RULES & REGULATIONS
CROSS ENTERING DIVISIONS:
GREEN RIDER - Walk/trot only. Horse/Rider combination ineligible to cross enter any other ridden division. Green Rider permit must be held to obtain RHAA points in this division.
GREEN HORSE - Is to be ridden in snaffle bit and/or hackamore only. Is a horse with minimal show experience. Professional or non-professional riders. Horse/Rider combination ineligible to cross enter any other division.
INTERMEDIATE RIDER - Rider is ineligible to cross enter GREEN RIDER classes. RHAA Intermediate Rider permit must be held to obtain points in this division.
INTERMEDIATE HORSE - Horses with 'some' previous show experience. Professional or nonprofessional riders.
AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE SNAFFLE BIT – Those entered in this division, if eligible, can cross enter, Amateur, Select Amateur, Masters, Intermediate Rider, Intermediate Youth and Youth & Intermediate Horse. Ineligible to cross enter Green Rider, Green Horse, Junior Horse, Senior Horse & All Age divisions.
OPEN CLASSES: Junior & Senior Horse, Amateur, Select, Masters and All Age; must be ridden in the correct head gear and in a western saddle as per RHAA rules.
*Junior horse: Are horses five-years-old (5) and younger.
*Senior Horse: Are horses six-years (6) and older.
SHOW WARM-UP RING ETIQUETTE:
Arena Warm-Up Etiquette:
➢ Always go with the flow of traffic.
➢ NEVER stop your horse in traffic, and ALWAYS look behind you before you stop or slow down.
➢ Always look where you are going and watch out for other riders.
➢ Don’t tie horses in the warmup arena.
➢ No mobile phones, headphones, or ear buds in the actual arena.
➢ No Smoking
➢ For the safety of riders, fencing (running/stopping) should only be during designated times or when few riders are in the arena.
➢ Riders should practice spins in the middle of circles only.
➢ Beginning 2 hours before the show starts and during competition, only riders entered in competition are allowed on horseback in warm up areas, no bareback riding and no riding double during that time frame.
GUIDELINES, GEAR & ATTIRE:
➢ No horse under 3 years of age may be exhibited under saddle.
➢ No hoof polish/black.
➢ No braided or banded manes/tails or tail extensions. Execpt in Roping, where the horse’s mane may be braided for a distance of 33 – 45cm in front of the saddle pad. No ribbons or other kinds of ornamentation will be allowed.
➢ Trimming inside ears is discouraged. Trimming bridle path is allowed, also trimming of fetlocks or excessive (long) facial hair.
➢ Equipment with silver should not count over a good working outfit.
➢ Silver on bridles and saddles is discouraged.
➢ Holding the saddle horn or front of saddle with either hand will not be penalised in any class.
➢ Posting or standing in stirrups at extended trot is acceptable.
➢ No drag permitted in Intermediate Horse and Rider, Australian Heritage Snaffle Bit, Green Rider or Green Youth classes.
➢ Tie Breaker - specific manoeuvres and/or obstacles will be selected by Judge prior to start of the class and so noted on score sheets, these manoeuvres will be ranked as 1st tie breaker, second, third etc.
➢ Scoring: Each exhibitor is scored between 0-100 points and automatically begins the run with a score of 70 points. Exceptions; Conformation & Ranch & On The Rail.
AMATEUR/SELECT/MASTERS:
RHAA Amateur Rider permit must be held to obtain points in Amateur, Select & Masters rider divisions.
Person must be a financial member of the association and hold either an individual Full, Life or Honorary Life membership in their own name;
The amateur must agree as follows;
Have not, in the previous three (3) years received remuneration or compensation for: Showing or training any horse or instructed any other person in riding, driving or exhibiting;
*Payment by another person for stable and or yard fees, bedding or camping fees will not be considered remuneration if the Amateur reimburses the payee;
*Prize money or judging fees will not be considered as remuneration;
*Amateurs may accept Sponsorship in the form of goods only. Exception would be Amateurs fundraising for a sanctioned RHAA event.
An Amateur can only exhibit a horse owned by themselves or their immediate family in any class.
Separate legal entities, such as family corporations, trusts or partnerships, are also authorised owners of the Amateur exhibitor’s horse so long as all legal and equitable owners and beneficiaries of the legal entity are individuals specifically authorised by this rule;
Immediate family – Spouse, de facto partner, parents, child of the family, grandparents, brother(s), sister(s);
Horses owned in partnership or jointly with any person other than the persons immediate family, do not fulfil the ownership requirements for Amateur;
Ownership of horses exhibited by the Amateur must be evidenced.
