AMHR Youth Qualifying Proposal

[Yaddax3]

It's getting close to that day when we make decisions that impact our lives, and I'm not talking about Election Day.

I'm talking about AMHR/ASPC Convention.

And I have a proposal that, if ratified, will impact lives, and make the lives of parents and their children who show at AMHR Nationals easier.

It is a proposal that allows youth to qualify for AMHR Nationals by showing in Open as well as Youth classes.

For instance, why shouldn't my 4-year-old son, Shane, be allowed to qualify for AMHR Nationals by taking a mini into a color class at a local or Area National show? Under current rules, he can't qualify by doing that.

Another for instance: Why shouldn't my 15-year-old daughter, Samantha, be allowed to qualify for AMHR Nationals by taking a mini into an Open class at a local or Area National show? Under current rules, she can't qualify by doing that.

Whether you have five kids, as I do, or just one, the intent should be to make it easy for youth to qualify for AMHR Nationals.

A few years ago, we had to wake up our then 4-year-old, Spencer, at 3 in the morning so he could qualify with his horse in a Youth Obstacle class. It was the last show of the year and if he didn't do the class he couldn't qualify with his favorite horse. He cried the entire time. Nobody expected the class to be held at 3 in the morning, but that's what happened. I'm trying to avoid situations like that happening again.

Here is the proposal, as it will be presented at Convention:

6. Youth qualifying for National Show – To qualify for the National Show, the youth and Miniature horses entered must have shown together under two (2) judges prior to the National Show. The youth must qualify by showing that horse in a youth or Open class. Any Youth showing in an Open class must have a signed note or letter from the show manager confirming that they showed the mini in an Open class. In addition, the horse must also qualify as normal for AMHR Nationals.

That's it. Simple.

I'd like to hear from people who support this proposal as well as people who do not.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I like it. We never realized it wasn't that way and had a youth show our mare in color. When we found out it didn't count it was quite disappointing for her, and it was the only show left until Nationals.

We NEED to get more youth qualified and showing, and this will help!!

 

[~Lisa~]

As you know from our talk the other day.. Seems like a reasonable enough request to me

 

[Devon]

Seems like a good idea to me

 

[minimomNC]

I don't have a youth, but I don't see any problem with it. Its hard enough for kids to get to shows especially during the school year and if you have several kids that need to quailfy with the same horse or has more than one horse to qualify just in case, then I see nothing wrong with a youth showing in open classes. I also thought it was that way already when a 6 year old showed our jr under filly in color to show at Nationals, well it didn't and she couldn't show her after all.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Don't see a problem with it. Shoot as long as the youth are showing their horses why should that be a problem whether its youth or open classes.

 

[Sanny]

edited by me because Bob already covered everything relevant to this topic in his original post.

 

[CLC Stables]

I am all for that Bob. I was ALSO under the impression when this original rule came in to affect effect that the youth just had to show the horse. Not in a youth class only.

 

[kaykay]

Im just not sure I would vote to pass this. I get what your trying to do but I think it could slide us backwards and we could again have kids showing horses they have barely seen or touched because its so easy to throw a kid in a color class.

Also this has no written consequences and we really have to stop passing rules that dont have them.

Maybe you can add to to it at convention? Something like any youth showing at AMHR Nationals that has not qualified their horse will be disqualified and lose all their placings.

 

[Ashley]

I guess I am a bit different. I dont show anymore and pretty much all of my showing was done as a youth, nationals included. That said I like how the rules are now. Why should a person in general be able to qualify by going into a color class? No offense but that class really doesnt mean anything, its not based on anything other then what color that particular judge likes.

As for the late night classes, we all know they can happen. To me, and for me, when I had my kids showing as well as myself, it came down to what was more important makeing sure I can get them in that class or having a healthy happy kid? There will always be another class at another nationals. Also I can see how this can be an issue with those that can only afford to go to just enough shows to qualify but if you go to several shows you have several options to qualify, just dont wait until the last show to do it.

