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NOVICE PROGRAM YOUR NEW ADVENTURE HAS ARRIVED! AQHA SKILL SETS B Reining C Working Cow Horse D Trail E Western Riding F Team Penning G Ranch Sorting H Barrel Racing I Pole Bending J Stakes Race K Jumping L Working Hunter M Hunter Hack Q Hunter Under Saddle AQHA's novice program allows even the experienced AQHA member wanting to try something new to develop his or her horsemanship and exhibitor skills. WHO'S ELIGIBLE? The novice program is available to you in youth and amateur competition. The AQHA skill sets, listed to the right, are designed to help you and your horse grow in a new event at your pace. To be eligible, you must not have earned 25 novice youth, youth, novice amateur, amateur or open combined lifetime points in that skill set. WHO IS CONSIDERED A NOVICE COMPETITOR? 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. There are a few rules to follow to determine your eligibility as a novice. You cannot compete as a novice in any skill sets if you match any of the following criteria:
Novice points are awarded for an exhibitor’s lifetime points in that skill set. Novice points are not added to your permanent show record. WHAT'S NEW?Now, your points earned in a particular class will not hinder your eligibility as a novice in other events. Previously, when you earned 40 novice points, you graduated out of novice altogether. Now, your points in the new skill sets do not affect your novice status in another skill set. All these changes will make your horse showing experience more fun and easier for you to try a new event! WHO CAN SHOW AS A NOVICE? As a youth or amateur competitor, you can show in any skill set as a novice if you never won a world or reserve world, national or reserve national championship title in any other equine breed organization or in an AQHA-approved event, never won a total of $5,000 in cash and prizes with any equine breed organization, never been an accredited horse show judge, never earned 25 or more performance points in the AQHA open, novice amateur, amateur, novice youth or youth divisions combined. If you have ever been or are currently an accredited horse show judge, you are ineligible to compete as a novice. You may still compete as an open limited rider in eligible skill sets. HOW DO I GET STARTED AS A NOVICE EXHIBITOR? If you want to show as a novice in a skill set, you must first have an active membership. Then, simply complete and attest to the novice criteria on the enrollment form designating you want to participate in AQHA-approved shows as a novice. Once your enrollment is received, AQHA will review your show record to determine your skill set eligibility. WHEN CAN I ENROLL AS A NOVICE?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 skill sets 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 skill set – Congratulations, you’ve graduated out of novice in that skill set! After completing that skill set, find another one in which you are eligible and try your hand at something else. The new novice rules are a great way to gain experience in classes you’ve always wanted to try. So, go ahead – give it a try! Get experience, try something new, get prizes ~ AQHA shows are rewarding and fun!
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