"When we refer to the 'sport' disciplines, technically we are referring to Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping, the three main Olympic disciplines. However, many agree that this category is easily expanded to include sports such as Endurance, Racing, Working Hunter, Combined Driving, Working Western and other related sports. Each of these disciplines offers very different styles of riding, and each have levels and degrees of difficulty that allow horse and rider/handler to progress to higher and higher levels of training and competition." Reference: arab-sporthorse.com
SPORT HORSE IN HAND classes are scored on a scale of 0 to 10 in 4 categories :
40% on structure divided into "Head and Neck", "Shoulder and Saddle Position", "Back, Loin and Hindquarter", and "Legs and Feet"
40% on movement divided into "Walk 20%" and "Trot 20%"
10% on "Expression, Manners and Willingness"
10% on "Breed Characteristics, Overall Balance and Harmony"
The 0 through 10 scoring is used at the evaluations as an international standard. A qualified evaluator in Holland, or Germany, or the United States will all have a very similar idea of what constitutes a "7" walk versus a "6" walk. The horses are compared to an international Olympic standard rather than comparing the horses to each other as is done in Main Ring Halter. The horses are presented in an "open stance" so that the judge can see all four legs from all angles and then asked to move out at a walk and then a trot on a triangle so that the judge can clearly see the horse moving away, side on and front on at both gaits. We are especially proud that Klint has achieved the highest purebred In Hand score in the history of the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals with the two judges' combined total of 174.50 - an incredible 87.25%. a record that still stands 3 years after his win!
| Here is Klint's scoring
from Sport Horse Nationals:
Dr. Gail Hoff-Carmona Rick Cram
(dressage judge) (hunter judge)
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Head & Neck 10 8
Shoulder & Saddle 9 8
Position
Back, Loin & 9.5 8
Hindquarters
Legs & Feet 8 8
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Walk 19 16
Trot 18 18
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Expression 9 7
Manners &
Willingness
_______________________________________________________________
Overall Balance & 10 9
Harmony
_______________________________________________________________
TOTAL 92.5 82
Another note is that the judges don't watch the horse go together. The horse is presented to each judge separately.
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