Gaited Show Question

[Camilla]

Questions for all you folks who have attended/organized Open Gaited Horse Shows. (Fun Shows not PFHA)
1. What categories of classes do you usually see? ie. are they called Performance or Pleasure or something else?
2. How are class requirements described? ie. corto/what?, largo/what?
3. What are your fave classes? What works best for the various breeds?
4. Any other info you deem useful?
5. If you do not normally participate in shows (Pointed or Not), what would make you want to?

Any help/info/opinions appreciated... gracias! :smile:

[Pasogirlz]

:confused I've never been to an open gaited show. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[songbird]

Camilla, I've gone in walk/jog/trot classes using walk,corto,largo....also regular pleasure classes. I usually contact show organizer beforehand and explain the breed and offer to let the judge see the rule book so he can judge the horse on the breed merit. They have seemed very open to this and we've done just fine

[Linda Y]

When I used to show, I just showed in open gaited class. That is what it was called...well, still is when they have them.
At first the requirement was walk, gait, canter. But then they dropped the canter and it was just walk, gait.
I loved egg and spoon and sit a buck!
I don't think anything short of God giving me back Cuca would make me want to show again.

[CarolU]

If there are enough of different breeds they normally have specific classes for each breed (e.g., Paso Performance). They also have open gaited classes. These are usually Open Prefered 2-gait and Open Prefered 3-gait, Canter required. You enter at a WALK, and do your "prefered gait" for the breed you are on. The third gait in that class is a canter. A variation of these is the Open Spotted Horse 2 or 3 gait...for pintos of all gaited breeds.

I have also seen Open Trail Pleasure, where you have a flat walk and a "Trail Gait" which would be your smoothest gait for the breed you are on.

If you go to the FOSH site and follow their link for the International Judges Assosciation (IJA) it has the rules for open breed gaited classes at FOSH shows.

[Polly Aulton]

Our local shows list classes such as:
amateur/novice owner
amateur/novice rider
amateur/novice horse
gaited pleasure open
gaited pleasure senior
gaited pleasure ladies/men

They usually go on to list whether it is a two or three gait class, if canter is required, pads or no pads and sometimes "optional tack" which usually means you can show western or English. I would advise not to show in amateur rider. It's really embarrassing to be the only "old" person among all those young kids. LOL

When I showed our paso in amateur rider, amateur owner, senior ladies and gaited pleasure we showed at the walk and the corto.

Believe me winning the ribbon is just a thrilling as if you were at a paso show!
Hope this helps.
Polly

[Terry Wallace]

We do 'em in Colorado...next one is in May. It is a s Carol U describes, and sometimes we have pole bending...both gaited and running, barrel racing, both gaited & running.... "Flag race" would be good... where you gait down to one barrel, turn it, while grabbing the flag off it...
wine-glass class is another idea. Trail class...etc. We still have performance & pleasure.

Ours is called the "Gait into Summer Fun Show" Some info is on our events page at www.coloradopasofinos.com
OOps forgot...we also do "halter" or Bella Forma.

[Camilla]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.
We have had a few years of fun shows here and have had lots of games classes etc. Just wanted to make sure we were making the logical class divisions for regular saddle classes to incorporate multi gaited breeds. So, to clarify (Carol, Terry etc) it sounds like you don't bother try having "performance" or "pleasure" for the open gaited classes... just one category of "preferred 2 gait" and "preferred 3 gait"?
So in 2-gait you have walk and gait only? One speed of gait?
In 3-gait you have walk, gait and canter? You would have to canter for the 3rd gait... not largo or rack or whatever? That sounds interesting! It helps get rid of the problem of trying to compare apples to oranges (ie perf to pleasure to fino and then difft breeds, too!).

[CarolU]

Camilla, if the PF people ask for it, they'll so seperate PF classes (just as they would TWH or MFT classes), but have "Open Prefered Gait" classes for everyone.

Other fun, mixed breed classes are Wine Glass and Ride a Buck. Also if you set up a Fino Board, you could do Blind Justice and have the judges GUESS the breed by the gait on the board.

[motorgypsy]

Our allbreed shows have gaited classes and Go as You Please classes. The gaited classes are walk and gait. The GAYP classes are walk and gait of choice. Speed classes are all generally done at a gallop although a few paso finos will do them at largo and a couple of thoroughbreds did them at a trot.