Read About Show Results

Quarter Horse and Show Results are declared on the AQHA web site. Here's everything you need to know about this competition.

Quarter Horse and Show Results - Facts

1. Type of Competition:

   Quarter horse shows are extremely popular all over America and Canada. These shows showcase the immense talents of the quarter horse breed. There are several events that these horses participate in and such shows draw hundreds of thousands of spectators at each location. The stakes in these shows are also quite high, with the winner becoming a kind of a celebrity in the equestrian world.

2. Location:

   Notable quarter horse shows are held in Taylorsville, Kentucky; Jefferson, Massachusetts, Meridian, Mississippi, Indiana, Arizona, Ohio and Tennessee among other places. Almost every state in the US boasts of several quarter horse shows.

3. History:

   The AQHA was founded in 1940, but the history of the quarter horses began much before that. Roots can be traced to the 1600s, when these horses were brought by English colonists and raced on American lands. The first horse to enter the AQHA studbook was Wimpy.

4. Sanctioned:

   All quarter horse shows are sanctioned by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), which is the premier quarter horse association of the US. This body looks after registering horses of this breed, defining their characteristics, making them eligible to participate, conducting shows at state and national levels and finally announcing the results of the various shows on their website. Besides the AQHA, every state has their own quarter horse association that sanctions shows such as the Mississippi Quarter Horse Association, Ohio Quarter Horse Association, Kentucky Quarter Horse Association, Massachusetts Quarter Horse Association, etc. Most of them are branches of the AQHA.

5. Entrance Procedure:

   Entrance to AQHA sanctioned quarter horse shows is met with severe eligibility criteria. Only those horses which are shown in the past year are allowed to participate, and that too only in those particular classes. Horses that are winners of past years can participate without further eligibility requirements. A horse that has been shown very less will have to enter in the novice or the amateur class, and this also applies to a novice or amateur jockey or rider. Entry blanks are issued at the venues about two months before the show. Fees for these shows are higher than those of other horse shows owing to their tremendous popularity.

6. Classes:

   Quarter horse shows have many classes as they are versatile horses. These horses are classified into English/western horses, halters, jumpers, etc. Classes are made on the basis of their gender and age such as mares, fillies, stallions, yearlings, geldings, etc. Again, there are classes such as novice, amateur, experienced depending on their performance at previous shows.

7. Judging:

   Quarter horses are judged in various aspects. Some of the events in which they are judged are equitation, trailing, vaulting, walking and trotting, cantering, eventing, dressage, reining, show jumping, etc. Points are given for correct obedience and courage. Grooming and command of the owner also counts.

8. Awards:

   The most coveted prize is of course the best of show, which may be work even as much as $5000 for a large scale show. There will be awards for horses in all categories and classes as well as awards for the best rider and best bred by exhibit.