LEVEL – GREEN:
Green Rider – A class for inexperienced riders, open riders are NOT eligible for this class. Riders will be required to show their horses at the walk and trot only, no loping permitted. The purpose of this class is to encourage those new to riding and/or new to showing. No Ranch Cattle
events or Ranch Reining for Green Rider.
➢ Any age horse may be ridden two handed in a Snaffle Bit or hackamore. (No curb/shank bits)
➢ Any ‘safe’ saddle, with the exclusion of bareback pads. Includes; English, Western, stock, fender or half breed saddles.
➢ Ownership of horse not required – a borrowed horse may be used (owner of the horse must be a financial member)
Green Horse. Open to all riders – professional and nonprofessional – wanting to bring inexperienced horses (3 Yr and over) into the show arena. Horses will be required to show at the walk, trot & lope.
Green Youth – A class for inexperienced Youth riders. Open to Youth up to 18 years as at 1st August. Riders will be required to show their horses at the walk & trot only. Must have written permission from their parent/guardian to compete.
Parent/guardian must sign the entry form. All Youth competing or taking part in an
RHAA sanctioned event must be in the care of a responsible adult who is in attendance for the duration of that event, whilst the Youth attends that event. The purpose of this class is to encourage Youth who are new to riding and/or new to showing in Ranch events
LEVEL – INTERMEDIATE:
➢ Horse may be ridden one or two handed in any legal headgear (see RHAA rules ‘Gear)
➢ Rider must not swap from one to two hands or visa versa during the class
➢ Any safe saddle, with the exception of bareback pads. Includes; English, Western, stock, fender or half breed saddles permitted
➢ Ownership of horse not required – a borrowed horse may be used (owner of the horse must be a financial member)
Intermediate Rider – A class for nonprofessional adult riders with some previous show experience, professional riders are NOT eligible for this class. Riders will be required to show their horses at the walk, trot & lope. Riders can ride in a snaffle, hackamore or a curb bit with split reins or a romal. Rider must not swap from one to two hands or visa versa during the class if riding in a curb bit. Those entered in this class are ineligible for GREEN rider classes.
Intermediate Horse – Open to all riders – professional and nonprofessional. Horses with previous show experience may be shown in this class. Horses will be required to show at the walk, trot & lope.
Intermediate Youth – A class for Youth riders with some previous show experience. Open to Youth riders, 7 to 18 years as at 1st August. If one (1) class is held to be: 7 to 18 years old if two (2) classes held: 7 to 13 years and 14 to 18 years. Riders will be required to show their horses at the walk, trot & lope.
Youth competitors are to wear an approved safety helmet whilst mounted. Youth must not ride or handle a stallion at any time.
LEADLINE:
Open to children riders 4 to 8 years of age
Horse MUST be led by an adult (person 18 years old or over). A lead at least 1.8 m long must be attached to a halter that is under the bridle so that while the rider is mounted, the horse is controlled by the adult. The chain on the halter cannot be under the chin or over the nose, it must come straight off the halter ring. No two (2) or three (3) year old horses can be used in this class. No rider entering this class can enter any other ridden class on the program.
ATTIRE:
WESTERN ATTIRE MANDATORY.
(All divisions)
➢ long sleeve collared shirt - half or full button or zipper, Collar = band, stand−up, tuxedo etc
➢ b) western hat (the hat must be on the rider’s head when the exhibitor enters the arena) or ASS approved safety helmet. Safety standard numbers for these helmets are AS−NZS 3838, ARBHS 2012 and ASTM F1163.
➢ western pants/jeans
➢ western boots.
Optional Attire – Necktie, scarf, Spurs, chinks and chaps in ridden classes.
SHOW HI-POINTS:
HI-Points for each division will be awarded.
* Yearling Led Prospect
* 2yo & 3yo Led Prospect
* All Age
* Green Horse
* Intermediate Rider
* Amateur
* Select Amateur
* Green Rider
* Australian Heritage Snaffle Bit
* Green Youth
* Intermediate Horse
* Youth
* OVERALL RANCH HORSE OF THE DAY – Judges Choice
* ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD – Judges Choice