I started showing at the age of 10 so not nearly as young as your youngsters, but I was up at the butt crack of down takeing care of my own horses. Everything was done myself. I worked them myself, clipped them myself, everything. If I didnt do it, it didnt get done. So in my case staying up for late for a class that I worked my tail off to get into wasnt a huge issue to me.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I guess I am a bit different. I dont show anymore and pretty much all of my showing was done as a youth, nationals included. That said I like how the rules are now. Why should a person in general be able to qualify by going into a color class? No offense but that class really doesnt mean anything, its not based on anything other then what color that particular judge likes.

It wasn't that we wanted to qualify in color, just that we needed A CLASS- ANY class- so the youth could show at Nationals.

What happened to us is our youth already had a junior under mare- and we wanted her to show at Nationals and needed another class to show her in, as it was the last qualifing show of the year. Not realizing, of course, that it didn't count anyway. And all the youth classes were over, or we'd have stuck her in obstacle.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Until it is made to where you have to qualify for classes at Nationls like you do at Worlds I don't think we should make it harder for the youth to qualify. Shoot ammy and open exhibitors they can just show in color and boom qualified. Its easier for us then it is easier for the kids.

 

[ruffian]

I don't see a problem with this. Especially since many shows don't break down their youth classes as they do a Nationals. So if a Youth has 2 Jr Mares it might be impossible for them to qualify both at 2 local shows.

 

[Yaddax3]

As for the late night classes, we all know they can happen. To me, and for me, when I had my kids showing as well as myself, it came down to what was more important makeing sure I can get them in that class or having a healthy happy kid? There will always be another class at another nationals. Also I can see how this can be an issue with those that can only afford to go to just enough shows to qualify but if you go to several shows you have several options to qualify, just dont wait until the last show to do it.

I started showing at the age of 10 so not nearly as young as your youngsters, but I was up at the butt crack of down takeing care of my own horses. Everything was done myself. I worked them myself, clipped them myself, everything. If I didnt do it, it didnt get done. So in my case staying up for late for a class that I worked my tail off to get into wasnt a huge issue to me.

Ashley, we all know a late-night class can happen, but nobody expects a youth class to be run at three in the morning. Nobody expects any class to be run at three in the morning.

As for having a healthy, happy kid, he would have been very unhappy if he didn't get to show his favorite horse at Nationals. We had that discussion with him long before midnight, telling him it was OK if he didn't show. He begged us to wake him up if he fell asleep so he could qualify with his favorite horse.

Perhaps you would have handled it differently with your kids. That's your right. That said, I'm going to assume it wasn't your intent to imply that having a "healthy, happy kid" is not paramount to Mary and me.

This proposal is an attempt to make it easier to qualify youth. It's not just to avoid classes at three in the morning. And when you were a youth, you didn't have to qualify in a youth class to show at AMHR Nationals. You could have taken your horse into any class, including the color class you dismiss as a real class.

 

[Karen S]

Good Afternoon,

Ok I’m going to give you a bit of history here regarding youth qualifying for the AMHR Nationals:

Back ten years ago when my daughter was heavily involved with our youth program and showing horses there were complaints from parents back then about youth “borrowing” horses to compete with. In other words, there were a handful of youth who did win several of the high point youth awards at the AMHR Nationals because they walked horses into the show ring that didn’t belong to any of them. They would talk to different trainers and farms asking if they could handle a miniature in just about every youth class within the division they were in. Example the 13-17 year olds.

So, the proposal passed that youth had to “qualify” their horses under two judges in a youth class in order to take that horse to the National show. This was to stop the “borrowing” of horses at the National show. So, if a youth wanted to have a hunter, jumper, obstacle, driving, showmanship, halter, etc. horse for each class, then their youth horse had to qualify to show. No more of just walking into the show ring with a horse they had never put their hands on. The horse still had to qualify under the four judges and two shows to be able to participate at the AMHR National show for its regular classes not just a youth class.

