Show Protocol - Roadster Horses and Roadster Ponies

RDS 4.0 Show Protocol - Roadster Horses and Roadster Ponies

1. Roadsters are required to trot at three distinct speeds: the jog-trot, the road gait, and full speed.

2. Regardless of speed, they must maintain proper form, with their chins tucked and legs working efficiently beneath them.

3. Headers are encouraged and permitted for these classes.

4. A balanced trot is characterized by knees folding, hocks flexing, straight front leg action, and coordinated motion. Any deviation such as sprawling front legs, dragging hind legs, or straddle-gaited action is penalized.

5. Roadsters should display animation, brilliance, and a commanding presence while performing at the jog-trot or road gait.

6. Exhibitors must ensure their entries maintain form and show speed when required to drive on.

7. Entries displaying laborious movement, pacing, or mixed gaits are penalized.

8. Judges must emphasize the requirement for roadsters to perform at three distinct speeds and penalize exhibitors executing incorrect gaits.

9. Roadsters must enter the ring clockwise at a jog-trot, then perform at the road gait, and turn counter-clockwise to repeat the process before trotting at speed.

10. During line-up, exhibitors must continue in the second direction to reach the line-up area. Failure to comply will result in disqualification.

11. Roadsters must maintain a steady trot along straight sections and around turns.

12. Any entry deemed unsafe by the judge(s) must be excused from the class.

13. Participants are expected to stay on the rail unless passing, reach the far end of each corner without leaning, respond promptly to gentle rein cues, and stand calmly when assessed in the center of the ring.

14. Entries displaying inappropriate or dangerous behavior must be immediately eliminated.

15. Drivers must sit towards the inside edge of the seat and hold the end of the reins. Both feet must remain in the stirrups during the performance except when in the lineup.

16. Judges are responsible for ensuring safety regulations are followed.

17. Workouts are judged both ways of the ring as a new class, with tied horses considered for placings.

18. Entries may request one five-minute Personal Time Out per class, including workouts.

19. When entries are in the line-up, drivers and attendants must refrain from taking any action that could impact another entry.

20. In Juvenile, Youth or Amateur Roadster Horse or Pony classes, when entries are lined up, one attendant is permitted to enter the ring and head their entry. Attendants may hold the entry, but must release the entry when judges approach for inspection. The Roadster must remain checked and any adjustment of overcheck - such as moving to a string or lengthening - is prohibited and will lead to elimination.

21. During a workout in Juvenile, Youth or Amateur Roadster classes, an attendant can be present in the ring for entries not participating in the workout. The attendant may uncheck and hold the entry during the workout, but after the workout is over, the entry must be checked again.

22. A class is considered concluded when it has been judged according to the rules and the judges have submitted their cards. In qualifying classes, the judge's cards must be submitted before an entry is eligible to compete in the Championship class.

23. As long as a competition has not limited eligibility for a Championship class to ribbon winners, or a specific number of ribbon winners, if an entry fails to qualify due to an equipment failure (limited to the bridle, saddle, cart, wheels and harness), cast shoe replacement time, or illness (certified by the official veterinarian), that entry shall be permitted to show in a related Championship class provided the entry has been pre-entered on the official entry blank for that Championship class.

24. If a class is split, an entry may not change splits after the start of the session in which the class is held.

25. UPHA Classics - See Rules at UPHAonline.com