Three Ring Circus Rules and Class Descriptions

Three Ring Horse Show

"Three Rings" of Family Fun

Potomac Pony Club Field, 19301 Bucklodge Road, Boyds MD 20841

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Gates open at 8:00 am

Spring Horse Show Rules

General Rules:
- Safety helmet and safe footwear required at all times.
- Negative Coggins required at registration.
- No dogs, please.
- Liability release must be signed by rider or parent of minor rider.

Jumping Classes (except Leadline):
- Warm up area with jumps not to exceed the height of the current class.
- Each round is timed. Ribbons awarded in each division for 1st through 6th place. Placement is first decided on clean rounds with the fastest times, then to those with fastest times and fewest penalties.
- Elimination upon 3 refusals or rider going off course. At judges’ discretion, eliminated rider may complete the round, but will be out of the ribbons.

Leadline Jumping/Walk Trot:
- Rounds are not timed.
- Awards will be a competitor’s ribbon.

Gambler’s Choice:
- Each fence is assigned a point value according to difficulty.
- Riders must jump at least 3 difference fences, and may jump any fence as often as they choose in a 1 minute period.
- Judge signals end of 1 minute period. If rider is approaching a fence rider may complete the jump and pull up, but the fence is not included in the score.
- Total points of the cleared fences is the final score. Pulled rails and refused fences are deducted from the score. Rails are not reset during a round and incomplete fences cannot be jumped.
- Cash prizes for each division as follows:
1st place - 25% of division entries
2nd place - 15% of division entries
3rd place - 10% of division entries

Games:

Bending Poles

Each rider starts by riding to the far end of the course, turning and weaving in and out of the poles back towards the start, then back to the top of the course, turning and riding straight back to the finish line.

-If the rider misses a pole, they must go back to where they made the error and correct it. If they knock down a pole, they must reset it and remount before continuing from the fallen pole.

-The winner will be the fastest time in each division.

Keyhole
- Rails are placed on ground to form a small square with a narrow entrance.
- Rider will cross the start line, enter the square, turn around, and exit the square crossing over the finish line. If the horse steps outside the square the rider is eliminated from that round. 2 tries per entry and the faster time is recorded.

-The winner will be the fastest time in each division.

Barrel Racing
- 3 barrels are arranged in a triangle in the ring at the far end of the start line, with the top of the triangle being farthest from the start.
- Rider crosses start line, rides to and around one of the side barrels, then to the farthest barrel, then around the other side barrel and back to the start. 2 runs per entry. Rider may ride right or left barrel first.

-Knocking over a barrel, but properly completing the cloverleaf pattern adds a 30 second penalty to your time.

-The winner will be the fastest time in each division.

Bare Back Dollar
- Riding bare back, the rider is given a dollar to place under the leg.
- Dollar bill must be able to flap in the wind.
- Judge gives directions to walk, trot, canter, circle, back-up, etc.
- The last rider to lose his dollar wins all the other dollars.
- Run by division.

Jousting Rings

- Rider is given a wooden sword.
- Rider crosses start line, rides in a straight line with sword in hand and picks up each of 4 rubber rings mounted to tops of bending poles.

-Dropped rings must be picked up with the sword, no hands

-If a pole is knocked over, it must be picked up and ride continues from the point of error.

-Rider rounds the last pole and returns to the finish line.

-The winner will be the fastest time in each division.

Outdoor Adventure Trail Class
- Open only in the morning, unlimited entries per horse/rider. A series of obstacles must be successfully completed, while being timed. If any obstacle is not done, the round is not counted. The winner will be the fastest finish in each division.

-At judge’s discretion, any rider requiring excessive time at a given obstacle may be asked to discontinue that obstacle and ride on to the next.
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will be awarded at the end of the morning for each division.