Versatility Ranch Horse Classes on the Rise

Performance. Versatility. Conformation. Those qualities are at the heart of AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse competition, where American Quarter Horses are exhibited as working ranch horses and exhibitor-horse teams are rewarded based on their expertise. 

On January 1, several rule changes were ushered into the AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse division. (Take a look at Rule SHW550 in the 2015 AQHA Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations.) The rule changes aim to make VRH an easier event for new exhibitors to get started in, giving them the option to enter any number of the six VRH classes: ranch riding, ranch trail, ranch reining, ranch conformation, ranch cutting and ranch cow work. Previously, exhibitors were required to enter all six classes.

So far, two AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse shows have been offered in 2015. Kicking off the VRH show season was the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, which played host to 106 total entries January 16-17 in Texas: 

• Open, 36 entries
• Amateur, 36
• Youth, 34

And following on FWSSR’s heels was the Arizona Sun Circuit, which saw 78 total VRH entries January 24 in Scottsdale:

• Open, 54 entries 
• Amateur, 24

In Fort Worth, open and amateur exhibitors entered all six events; although in the youth division, a couple exhibitors took advantage of the opportunity to pick and choose events. Charles Christopher Lee of McAllen, Texas, was one of those exhibitors.

To read the full article on AQHA.com, click here.