AQHA AMATEUR COMPETITION
 NOVICE  |  LIMITED RIDER  | SELECT

AQHA Amateur Membership Application

American Quarter Horse owners who do not join the professional ranks may enjoy a full spectrum of competition in the amateur division. You may obtain an amateur membership if you have not shown, judged, trained or assisted in training a horse (whether or not a registered American Quarter Horse) for remuneration, monetary or otherwise, either directly or indirectly, nor received remuneration for instructing another person in riding, driving, training or showing a horse for five calendar years previous to application for Amateur membership. 

Amateurs must exhibit a horse in their ownership or in the ownership of someone directly related to them, such as:

• Spouse
• Child
• Stepchild
• Parent
• Stepparent
• Sibling
• Half-Sibling
• Step Sibling
• Sibling's Child
• Spouse's Parent
• Spouse's Stepparent
• Sibling's Spouse
• Half-Sibling's Spouse
• Grandparents
• Legal Ward
• Legal Guardian

Separate legal entities, such as family corporations, trusts or partnerships are also authorized owners of the amateur exhibitor's horse so long as all legal and equitable owners and beneficiaries of the legal entity are individuals specifically authorized by this rule.

The relationship of the Amateur to the owner of the participating horse must be evidenced by submitting legal documentation (i.e., copies of marriage and/or birth certificates) to AQHA's Show Department.  Every person competing in an Amateur class at any AQHA approved show must hold an Amateur membership and be 19 years of age or older on or before January 1 of the current year.

 If you are a newcomer, here are the three areas of Amateur competition:

NOVICE

The Novice Program is available to you as an amateur in skill sets you have not earned 25 novice youth, youth, novice amateur, amateur or open combined lifetime points.  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 pace.  

LIMITED RIDER

the Limited Rider Program is a step between novice and regular competition.  As a limited rider, you continue to build your skills while competing against your peers.  Points earned in limited rider count toward your permanent record as well as unique year-end awards!