CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Class Descriptions (Updated 1/4/23)

HORSESHOW CLASSES

BRIDLE CLASSES – open to horses of any age, to be ridden in an approved bit. Reins with romal required. Reining and fence work.

OPEN: Open to any rider who possesses a current NRCHA membership card.

INTERMEDIATE OPEN: Open to any rider who is not in the Top 30 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events.

LIMITED OPEN: Open to any rider that has not won more than $15,000 lifetime in Open and Non Pro Divisions in approved NRCHA events. There is no fall back.

NON PRO BRIDLE: Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card.

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BRIDLE: Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is not in the top 25 Non Pro rider listing based on the previous three years of Lifetime Earnings.

LEVEL 1 NON PRO BRIDLE (Formerly LIMITED NON PRO BRIDLE): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and has not earned more than $15,000 in Open and Non Pro monies at NRCHA events. There is no fall back to the Level 1 Non Pro Bridle.

Open classes run concurrent; Non Pro classes run concurrent.

HACKAMORE CLASSES – open to horses 5 years of age & under as of Jan 1st of current show year; have never been shown in a bridle or two rein down the fence. Reining and fence work.

OPEN HACKAMORE – open to any rider.

INTERMEDIATE OPEN HACKAMORE: Open to any rider who is not in the Top 30 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events.

LIMITED OPEN HACKAMORE – open to any rider who has not won more than $15,000 in lifetime earnings in Open and Non Pro Divisions in approved NRCHA events. There is no fall back.

TWO REIN CLASSES – open to horses of any age that have not shown in the bridle down the fence or in boxing in any judged classes or events prior to November 16th of the current show year. These horses can be shown only one year in this class regardless of the class it is shown in. The rider must use an approved bit in accordance with Rule 5.2 with an approved bosal in accordance with Rule 5.4 and 5.5 underneath the bridle. Reining and fence work. Open & Non Pro divisions.

BOXING: to consist of single cow work (boxing) on the end of the arena. Each contestant upon receiving a cow in the arena shall hold that cow on the prescribed end of the arena for 50 seconds, demonstrating the ability of the horse and rider to control the cow.

NON PRO BOXING (Formerly NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider. Riders cannot have earned more than $750 in fence work classes, or must have exercised a fallback option afforded to them in Rules 3.8.1.1 or 3.8.1.2.

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BOXING (Formerly $5K NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider who has not earned more than $5,000 in Lifetime Earnings. Do not need to own horse shown.

LIMITED NON PRO BOXING (Formerly $1K NON PRO LIMITED):Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider who has not earned more than $1,000 in Lifetime Earnings. Do not need to own horse shown.

Pro Am Box Class – This is a CRCA class and not NRCHA approved. Open to any rider with less than $250 in lifetime NRCHA earnings. This is the the most entry level class we have available.

BOX DRIVE - Reining pattern and single cow work. Exhibitors are allotted one minute and forty five seconds to complete the cow work. Announcer to announce when there are 30 seconds left on the cow. At one minute and forty five seconds, the announcer will call for time. Exhibitors are not required to use all of the allotted time but must ride until the judge ends the run with a whistle or time expires, whichever occurs first. There are four parts to the work: boxing the cow; setting up the cow and driving / rating it down the fence to the opposite end of the arena; and boxing it at the opposite end of the arena, and then driving / rating the cow past the middle marker again. There is no expectation that the exhibitor will make a ‘fence turn,’ rather the drive down the fence demonstrates correct position and control around the corner.

YOUTH – open to riders 18 years of age and under as of November 16th of the current show year. Youth are allowed to show stallions, and do not need to own the horse they are showing.

YOUTH BOXING – (formerly Youth Limited) Riders cannot have earned more than $750 in fence work classes at any judged classes or events. Reining and boxing.

YOUTH COWHORSE (formerly Youth Bridle) – Reining and fence work. Any age horse allowed.

SPECTACULARS are defined as Bridle and/or Two Rein classes that include Herd work, Rein work and Fence or Box work. For CRCA, bridle and two rein horses will run together in one spectacular.

LIMITED AGE EVENTS (LAE)

Events for which only horses of a specified age are eligible. Futurities are for 3-year-olds only, derbies are restricted to 4- and 5-year-olds (with exception to the Non Pro Boxing). Horses will be shown in herd work, rein work, and fence or box work. Same head gear must be used throughout (snaffle or hackamore, as appropriate)

OPEN: Open to any rider who possesses a current NRCHA membership card.

INTERMEDIATE OPEN: Open to any rider who is not in the Top 30 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events.

LIMITED OPEN: Open to any rider who is not in the Top 120 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events AND who has not earned over $350,000 in Open and Non Pro money at any NRCHA approved events.

LEVEL 1 OPEN (Formerly LEVEL 1 LIMITED OPEN): Open to any rider who has not earned over $20,000 in Open and Non Pro money at any NRCHA approved events. Open Entry is Not Required.

NOVICE HORSE: 4- & 5-year old events only. A novice horse may not have won over $12,500 in Limited Age Events. A horse will be ineligible upon reaching the earnings threshold. Open Entry Is Not Required.

NON PRO: Open to any rider who possesses a current NRCHA Non Pro card.

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO: Open to any rider with a current NRCHA Non Pro card and is not on the top 25 Non Pro rider listings based on Open & Non Pro money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events.

LIMITED NON PRO: Open to any rider with a current NRCHA Non Pro card and is not on the Top 60 Non Pro rider listing based on Open and Non Pro money won in the last three years at any NRCHA approved events, and the rider must not have earned more than $100,000 in Open and Non Pro divisions at NRCHA events.

LEVEL 1 NON PRO: Open to any rider with a current NRCHA Non Pro card and has not won more than $7,500 Open and Non Pro money at NRCHA approved events.

NON PRO BOXING: Open to approved Non Pro Boxing riders who have a current NRCHA Non Pro card, and complies with all Non Pro eligibility rules (Rule 3.8) including ownership rules (Rule 2.4).

LEVEL 1 NON PRO BOXING: Open to approved Non Pro Boxing riders with less than $1,000 in Lifetime Earnings and comply with Non Pro eligibility (Rule 3.8), including ownership rules (Rule 2.4). This class uses a single entry fee with the Non Pro Boxing.

SELECT CLASSES (New Division): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is 55 or older as of November 16th, 2021. A select class may be run concurrent with Non Pro Boxing LAE classes. They cannot be run as standalone classes, will not count toward National Standings and will be offered as jackpot only.

Non Pro Boxing Futurity – (boxing class) open to horses 3 years of age, to be shown in a snaffle; rider must own horse shown.

Open classes are run concurrent; Non Pro classes are run concurrent.

** 4 Year Old Incentive – earnings limit of $5,000 on horse for Open and Non-Pro at time of show. You must enter up in another Derby Class. The incentive will have added money. You can earn out at any time.

FYI:

LIFETIME EARNINGS are considered as all monies won at NRCHA Approved Horse Shows, Limited Age Events, Category 1 & 2 Special Events. Excluded in fence classes are earnings in Youth Bridle, all Non Pro Limited and Youth Limited classes.

SCORING SYSTEM – The scoring system for NRCHA approved classes/events is based on a 60-80 point system. The lowest score possible is 60 points and the highest score possible is 80. The average score for a typical work is 70 points.

NRCHA rulebook takes precedence in the event of confusion with above wording.