Republikein Newspaper

AWESHA (African Western Stock Horse Association), in collaboration with the Namibian Saddlebred Association, is proud to host its national horse show at Rolé Equestrian Centre, Brakwater, this Friday and Saturday.

Covid-19 regulations will apply.

Besides the Namibian Saddlebred Championships, there will be the Versatility Ranch Horse (VRH) classes of Reining, Working Cow Horse, Ranch Riding, Trail and Cutting.

Other classes will include Cowboy Dressage, Team Penning (with live cows) and Western Dressage. AWESHA classes are open to all breeds of horses.

What is Versatility Ranch Horse (VRH)? The purpose of the VRH classes is to demonstrate the performance, versatility and conformation of the AWESHA Stock Horse.

VRH is a fast growing segment of Western Riding competitions worldwide. Why? Because it's FUN! Expensive, fancy tack and clothing is not required – in fact it is discouraged! Everyday working gear is the correct way to compete.

With divisions appropriate for skill levels, any horse and rider team can participate. In each category they will be competing for the overall prize of Versatility Ranch Horse Champion, and Reserve Champion.

The competition consists of four classes:

1 Ranch Riding – The rider must show the horse's movement at the walk, trot and lope. Stops, back-ups and turns are also demonstrated.

2 Ranch Cutting – the rider demonstrates his horse's ability to cut a cow from the herd.

3 Ranch Trail – The course contains obstacles that a horse might encounter in a regular day's work, e.g. water, bridge, jump etc.

4 Ranch Reining/Working Cow Horse – this event has three parts: a reining pattern, working a single cow, and roping that cow.

The beauty and grace of a Saddlebred personifies the ultimate show horse with its proud, upright carriage and elegant, powerful high-stepping action. Although an intense and fiery competitor, with an inherent appetite to show off, this breed generally has a calm, friendly temperament, is very amiable to humans and loves to learn and be trained.

In the show-ring, Saddlebreds are judged on performance, manners, presence, quality and conformation. They compete in five primary divisions:

FIVE-GAITED horses compete at speed in an animated form and are judged at the animated walk, trot, canter, slow gait and rack.

THREE-GAITED horses are the epitome of beauty, brilliance, elegance, refinement and expression and are judged at the animated walk, park trot and canter.

FINE HARNESS horses should possess all of the elegance and refinement of the ideal American Saddlebred and work toward animation rather than speed.

SINGLE HARNESS: Much like their five-gaited counterparts, they are shown at speed at the trot.

SADDLE SEAT EQUITATION.

For more details of this show, or info about Western riding, please contact (AWESHA) Petra Liebenberg at 081 212 6464, or (Saddlebreds) Suane Badenhorst at 081 371 7770.