HORSE
Superintendent Sally Bryner
Horse Show Rules
The official guide for all 4-H horse show events shall be the Nebraska 4-H Horse Show & Judging Guide available at: https://4h.unl.edu/nebraska-4-h-horse-show-judging-guide/.
An exhibit in this show shall be a bonafide project animal and be identified as a project animal before June 15 on the official 4-H Light Horse Identification Sheet.
Identification will be checked the morning of the show.
- Nebraska 4-H Horse Advancement Level Requirements:
- Anyone exhibiting in the Box Butte County 4-H horse show, regardless of age, must pass the Nebraska 4-H Horse Level I prior to fair entry deadline of July 1
- Anyone 10 years of age or older planning to show in the State horse show must have passed the Nebraska 4-H Horse Level II, II, or IV prior to entering the respective classes at the State Show.
- Horse Futurity Requirements: Year 1 of project must have passed Nebraska 4-H Horse Level I. Year 2 of project must have passed Nebraska 4-H Horse Level II. By year 4 of project must have passed Nebraska 4-H Horse Level III. Levels must be completed prior to the county fair horse show.
Anyone planning to show a three-year old horse in Western Pleasure, must have completed the Nebraska 4-H Horse Level III prior to the county fair horse show.
Contestants must wear a western hat, long sleeve white shirt with collar, blue jeans, appropriate shoes and 4-H arm band. (See the General Tack and Attire Section for clarification of appropriate shoes as well as entire the entire dress code)
Each exhibitor may enter no more than one horse in each class of performance, speed, futurity, and showmanship.
A single horse may not be entered or ridden in a class or event by more than one person, even though the horse is jointly owned by two members of the same family.
Please note the classes 630001-63003 and 63010-63038 are included for the All- Around Awards.
In the event of questions or conflict occurring the day of the Box Butte County 4-H Horse Show the judge for that day will have the final decision. Other questions or conflict should be addressed with the 4-H Staff member and the 4-H Horse Superintendent
- Horse Futurity Class Guidelines - The horse futurity classes were established to allow a member to complete four classes of training with the same horse. It challenges members to undertake a young horse training project. It provides the opportunity for members to demonstrate their ability and the horse’s ability to teach, learn, and compete over a four-year period.
For anyone participating in the four-year futurity project in Box Butte County, that person must be at least 12 years of age by January first of the year the project is started. The Nebraska 4-H Levels must be completed as follows:
- Year 1: Level I
- Year 2: Level II
- By Year 4: Level III
Upon completing all four classes, a member will receive the Futurity Award. The following is a description of each of the four classes
- Class I - 1st Year - Yearling at Halter - Members will show a yearling at halter. Officially a horse turns a year old on January 1st after the year in which it was foaled. Only mares and geldings may be shown, no stallions allowed.
- Class II - 2nd Year - Western Pleasure - Member must show the same horse shown the prior year in Class I - Yearling at Halter. Members will follow rules outlined in the Nebraska 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide (4H373) for 2 Year Old Western Pleasure.
- Class III - 3rd Year - Trail - Member must show same horse as previously show in Class II - 2 Year Western Pleasure and Class I- Yearling at Halter. Members will follow rules outlined in the Nebraska 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide (4H373) for trail.
- Class IV - 4th Year - Reining - Member must show the same horse as previously shown in Class III - 3rd Year Trail, Class II - 2 Year Western Pleasure and Class I - Yearling at Halter. Members will follow rules outlined in the Nebraska 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide (4H373) for reining.
Exhibitor Age Divisions for the Horse Classes are as follows:
Junior Division (age 8 – 10 as of Jan 1 of current year)
Intermediate Division (age 11-13 as of Jan 1 of current year)
Senior Division (age 14 – 18 as of Jan 1 of current year)
Horse Showmanship
G060001 Junior Division
G060002 Intermediate Division G060003 Senior Division
Horse Judging
G060004 Senior Division, Geldings
G060005 Senior Division, Mares
G060006 Intermediate Division, Geldings
G060007 Intermediate Division, Mares
G060008 Junior Division, Geldings
G060009 Junior Division, Mares
Performance Classes
G060010 English Equitation, Senior Division
G060011 English Equitation, Intermediate Division
G060012 English Equitation, Junior Division
G060013 English Pleasure, Senior Division
G060014 English Pleasure, Intermediate Division
G060015 English Pleasure, Junior Division
G060016 Western Pleasure Light Horses, Senior Division
G060017 Western Pleasure Light Horses, Intermediate Division G060018 Western Pleasure Light Horses, Junior Division
G060019 Western Pleasure Light Horses, 2 Year Olds
G060020 Western Pleasure Light Horses, 3 Year Olds
G060021 Horsemanship, Senior Division
G060022 Horsemanship, Intermediate Division
G060023 Horsemanship, Junior Division
G060024 Reining, Senior Division
G060025 Reining, Intermediate Division
G060026 Reining, Junior Division
G060027 Western Riding, Senior Division
G060028 Western Riding, Intermediate Division
G060029 Western Riding, Junior Division
G060030 Pole Bending, Senior Division
G060031 Pole Bending, Intermediate Division
G060032 Pole Bending, Junior Division
G060033 Barrel Racing, Senior Division
G060034 Barrel Racing, Intermediate Division
G060035 Barrel Racing, Junior Division
G060036 Trail, Senior Division
G060037 Trail, Intermediate Division G060038 Trail, Junior Division
G060039 Futurity Class, 1st Year, Halter (First Year Yearlings at Halter) G060040 Futurity Class, 2nd Year, Pleasure
G060041 Futurity Class, 3rd Year, Trail
G060042 Futurity Class, 4th Year, Reining