USWRCA Shows, Rules, and Events

Lastly, the State show combines both North and South Regions for one final, no-holds-barred competition to determine the best in the State. There's nowhere else to go after this, so leave it all on the table: give this one everything you've got! Friday, September 5 starts with the Timer and Steward meeting, and the first event beginning with Ladies Pleasure. Saturday, September 6 starts with Cutting at 9:00 am. For 2024, the State show will be at the Spanish Fork Fair Grounds. (Spanish Fork  )

All of these are from the USWRCA Rulebook, but condensed down as much as possible.

1. All club members must be 15 before or on June 1 of that year in order to ride and compete with USWRCA and South Oquirrh Hills. (Page 6 of rulebook)

2. Any horse used at a USWRCA show must be 100% owned by a member of South Oquirrh Hills. This means leasing will not count! However, the horse does not need to be owned by a riding member, so the owner of the horse can be on the roster as a non-riding member. (Page 6)

3. Riders must qualify themselves at each show the ride in by competing in Parade, or riding in at least one Grand Entry. Once, competitors had to qualify each horse, but now you are only qualifying yourself, the rider. (Page 7)

3a. When riding in Grand Entry, you may not ride bareback, double, or leading a horse! (Page 9)

4. If you plan on timing or stewarding for a show, please attend the Timer and Steward meeting before the show. If you cannot make the meeting, please talk to the President about what was discussed and to clear your stopwatch/timer. (Page 10, rule 5)

4a. If you are not confident you know how to time or steward for an event and there are multiple calls for help, please coordinate with a more knowledgeable teammate to possibly hold a horse or help in some other manner. (Club rule)

5. USWRCA requires all contestants to wear a button-down or snap-down shirt (long or short sleeve but not sleeveless!) with a collar or collar stand, long pants, and any riding boot with a heel. Men must wear a Western hat at all times; ladies must only wear a hat during judged events, such as Ladies Pleasure. Absolutely no ball caps are allowed! (Except for whoever rides the hide in Hide Race.) (Pages 10 and 11, rule 8)

5a. However, if you are on foot in the arena to help and not a contestant at the shows, the only requirement to help in the arena is to wear long pants and close-toed shoes, for safety reasons; but a button down shirt and a Western hat aren't required when helping. (District rule)

6. During the shows, at least one team member must be wearing their club number. We have our club numbers on our club vests, so as long as one person is wearing their club vest per team, that should be good. However, for individual events, you must wear your club vest. The exceptions are Parade and Drill, where teams won't be penalized for not having their club number, and single Show events such as Western Pleasure or Cutting, where a contestant is issued a separate number. (Page 11, rule 9)

7. Like many organizations, USWRCA requires a certain level of conduct: unsportsmanlike conduct can see you removed from the shows. This could be showing up to the shows drunk or high, cheating, or using unnecessarily harsh equipment on your horse and causing injury. Not only will this conduct see you removed from USWRCA shows, you may also be removed from USWRCA overall, and South Oquirrh as well. (USWRCA Bylaws; USWRCA Rulebook page 11, rules 10 and 11; club rule)

8. In team events, a club can substitute up to 50% of the team. However, if the event is a Singles event or Pairs Pleasure, the horses may not be substituted, though the riders may be. (Page 13, rule 19)