RANCH RIDING Promoting the Versatility of the Western Horse, continued...
but excludes professionals; Youth, which is re- stricted to competitors 18 years old and under; Novice, which is for those new to competing in Ranch Riding; and Prime Time, which is for competitors who are 50 years old or older. Each division has walk/trot and walk/trot/lope options. Competitors can participate in just one or both. Brooke Domino Skodzinski of Waldorf
competes in the Open classes as a profes- sional trainer. She took up the sport about four years ago. Skodzinski grew up in New Jersey where she primarily rode in the Jumper world all the way up through the Grand Prix levels. “I just love the Western lifestyle,” she said, adding that she has spent a lot of time out West working cattle and living the true ranch work life. “I just love working through the training and such that is needed to compete in this sport.” ECRRA offers Days End and Lifetime
Awards to competitors. Days End awards are given out per show with a Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion per division. Members can accumulate life- time points towards recognition, achievement, and other top awards. “When Terry Helder created ECRRA, he designed Lifetime Awards that he intended to
Shannon O’Grady’s American Paint Horse TC Blazin Po- tential is the only horse to currently have reached the Su- preme Lifetime Achievement award level.
“To receive this award, you must earn five Award of Achievements (500 points in each class) for either walk/trot or walk/trot/lope,” O’Grady explained. Te Supreme Award is
be difficult to get,” O’Grady said.” “He wanted people to have to strive for and work hard to achieve them.”
Te highest Lifetime Award given by ECRRA is the Superior Champion Award.
given to competitors who earn 300 points in each class. Currently, the only competitor to achieve ei-
ther of these awards is O’Grady’s semi-retired American Paint Horse TC Blazin Potential, aka Lincoln. O’Grady competed Lincoln from 2018 through the beginning of 2023 and achieved Supreme status last year. He’s just a few points shy of Superior Award honors and has come out of retirement to compete here and there!
The Ranch Horse
Although American Quarter Horses tend to be the horse of choice for most Western discipline riders, Ranch Riding is not breed specific and welcomes all sorts of horses. “Some people ride retired reiners and plea- sure horses while others come out on Tor- oughbreds,” O’Grady said. “I’ve seen some Haflingers and even a draft horse here and there!”
Mitchell rides a now 20-year-old off-
the-track Toroughbred she’s had since he was five. Mitchell described “Bug” as a “hot
mess” when she got him off the track from a trainer friend. “Now he’s just the biggest sweet- heart,” she said. Mitchell started competing Bug in Ranch Riding in 2019 stating, “Bug re-
Howard County Fair August 3 - 10, 2024
78th Annual
Offering Ranch Riding clinics for all levels of horse and rider as well as ECRRA Ranch Riding Shows and Ranch Riding schooling shows. Ranch Riding measures the horse and rider’s ability to communicate and to demonstrate willingness and ease of movement while performing one ranch task to another. We will also be using our Mountain Trail Course with ECRRA approved obstacles for the trail portion of our schooling shows.
Also offering individual instruction on our Mountain Trail Course for
riders of all ages and disciplines ranging from beginners to advanced. Our Mountain Trail Course features over 30 obstacles including a high bridge, balance beams, a trench, several moving bridges, and water obstacles.
Our facility has been approved by ECRRA (East Coast Ranch Riding Association)
PRIVATE LESSONS, PRIVATE PLAY DAYS & GROUP PLAY DAYS AVAILABLE ON OUR MOUNTAIN TRAIL COURSE
JULY 20 ECRRA Full Slate Show Ranch Riding Show (rescheduled from June 22)
SEPTEMBER 14 Ranch Riding Schooling Show OCTOBER 26 Mountain Trail Course Halloween Play Day NOVEMBER 9 Final Ranch Riding Schooling Show
For More Information: Cridder 301-370-5774 • Judy 215-791-1002
DoubleCFarm.net ••
doublecfarmllc@yahoo.com
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 EQUINE EDUCATION SPECIAL
CONTESTS FOR YOUTH
HORSE &
PONY SHOWS
CONTEST ARENA EVENTS
JUMPER SCHOOLING SHOW - SAT., 8/3 - 9:00 AM DRAFT HORSE & MULE SHOW - SUN., 8/4 - 8:30 AM CLEVELAND BAY HUNTER HORSE SHOW - MON., 8/5 - 9 AM BRAHA ARABIAN, PARTBRED ARABIAN, & OPEN SHOW - TUES., 8/6 - 8 AM ENGLISH/WESTERN PLAY DAY - WED., 8/7 - 9 AM 4-H & FFA HORSE & PONY SHOW - THURS., 8/8 - 8 AM OBSTACLE CHALLENGE - FRI, 8/9 - GATE OPENS @ 8 AM / CLASSES START @ 10 AM MARYLAND WESTERN HORSE ASSOC. SHOW - SAT. 8/10 - 8:30 AM
MULE JUMP - SAT., 8/3 - 3 PM DRAFT HORSE PULLING CONTEST - SAT., 8/3 - 6 PM MULE PULLING CONTEST - TUES., 8/6 - 6 PM
* At Horse Education Tent
EQUINE EXHIBITS: DAILY - 2 to 7 pm MD FARRIERS ASSOC. DEMO “BUILDING HORSESHOES”: Sun., 8/4 - 12 to 5 pm
* At Horse Rings MOUNTED GAMES ACROSS AMERICA DEMO: Fri., 8/9 - 1 PM
YOUTH HORSE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST Fri., 8/9 - 9:30 am @ 4-H Activities Hall
YOUTH MODEL HORSE SHOW - Fri., 8/9 - 10 am @ 4-H Activities Hall
Downloadable 2024 Horse & Pony Catalog Pages available
howardcountyfairmd.com
THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | JULY 2024 | 13
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