Associate Program Details

 2017 VHSA Associate Championship Horse Show News

The 2017 VHSA Associate Champions Horse Show will be held from Thursday, November 9th through Sunday, November 12th at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia.  There will be one major change for this year. The 2'6" Special Hunters, which will run on Thursday, November 9th, will now be a 2'6" Children’s and Adult Amateur Division with points counting towards year-end totals for those respective divisions. There will also be a 2'6" Children’s and Adult Amateur Equitation over fences class on the same day that will also count towards year-end awards. If entries warrant, the division and the Equitation over fences class will be split accordingly. Horses, ponies and riders that participate in the 2'6" Children’s/Adult Amateur Division and/or the 2'6" Children’s/Adult Amateur Equitation over fences class may not cross enter into any other division or classes except the Pleasure Horse/Pony Division and the Equitation on the Flat Classes (#51, 52, 53). Ponies are allowed and must adhere to all restrictions listed.

The 2017 Associate Championship Horse Show Prize List is now available: 2017 Associate Championship Horse Show Prize List  Entries close October 30, 2017.  Please make sure that entries are sent to the Show Secretary, Debbie Bowden (address on entry form), not the VHSA office.  

2017 VHSA Associate Rules/Guidelines
The 2017 VHSA Associate Rules/Guidelines can be downloaded by clicking the above title 

The VHSA Associate Top Ten Best Horse Shows
Congratulations to the following horse shows that are the winners of the 2016 best Associate Horse Shows for the 2016 show season as nominated by the exhibitors, owners and trainers. This award was presented on Sunday, December 4, 2016, at The Homestead during the Awards Luncheon.  The top ten best Associate Horse Shows and the Competition Managers of those shows are (in alphabetical order):

VHSA ASSOCIATED (LOCAL SCHOOLING) POINTS SYSTEM
VHSA Associate Point Structure for 2017

Hunter and Hunter Pleasure Divisions

The point structure for 2017 will consist of Base Points, plus Bonus Points, to equal Final Points. (Same point system as 2016)

Base Points are 1^st through 6^th as follows: 10 - 6 - 4 - 2 - 1 - .5

Bonus Points will be determined by the number of horses or ponies shown successfully (completed the course) in the first performance class of all Hunter Divisions and the number of horses or ponies shown in the first class of the Hunter Pleasure Divisions. This number of exhibitors in the first class sets the bonus points for the remainder of the classes in the division.  If the first division only had two to complete the course, the first class would not receive any points since they did not have the minimum of three exhibitors who completed the course.  However, this number of exhibitors determines what the bonus points will be for the next two classes if they have three minimum exhibitors completing the course.

We still require three (3) entries to fill a class, but will award a Champion and Reserve if there are a minimum of three (3)entries in any two (2) of the three (3) classes offered.

Bonus Points can be no more than ten (10).

Champion shall receive an additional ten (10) points and Reserve six (6) points.

Equitation Over Fences, Equitation on the Flat and Jumper Classes

Bonus Points will be decided by the number of participants in each particular class and scored as in the preceding example.

The Associate Championship Horse Show will award double base points and additional 10 and 6 points for Championship and Reserve. Year end points will only include the exhibitor’s top ten best horse shows, plus any points accrued at the Championship Show will be added to the exhibitor’s top ten for the final year end total. With the exception of the VHSA Associate Equitation Classes which will be total points for year-end.

Year end points will only include the exhibitor’s top ten best horse shows, plus any points accrued at the Championship Show will be added to the exhibitor’s top ten for the final year end total. With the exception of the VHSA Associate Equitation Classes which will be total points for year-end.

For a detailed example, please click on the following link:  2017 Point System

The Barbara Meegan Young Rider Award 
In recognition of Barbara's support of the Associate Program and her many years of being involved with young riders the Barbara Meegan Young Rider Award was established and will be awarded each year to a deserving person in her honor.  The following is the criteria for this prestigious award:

1.   The rider must be in their first year of competition in the VHSA Associate Program and have competed in Hunter or Equitation Divisions.

2.   The rider must have exhibited primarily in the Associate Program, but may have competed in divisions at USEF rated shows, with the exclusion of Regular Hunter,
       Working Hunter, Junior Hunters, Amateur Owner and Confirmation Hunter Classes.  (Limited showing to divisions such as:  Short Stirrup, Maiden Equitation, Local
       Classes- mostly Unrated Divisions)

3.   Riders are to be nominated by their trainers.

4.   The recipient will be selected at the year-end VHSA Associate Championship Show.

5.   Points of consideration will be as follows:
      a)  Points accumulated in the VHSA Associate Program
      b)  Performance at the Year End Show
      c)  Conduct and sportsmanship at the Associate Championship Show

6.   The recipient will receive a ribbon at the show and the trophy at the VHSA Banquet.