horse and other stock breed associations. They wanted have a place to show a horse that could do everything. There are now 12 charters and over 7,000 members of the ARHA.
Many of the horses showing in ARHA are American Quarter Horses, but other western stock-type breeds like Appaloosas and Paints are also well represented. ARHA horses are all-round performers. The goal of ARHA is that horses shown in their association do not specialize just in one area like Conformation (Halter) or Ranch Riding (Western Pleasure), but are versatile in many areas. The horses are cross-trained, and it is not uncommon to see the winner of the Reining class competing in the Trail class, or the Ranch Riding horse in a Cutting class.
Exhibitors and horses must hold membership and registration in ARHA. Rules require western attire for exhibitors, and horses are shown as naturally as possible in working tack. The ARHA believes in a natural appearance and natural free movement and head carriage for their show horses. False tails and banded or braided manes are not seen, and heavily ornamented saddles and halters are discouraged. Versatility requires both horse and rider to work harder to be able to do everything, but the founding members were able to put together an organization that accommodated a family atmosphere and a helpful, sharing and supportive venue for like-minded members who wanted to showcase the all-round abilities of a ranch horse.
ARHA has affiliates in the mid-south and southeast. Murfreesboro, TN is home to the Volunteer Ranch Horse Association (VolRHA) which holds shows at the MTSU Miller Coliseum. The VolRHA has an upcoming show May 26-27. Southeast Region 5 is home to other affiliate charters including those in central Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, as well as Tennessee and Kentucky.
Another focus of the AHRA is to provide educational opportunity and learning venues for its members. So there is also a scholarship fund for youth. The SKRHA show provided the youth high point winner with a spot in the Shawn Flarida clinic at the upcoming AHRA World Show in July, which will be held July 16-21 at Roberts Arena in Wilmington, Ohio.
Visit the ARHA website at www.americanranchhorse.netfor information on membership, mission statement, upcoming shows and more.
Photos: (photos by Meredith Skaggs, PunkinPatchPhotography)
Gilley_1: Leslie Gilley on Lil Dualena CD in the Amateur Boxing Class
SKRHA_7: A youth exhibitor who was in several classes throughout the day.
