AMERICANA-Guide: The Art of Westernriding
Classes
- Youth riders compete in Youth classes, amateur riders in Non Pro. In Open classes, both professional and amateur riders are allowed.
- „Junior“ and „Senior“
These terms apply to the horses’ age. Junior classes are for 3- to 5-year-old horses, senior classes for 6-ear-old and older horses. In All Ages classes, all horses older than 3 years can be shown.
Show Disciplines
Reining (Dry Work)
Reining is the dressage of the western horse and requires a fine tuned horses listening to slightest commands of his rider. A pattern must be performed which includes fast and slow circles, lead changes, fast turnarounds (spins), roll backs as well as reining’s hallmark: the sliding stop.
Example Video "Reining / Nico Securo" - AMERICANA 2019
Cutting (Herd Work)
Each rider has 2.5 minutes to show off his / her horse’s ability to dominate a cow. For this, he or she separates a cow from the herd and prevents it from returning there. An agile, fast horse is required for this which can read the cow’s intentions. Each rider has to work at least two cattle.
Example Video "Cutting / Ute Hoilm" - AMERICANA 2019
Working Cowhorse (Fence Work)
In Working Cowhorse, a horse must be able to perform reining manouvres as well as work cattle. Each horse begins with the "Dry Work" (Reining). In the following ‚ "Fence Work“, the horse has to prevent a cow from escaping from the short side of the arena first, and then turn it into the fence on both directions at the long side of the arena. Finally, the cow must be circled in both directions.
Example Video "Working Cowhorse / Pietro Tuberga" - AMERICANA 2019
Reined Cow Horse
Reined Cow Horse combines Herd Work (Cutting), Dry Work (Reining) and Fence Work (Working Cowhorse). The horse is shown in these three elements, the single scores are combined to make the total score.
Trail
In Trail, horses must perform a pattern with at least six obstacles or poles without touching them.
Example Pattern "Trail" - AMERICANA 2020
AMERICANA Ranch Trail
In the AMERICANA Ranch Trail, horses are ridden over a parcours with typical ranch and trail
obstacles. Here, the focus is on finesse and fearlessness of the horse plus the speed in which the trail
is mastered.
Western Riding
In Western Riding, the performance of a good ranch horse is required, which moves smoothly and
follows his rider’s commands on the slightest touch. The discipline includes multiple flying lead
changes.
Western Horsemanship
In this discipline, it is the rider’s performance that is judged – his / her posture and how he / she guides
the horse during the pattern consisting of a short individual pattern as well as a Pleasure.
Superhorse
The Superhorse combines elements of Reining, Western Pleasure, Trail and Western Riding and
requires a very versatile horse.
