Hosting an Event
Are you interested in producing an RHAA approved competition in your area? The first step is to determine the date and location of the competition. At that time contact the RHAA office to reserve your date and have it added to the calendar. In order for a local ranch horse competition to be approved to qualify its winning contestants for advancement to the RHAA National Finals, the outlined minimum criteria must be followed and the event must be approved by a signed sanction agreement which is to be submitted to the RHAA office no less than thirty days prior to competition. All necessary forms (judges’ cards, competition results, membership applications, representative forms) can be downloaded from the RHAA website and only RHAA forms must be submitted at the conclusion of all events.
It is the responsibility of the show producers to provide all cattle, office help, arena workers and approved RHAA judges.
The local competition must be open to the world. Reasonable entry deadlines are obviously allowed. In an otherwise closed ranch rodeo, the ranch horse competition event still must be open to the world. Entries may only be limited due to time constraints. Classes offered will be the Box Drive Box Drive, Wrangler, Cowboy, Ranch Hand, Junior, and Senior classes at all competitions in order for contestants to compete with other RHAA members of similar skill levels. The RHAA also offers Junior Youth & Senior Youth classes. Sanctioning the youth classes is optional. Please let the RHAA office know if you would like to sanction these classes as well.
RHAA Sanctioning Fee
A sanctioning fee of $100 per competition must be submitted to the RHAA office along with the event results by the sponsoring organization following the event. The Sanctioning Agreement signed by the show committee constitutes the payment of a sanction fee regardless of the outcome of the show, (i.e. whether the class was a qualifying class, # of entries etc.) as well as the use of RHAA approved forms only.
Competition Results
Local competition results must be reported in writing certified by the event director or secretary, to the RHAA office immediately following the conclusion of the show (not to exceed five days). In the event of back to back shows, the RHAA may request placing and earning information to be submitted either by fax or by email within 2 business days of the event. Items required to be forwarded to the RHAA office are as follows: the completed RHAA competition form (indicating number of entries, class, riders’ names, horse’s registered name, placing, and pay out, in order of final placing), sanctioning fee, and judges’ sheets, as well as any new memberships and fees collected.
Judges
Only one judge is required for competitions outside of the RHAA National Finals. National Finals Judges will sit on the same side of the arena so that they may all have a similar view of the run that they are judging. Judges must be provided a whistle or a flag in the event a run must be halted to allow for new cattle. Judges must use a uniform score sheet supplied by the RHAA. All score sheets must be forwarded to RHAA after the competition.
Judges’ name must be submitted to the RHAA at least two weeks prior to the show. Only RHAA certified, card carrying judges will be allowed to be used at all competitions. Judges must hold a current RHAA membership and must have attended at least one RHAA Judge’s seminar within the previous two years as required by RHAA. Judges must be provided with a current copy of the rules and RHAA judge’s card at the time of competition and be familiar with the judging criteria.
To become an RHAA judge, email rhaaoffice@gmail.com.