About the Novice Program
The AQHA Novice program allows even the experienced AQHA member wanting to try something new to develop his or her horsemanship and exhibitor skills.
The Novice program is available to you in youth and amateur competition. To be eligible, you must not have earned 25 Novice youth, youth, novice amateur, amateur or open combined lifetime points in that novice class.
The Novice program also allows you to try out a horse you are thinking about buying. AQHA rules allow a Novice youth or Novice amateur competitor to show a horse in a Novice youth or Novice amateur class with the owner and his or her immediate family still retaining the ability to show the horse in any class other than the same class as the Novice exhibitor. Novice youth and Novice amateur exhibitors can also show a leased horse in a novice class.
Novice exhibitors must still request a Novice permit to show a horse that is owned by a non-family member at any of the top-10 AQHA circuit shows that allow permit competition. The top-10 shows are determined by the total number of entries the previous year and can change from year to year.
Learn more about the AQHA show leveling program.
Top-10 shows that will require a permit for Novice competition in 2012:
Oklahoma QHA Redbud Spectacular, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Arizona Sun Country Circuit, Scottsdale, Arizona The Big A Circuit, Conyers, Georgia All American Quarter Horse Congress, Columbus, Ohio Oregon QHA Summer Show Circuit, Central Point, Oregon Dixie Nationals, Jackson, Mississippi Silver Dollar Circuit, Las Vegas, Nevada ESQHA Fall Show, Syracuse, New York MAQHA Corporate Challenge Circuit, St. Paul, Minnesota Kansas QHA Prairie Classic, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The All American Quarter Horse Congress is the largest show in terms of entries but does not allow permits or leases.
Amateur and youth exhibitors may now show horses are owned by any third party by using the new AQHA Show Lease, in their respective divisions. While the horse is recorded as leased it can not be shown by the recorded owner or immediate family in the amateur or youth divisions or by those parties in the open division.
If you have never shown in an AQHA-approved show event, you should consider yourself a Novice. As a Novice exhibitor, you compete in a separate class to learn new events at your own pace.
Are you attending the 2012 AQHA Novice Championships? Find out more!
Novice Class Sets
The Novice class sets are designed to help you and your horse grow in a new event at your pace. You can choose to exhibit your horse in one or more Novice classes you are eligible for.
A - Halter / Performance Halter B - Reining C - Working Cow Horse Boxing D - Trail Green Trail E - Western Riding/ Green Western Riding F - Team Penning G - Ranch Sorting H - Barrel Racing I - Pole Bending J - Stakes Race K - Jumping L - Working Hunter/ Green Working Hunter M - Hunter Hack N - Equitation Over Fences O - Western Pleasure/ 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure/ Green Western Pleasure P - Western Horsemanship Q - Hunter Under Saddle/ Green Hunter Under Saddle R - Hunt Seat Equitation S - Tie Down Roping T - Breakaway Roping U - Heading V - Heeling W - Cutting X - Showmanship Y - Pleasure Driving Z - Versatility Ranch Horse Eligibility
There are a few rules to follow to determine your eligibility as a Novice. You cannot compete as a Novice in any Novice classes if you match any of the following criteria:
Novice points are awarded for an exhibitor’s lifetime points in that Novice class.
Enrollment
You can enroll into the Novice program anytime throughout the year. When you enroll, you will receive a letter and a new membership card from us with your skill set eligibility. You can now compete in those Novice classes as a Novice at any AQHA-approved show until you earn 25 or more lifetime Novice points. When you achieve 25 or more AQHA points in a class set – congratulations, you’ve graduated out of Novice in that Novice class!
After completing that Novice class, find another one in which you are eligible and try your hand at something else!