All Alvechurch Riding Club activities run under British Riding Club rules

Showing Rules

  1. All Classes
  • Whips and canes must not exceed an overall length of 75cm (30”). If in the opinion of a judge or committee member that a whip is misused on the show field the competitor concerned will receive a warning and may be send out of the ring if competing at the time.
  • Spurs may only be used in the Best Turned Out and Hunter classes (adults only)
  • No jewellery
  • No martingales or boots (apart from the jumping phase of working hunter classes)
  • Any suitable bit may be used apart from gags unless otherwise stated in the schedule
  • It is at the judge’s discretion if you will be allowed to enter or leave the ring once the class has started
  • The judge’s decision is final and binding in all classes
  • Any animal deemed by the judge organisers not to be behaving in a proper manner will be asked to leave the ring and show ground
  • Competitors are reminded that it is unethical to present their animals under a judge who has a vested interest in it

2. Dress

  • Jackets should be either a plain colour or a hacking jacket
  • Shirts – white or pastel coloured shirts with white collars and ties or hunting stocks. Pony club members may wear their pony club ties
  • Breeches / jodhpurs – must be white, pale yellow, beige or fawn in colour
  • Boots – riding or jodhpur boots. Gaiters cut in the traditional riding boot style may be worn
  • Gloves – optional
  • Body Protectors – optional
  • Chaps and Half Chaps – must be black or brown
  • Long Hair – hair may be in a net or if not must not hang lower than the shoulder line. Long hair may be tied into plaits or bunches but must look tidy.

3. In Hand Classes

  • Handlers must be dressed smartly with appropriate footwear
  • Handlers of stallions and colts must have attained their 16th birthday before 1st January of the current year and wear an armband to signal to other competitors that they are showing a stallion or colt or wear a blue ribbon in the horse’s tail
  • A show halter, lead head collar or show bridle may be used, colts and stallions should be adequately bitted.
  • Handlers of ponies aged 16 and under must wear correctly secured current British standard skull / riding hats.

4. Ridden Showing

  • Horses / ponies must be four years old and over in all ridden classes. The age should be calculated from the 1st January in the year of their birth
  • When mounted competitors must wear a correctly secured British standard skull / riding hats at all times
  • Juniors should not wear spurs

5. Lead rein classes

  • Ponies to be shown in snaffle bridle with the lead rein attached to the noseband

6. Veteran class

  • Where possible the horse / pony age should be displayed on the bridle. No spurs and no extension

7. Horse Tail Ribbons Etiquette

Please wear the following ribbons in your horse’s tail

RED – horses that kick are expected to have red tail ribbons. Riders or handlers who see a red ribbon on a horses tail are warned to allow that equine plenty of extra room, preventing the possibility of injury to horse or human

GREEN – a green ribbon on a horse’s tail signals that this is a young horse or otherwise inexperienced horse. Such a horse may be extra spooky, jittery or unpredictable and may require a bit of extra space in the riding arena

PINK – mares may wear pink tail ribbons when they are in season. During those periods a female horse may be extra moody, cranky or spirited. She may be easily distracted by a stallion and she will almost certainly be a distraction to stallions or even geldings

Conduct

Please be courteous to other competitors and the organisers, committee, judges and stewards who all work on a voluntary basis to put on events for everyone’s enjoyment. Verbal abuse will not be tolerated and you will be asked to leave the showground.

Dressage, Show Jumping and Combined Training Show Rules

ENTRIES
*All classes are open to horses and ponies over 4 years *Riders must be ages 4 years and older
*Online entries via http://www.myridinglife.com only *Entries close on the Wednesday before the Event


SECTIONS
Lead Rein pony must be on the lead rein and led by handler. Assisted pony should not be on a lead rein but the handler may be at the the head of the
pony. If the rider requires assistance with a rein being held or grabbled then penalty marks will be awarded at 1 mark per instance.

