Hunter Classes | Ridden Classes

LED CLASSES

Horses in Led Clydesdale cross classes are assessed on their temperament, conformation, movement and soundness. This is not a turnout class. The horse should show the qualities and type that define the breed. The horse's body should be balanced in accordance with the size of the horse and it should possess a calm temperament and good nature.

The objectives of Led CCSHA classes are to provide opportunities for members who currently own or breed Clydesdale Crosses, to compare their horse's conformation, temperament and movement. The aim of Led Clydesdale Cross classes is to promote good conformation, movement and temperament, as well as good horsemanship and showmanship skills.

NOTES FOR COMPETITORS

For the young, or not so young, showing offers a challenge. Led classes can begin at our annual show and as your skills increase you can progress and perhaps one day compete with the best at a Royal Show. Presentation plays a major role in Led classes and first impressions are important. Take the time to present yourself and your horse in a clean and tidy condition When competing, stand your horse squarely on all four feet and keep the horse posed at all times. Stay calm, confident and collected and remain attentive whilst keeping an eye on the Judge and the other horses in the event. At all times be courteous to the Judge and other competitors.

NOTES FOR JUDGES

1. A Judge must know all the external points of a horse and have a good understanding of the characteristics that define the Clydesdale Cross breed.
2. A Judge must know how a horse with excellent conformation should look and develop a mental image of the ideal Clydesdale Cross. The ability to judge will improve if you can compare the horse you see with the ideal image you have fixed in your mind.
3. The Judge should be able to recognise any conformation faults of a horse, including straightness of legs, length of bones, angles of joints, desired muscling, length of neck and back and overall balance.
4. Allowances should be made for minor blemishes due to previous injuries.
5. Horses showing conformation faults in Led Clydesdale Cross classes should score lower in the Judge's mental assessment, i.e., splay-footed, knock-kneed, narrow front, base wide, bow-kneed, calf kneed, pastern too straight, straight shoulder, ringbone, and the like. However please note that any horse being slightly cow hocked should not necessarily be deemed at a confirmation fault in a Clydesdale Cross.
6. The horse's movement should be rhythmical while moving in a straight line. Horses showing movement faults should score lower in the Judge's assessment, i.e., brushes legs, paddles, stringhalt, short stride, stiff action, and the like.
7. The Judge may ask a competitor to leave the ring if their horse becomes unruly at any stage or is dangerous to other competitors. The horse should not buck, bite, kick or refuse to comply.
8. The horse should be relaxed and not show signs of nervousness. Young horses may show some signs of tension when taken to initial outings-anxiety, jumpy, pawing, whinnying, etc.

JUDGING PROCEDURE

Judging begins when the horses are led into the ring. As the horses are being led into the ring the Judge stands back far enough to get an overall view of the horses entering. This allows an immediate assessment of the horses to be judged. The horses should be worked around the ring as directed by the Judge. Competitors should avoid bunching in a group, so the Judge can see all the horses competing. A large class should be led on the circle for the Judge to select horses for an individual workout.

Generally between 6 to 10 horses may selected depending on ribbon placing allocations When the Judge has called competitors into the ring, they should form an orderly line from the right, leaving sufficient space between each horse so that the Judge can walk freely between the horses. No competitor should talk while waiting in the ring. Horses are inspected closely for soundness and overall conformation. The front and back legs should be observed while the horses are lined up. The next step is to have each horse walk and trot to the Judge's instructions. The Judge should then observe the action and behaviour of the horse. Upon completion of all workouts the Judge will place the horses in order of merit. Workouts may be adapted at the discretion of the Judge according to local conditions. Workouts may be judged in their entirety for a single total score OR each transition and movement can be scored separately for a total score.

At present we do not advocate any particular style of presentation for Clydesdale Cross horses in Breed Classes. Our horses are a variety of types and used for many different purposes so it would be impossible to have a "one size fits all" policy for presentation. Many members often particularly ask about feathers on legs. Many members choose to retain the feathers on their horses, while others choose to clip them off. In our experience in Clydesdale Cross breed classes, both "feathered" and "feather-less" horses have won classes. As with all Showing, of course, preferences of individual judges may be different.