Sometimes, people get intimidated when they watch videos of World Champion Working Equitation competitor Pedro Torres as he and the Lusitano stallion Oxidado perform effortless flying changes and canter pirouettes in the
Working Equitation United
From all over, they gather together to celebrate partnership with their horse
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People come to the sport of Working Equitation from a variety of backgrounds. Some leap into the sport from the world of three-day eventing or transition smoothly from the USDF dressage court to the Working Equitation arena. Others lope their way in from Western disciplines. Still others step into the sport from Competitive Trail, Obstacle Challenge, or Endurance racing. A number of riders have slid into Working Equitation from a previous background in reining. A few have joined the sport after dominating breed halter and movement classes and rolling over their competition in driving events. And not to be overlooked, a core group of Working Equitation enthusiasts have previously classified themselves as purely pleasure riders.
The Ease of Handling test is also scored, with points for each obstacle ranging from 0 to 10, and collective marks also awarded. Some obstacles, such as Jumping Over Bales of Straw, and Sidestepping Over a Log are not performed at the Children’s or Introductory Level. The majority of obstacles, however, can be found at all levels. In Ease of Handling, greater complexity is introduced by requiring more challenging gaits within and between obstacles and increasing the expectations for how lead changes are performed as one moves up the levels.
The Speed trial is only performed by riders in Novice A and above. It’s important to note that there is no requirement that the Speed trial be done at a particular gait. In fact, it is quite common (and even advisable) for lower-level riders to perform their Speed trial at the trot to help maintain the horse’s relaxation around the obstacles.
Event organizers can opt to split classes in a variety of ways, such as offering Divisions for Amateur and Open riders. Although one might assume that Open riders have a significant advantage of Amateurs, the data does not appear to support this contention. On the contrary, analysis of scoring trends across all licensed 2017 working equitation competitions to date provides fairly convincing evidence that this is a sport in which Amateur riders can be quite competitive (see Table).
Intrigued yet? We sure hope so! To find out more about this great sport, please visit our website at: www.WEUnited.us.
34 / Sport and Trail Magazine
into Working Equitation from a previous background in reining. A few have joined the sport after dominating breed halter and movement classes and rolling over their competition in driving events. And not to be overlooked, a core group of Working Equitation enthusiasts have previously classified themselves as purely pleasure riders.
Nicole Chastain Price, California horse trainer and judge, already had a well-established and diverse competition background before she started competing in Working Equitation. She has trained and competed successfully in hunter/jumper, eventing, reined cow horse, reining, ranch sorting, barrel racing, dressage, western dressage, and breed shows, among others before discovering Working Equitation.
Oregon resident Alexandria Weinbrecht explains, “I’ve studied many equine disciplines, including cattle working traditions, western equitation, cross country jumping, eventing, and currently dressage and the bridle horse tradition. I also greatly enjoy trail challenges and I’ve always been an avid trail rider.
“When I discovered Working Equitation, it seemed a natural fit for me. It combines my love of dressage, working obstacles and trail competitions, speed events and even working cows."
"Working Equitation is a super fun and challenging sport that focuses on horsemanship and the quality of relationship between horse and rider. I love it!”
Washington residents and three-day eventing enthusiasts Kelsy Smith, Chesna Klimek, and Becky Mathews agree that Working Equitation is a natural fit for their interests.
Smith has successfully competed through Preliminary level in eventing and also completed international-level CIC1* and CCI*. She and her self-trained horse Huxley were the United States Eventing Association's annual high point winners at Preliminary level in the Area VII Northwest region in 2013 and 2014.
Klimek started competing in three day eventing at age 11 on her first Haflinger pony, Starfire. She and Pippin, another Haflinger pony gelding she trained herself (American Haflinger Registered name Waidring SCH) competed through Training level eventing and were the Training level Champions in the United States Eventing Association Area VII in 2010—the only pony in the Championship division.
She and Pippin started working equitation in 2015. “To me three-day eventing and working equitation share a common purpose—to test the partnership you have with your horse and your versatility,” Klimek said. “You have to navigate three distinct phases in both disciplines, and you have to do so with correct training fundamentals, an eye for safety and strategy, and mental toughness.”
Mathews has put her background as a competitive eventer and designer/creator of cross country and stadium jumping jumps to good use in Working Equitation. She has started training her eventing horses for Working Equitation and has organized several very popular Working Equitation events in her state. Her design for a Working Equitation bull obstacle, for example, immediately gained world-wide acclaim, with photos being shared widely in the international Working Equitation community across the globe. Mathews’ bull has since inspired several others to create “sibling additions” to the WE bull herd for use in different locations.
Nicole Chastain Price
Photo by Barbara Price
Nicole Chastain Price
Dressage
Nicole Chastain Price
Western Dressage