Restricted – For horse and rider combination who do not regularly compete at that level and
have not won three 1st at that level. Horse and rider combinations who are also competing at the level above will be in the open section for the below level, e.g. Any combination competing at Prelim will be open for the Intro Any combination competing at Novice will be open for the Prelim Any combination competing at Novice cannot compete at Intro
*We reserve the right to move the combination to another section despite entry made

*Rosettes will be awared to 1st to 6th in each section
*Highest placed junior will be awarded to the junior with the highest score.
*Show jumping classes may be split into horses and ponies if enough entries
*A combination of horse and rider may only enter a class once in one section. Any other entries for the same combination in the same class with be HC. The first test/round will count as your scored round
*All hats and body protectors must be up to current standards as per the BRC handbook
*All whips must be up to current BRC standards. Any excessive or unnecessary use of the whip will result in disqualification and you may be asked to leave the show ground
*Show jumping entries are limited to 3 classes per horse/pony, however, you should be aware of your horse/pony’s level of fitness


SHOW GROUND AND COLLECTING RING
*Please adhere to collecting ring rules including passing left to left and wearing coloured ribbons where appropriate. Riders ride in the collecting ring at their own risk.
*The small collecting ring will be limited to four riders at any one time. Priority in this ring will be given to those due to go in to the arena for their test.

*Please respect Graceland’s rules
*No haynets to be tied outstide lorries/trailers
*No horses to be left unnattended tied to the lorry/trailer
*Please clear up your rubbish and put this in the bin or take it home with you *Please clear up after your horses using the wheelbarrow and tools provided


TIMES
*Times will be available after 4pm on the Friday before the event via http://www.myridinglife.com
RIDER NUMBERS
*Rider number will be allocated with competitor times and must be worn at all times.
*ARC will not supply rider numbers so competitor will need to supply these themselves by way of either bridle numbers or saddle pad numbers which are visible on both sides, or number bibs can be worn but the number must be visible on both front and back
RESULTS
*Dressage sheets and rossettes will be available to collect on the day
*Sheets and rossettes can be posted at competitors cost. A stamped address envelope must be left with the office on the day. This must be no smaller than A5 with at least a large letter stamp *Results will also be available online via http://www.myridinglife.com
CANCELLATION POLICY
*Should you need to withdrawer please contact the club secretary Amanda Allan
*Refunds will be given if request is received prior to entries closing, after closing, refunds will only be given on production of a valid vet or doctors certificate


PHOTOGRAPHY
*Event photographer will be in attendance at our competitions
*It is taken that authorisation is given by attendees and/or parents/guardians for such photographs to be taken and that such photographs can be used by ARC for publicity unless you specifically inform one of the committee there on the show day


POINTS
*Points will be awarded for every member who competes over the series *These will be for horse and rider combinations and at:-
** Lead Rein /assisted (dedicated lead rein and assisted classes) **Juniors (U18)
** Seniors (18+)
*7 for 1st, 6 for 2nd, 5 for 3rd, 4 for 4th, 3 for 5th, 2 for 6th and 1 point for competing but unplaced *You must be a member by 31st May 2023 to be eligible


SUNSHINE TOUR – JUNE & JULY ONLY
*This show is a qualifier for The Sunshine Tour Championships held at The All England Showground, Hickstead from Thursday 14th – Sunday 17th September 2023 (ALL DRESSAGE (apart from ARC W&T tests) AND SJ CLASSES ARE QUALIFIERS). The Championships are for unaffiliated and amateur competitors in Dressage from Intro to Elementary, Show Jumping from Lead Rein to 1.05m; Showing for lead rein, in-hand, ridden, working hunter, veterans, plus many more, Eventer’s Challenge from 50cm through to 90cm.
*Placings 1-3rd qualify. Qualification does not pass down the line
*Visit http://www.sunshinetour.co.uk for more information, to register and submit evidence of qualification *Registration must be completed within 1 month of qualification (sooner for late July shows – i.e. by 4th August). Restrictions apply to horse and competitor previous winnings and amateur status, please check the sunshine tour website