Reading the Rules, Take Two, To Trot Or Not to Trot

Horses of the outside world. The Brothers Brick: Year of the Horse comes galloping along. Articulated LEGO horse.

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The plot thickens. Last week, I talked about the potential problem of being eliminated for trotting into the ring. [Reading The Rules]

Then I read, “Trotting into the ring with purpose shows the judges that you’re prepared and ready to perform.” Judging Hunters and Equitation by Booker & Winkel, caption, page 63 (2023). [Homework]

Huh?

Turns out trotting into the ring for a hunter FLAT class is okay, Judging, page 64. Upon reread, the rule I cited last week is from “Hunter Division …. Courses”, which means jumping. [USEF: HU109.6]

So, it’s not Hunter/Jumper vs ASB. It’s jump vs flat. If you are jumping, walk into & out of the ring. If you are in a flat class of either type, trot in. I find that even more confusing. I think it would be easier to tell myself hunter = no trot, rather than having to figure which type of class I was entering each time.

Jogging for conformation could go either way, trot into the ring or not trot, Judging, page 66. I am extremely unlikely to be hunter showing at a level that calls for jogs.

But wait, did we used to trot into the ring? Quote from Scott Hofstetter, “As an exhibitor, I always trotted into the ring, let my horse walk a few steps and then picked up the gallop and went to the first jump.” Judging, page 64, inset. That sounds vaguely familiar. Trot in, walk, pick up canter, proceed to jump.

Again I say, huh?

A commenter with excellent Google-fu found out that the rule went into effect in 2009. Using that info as a heads up, I found it on a CoH forum CH: Hunters entering ring at walk- new rule, “No course may have exhibitors trotting or cantering through the in-gate or out-gate; any exhibitor choosing to trot or canter through the in-gate or out-gate will be eliminated. EC 2/17/09 Effective immediately” Emphasis mine. [Reading The Rules, third comment, thank you.]

So trotting in was correct, or at least okay, and no longer is. For over fences classes. Should I ever get myself back to Hunterland, I’m going to be worse than ignorant, because I think I know the rules.

Onwards!
Katherine