Trails & Rails

Jump Classes:  

1. Lead line – ground poles 9:30am 
2. Puddle Jumpers 
3. Cross rails 
4. 2’ Jumpers  
5. 2’ 3” Jumpers 
6. 2’ 6” Jumpers 

*Break for Lunch 12-12:30* 

7. 2’ 9” Jumpers 
8. 3’ Jumpers 

Entry:  

1. Gates open at 8:30, please allow the gate volunteer to compare the coggins to the horses in the trailer and proceed to park where directed.  Thank the volunteer for giving up their Sunday to help.
2. Check in at the registration table. 

Rails Classes: 

1. All classes are hunter/field style. 
2. If competing in the obstacle challenge, there is a 2-class limit for jump classes. This is for the welfare of the horse.  
3. The event is timed, 4 faults per rail, 4 faults per refusal, 8 faults for a fall. AAHC wants this to be a training opportunity so elimination for refusals and rider falls is at the discretion of the Stadium Judge. Fastest time with the lowest number of faults wins.  

Jump Faults
Dropped Rail	4 faults
Refusal	4 faults
Rider Fall	8 faults

4. In the event of a fall, the rider must be physically unharmed and maintain/regain control of the horse quickly to continue. Riders will be offered a leg up in the event of a fall. In the unfortunate event of a horse and rider fall, the pair is eliminated. If you are eliminated, please excuse yourself calmly and quietly if you are unable to continue.  
5. Coaching from the sidelines is permissible and encouraged. Coaching in the field allowed if rider is DQ’d and stays on course.  
6. Ribbons awarded 1^st to 4^th place.  

Obstacle Challenge: 

1. Please check in with trail steward before proceeding on the trail and after returning.  
2. Please stay on the marked trail. The trail is about 4-5 miles. The trail is not timed, so ride at your own pace.   5 obstacles are spaced throughout the trail. These obstacles are common items that one can expect to find on a public trail and/or land. The object of the course is to present these obstacles in a low-key, positive setting. It is not to de-sensitize horses to things they should recognize as dangerous.  
3. Judging is based on how well horse and rider pairs handle obstacles. We want this to be a positive learning experience, so we encourage riders to stay safe and calm. There is no zero score. If the rider feels that the obstacle cannot safely be approached while mounted, riders are encouraged to dismount. If the obstacle is clearly too much for the horse to handle in a relatively calm manner, please dismount and slowly approach until the horse becomes comfortable enough to remount and continue. Mounting blocks will be provided at each obstacle.  
4. The horse and rider are judged separately and the score for each obstacle is combined. Highest score out of 50 points wins. The scoring is as follows:  

Horse	Rider
5- Horse recognizes but calmly proceeds past the obstacle	5- Rider shows great handling of horse and obstacle with complete calm and control
4- Horse recognizes the obstacle with a mild spook but continues forward movement (ear quirk, stutter step, jigging, stepping away but forward)	4- Rider shows good handling of horse and obstacle moderately well with one horsemanship bobble, maintains calm and positive demeanor
3- Horse recognizes the obstacle with mild to moderate spook, forward momentum stops but does not reverse (stops, shows clear stress, stutter, etc.)	3- Rider shows fair handling of horse and obstacle, experiences a few horsemanship bobbles but maintains relatively calm demeanor
2- Horse recognizes the obstacle and moderately spooks, forward momentum stops and is reversed (spin, backing, offers a very clear no)	2-Rider shows poor handling of horse and obstacle, several horsemanship bobbles, does not maintain calm demeanor
1- Horse refuses to approach/ride by the obstacle, obstacle needs to be removed, judge must intervene	1- Rider requires intervention by the judge, obstacle must be removed

6. Ribbons are awarded 1st through 4^th place.