Arabian Horse Shows
AHA shows are for purebred Arabian, Half-Arabian, and Anglo-Arabian horses only. The shows consist of Arabian Community Shows that allow exhibitors to get a start in the show ring, followed by "Class A" shows rated by the United States Equestrian Federation and the AHA, which qualify riders to go to larger regional and national competition.
There are four separate national competitions: U.S. Nationals, Sport Horse Nationals, Youth Nationals, and Canadian Nationals. There are also some significant non-national shows that draw large numbers of horses, including the "Buckeye" show in Ohio and "Scottsdale," the annual show of the Arizona Arabian Horse Association.
The U.S. Nationals, held each October, were held for many years every other year at Louisville, Kentucky and Albuquerque, New Mexico. However, beginning 2008, the U.S. Nationals moved permanently to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Youth Nationals is held in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the end of July. Youth Nationals currently draws about 2100 horses. The youth also have their own Association, the Arabian Horse Youth Association (AHYA), who bring the youths' voices to the AHA. In addition to regular classes, Youth Nationals also hosts several "fun classes" such as the dog races, dog costume contest, and most famously, the golf cart parade.
The Canadian Nationals are held in in August. Through 2010, they were held in Regina, Saskatchewan, and in 2011 moved to Brandon, Manitoba. This competition is also known as the "Royal Red" and features classes for both adults and youths.
The Sport Horse Nationals are held in alternating locations in the eastern and western United States, including Virginia, Idaho, and Kentucky. This primarily English riding competition focuses on the hunt seat and Olympic-style disciplines of dressage, show hunter, show jumping, and competitive driving. There are also Equitation classes, in-hand breeding classes and "flat" or pleasure classes. It is currently the fastest-growing of the national level shows for Arabian horses.
At the National level, placings are decided by panels of three judges who each write their own placings separately, with final numbers calculated by computer, combining the results of all three judges' "cards."
Read more about this topic: Arabian Horse Association
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