Maybe instead of the youth/horse combination qualifying factor for a youth class at the AMHR Nationals, why don’t you just have a proposal to say a youth must show at a show under four judges at two shows just like the horses do. This way the youth can prove that they show in either an open or youth class. You could set the parameters to say it would exclude color and liberty. This way it would force them into a halter or performance class.

This is just another option that may work in the future but beware if this was to take place that there will be those youth that would be borrowing horses to go after those prize youth awards. Just another slant to look into.

Karen

 

[Jacki Loomis]

Karen, I remember those days also and agree with you that some caution in changing the Youth Qualification Rules is in order. Young people who worked very hard with the horses they owned were most often shut out of the awards by youth who made the rounds and recruited horses to show at Nationals that they had never shown before. Trainers and owners were not blamelss in this either, they were hunting Championships and were eager to get as many chances at one as they could so they recruited youth to show their horses.

I think we have a reasonable rule now.

Jacki Loomis

[email protected]

 

[dannigirl]

I know there have to be rules. I just don't think we should change them every couple of years. Most of the youth go to enough shows that they can qualify in a youth class. Also, the division of youth in many (all I attended this year)different classes because of age make is even easier for one horse to be qualified by multiple handlers. At most shows there are also multiple possibilities with driving, jumping, hunter, showmanship, ect having youth classes.

 

[~Lisa~]

I totally agree with the reasoning behind the rule. I to remember when the youth would show any horse to get high point. In fact one year I got a phone call from someone I do not even know asking me for my horses reg. number so she could enter her daughter with my horse.

I was stunned and finally realized she was friends with someone going in our group- I was totally taken aback and not happy with the idea.

That said I am not sure open or youth it makes a difference you can still just as easily get the kid who has never seen the horse prior to the local show and will not again until the National show- doesnt matter what class they qualify in. I do know they chose the youth class simply due to the fact it was much easier to track

Ashley .... not nice on the color class it may not mean a lot to you I may not show in it often but it means alot to those who enter it

Qualifying this way has not been an issue for my family but I can see how it could be for others.

 

[Amy]

I do not see any reason to change the rule. We are only inventing the wheel to go backwards.

We had this type of qualifying - it was taken advantage of & thus it was changed -- to be fair to ALL youth.

I totally understand where Mary & Bob are coming from though. We used to take 4 grandkids to shows-- at that time to qualify for Nationals we had to go across the border - so we also had coggins, international health papers , money exchange & time off school to get to a week-end show -- These kids were from 3 different families so not nearly as easy to do as if they are all your own kids. Bottom line was -- if you want to show at Nationals you have to qualify under whatever rule is in place when you are doing it.

Nothing worth having is ever easily done -- and Sansevere family -- with 71 ribbons ( I believe that was the number Bob posted in an earlier thread) at the National show level-- I would think perhaps it was worth it all in the end.

I guess not everyone of us would have a 3 or 4 year old showing but that is a personal decision & we ALL love to watch your children compete (especially the sand surfer LOL), but I,for one, am not in favour of changing the rule.

 

[Yaddax3]

I do not see any reason to change the rule. We are only inventing the wheel to go backwards.

We had this type of qualifying - it was taken advantage of & thus it was changed -- to be fair to ALL youth.

Just to be clear: The proposal is in no way a return to what used to be. Before the current format, kids could be handed a horse at AMHR Nationals that they never saw before. Under the proposal that will be presented at Convention, kids still have to qualify with horses prior to AMHR Nationals. The only change from the current format is that kids could qualify in a youth or Open class.

We're not inventing or re-inventing the wheel to go backwards. We're trying to move forward and make it easier for kids to qualify for Nationals.

If anyone has questions about the proposal, here it is, as it will be presented at Convention:

6. Youth qualifying for National Show – To qualify for the National Show, the youth and Miniature horses entered must have shown together under two (2) judges prior to the National Show. The youth must qualify by showing that horse in a youth or Open class. Any Youth showing in an Open class must have a signed note or letter from the show manager confirming that they showed the mini in an Open class. In addition, the horse must also qualify as normal for AMHR Nationals.