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Versatility Ranch Horse is one of the fastest growing segments of Western riding competitions in the world. Why? Because it’s FUN! Versatility Ranch Horse competitions encourage riders of any skill level to “play cowboy” for the day or the weekend, with a chance at winning, regardless of expertise. Expensive, fancy tack and clothing is not required—in fact, it is discouraged! Everyday working gear is the correct way to outfit yourself and your horse. Horses should be clean, with minimal trimming and without hoof or face polish. Riders should wear working jeans and a western work-type shirt. Tack should be clean working tack, without excessive silver. Even the halter in the Conformation class is expected to be a good regular working halter, not a fancy silver-trimmed leather device! With divisions appropriate for skill levels, any horse and rider team can participate. While some shows are breed-specific, many shows are “open,” which means any horse, regardless of breed, can participate.
The competitions consist of five classes: Ranch Riding, Ranch Trail, Ranch Cutting, Working Ranch Horse and Ranch Conformation. Placings and points are awarded in each class. At the end of the day, the horse and rider team with the highest average score wins the Versatility Ranch Horse competition. For example, the best cutting horse on the property might be terrible in Ranch Trail and Ranch Riding. You and your horse might place second or third in each event, and your average score could propel you to the top!
Most Versatility Ranch Horse competitions follow AQHA rules.
Ranch Riding: This is a rail-type class, which showcases a horse’s movement at the walk, trot and lope. Stops, back-ups and turns are also demonstrated. At some shows, all horses are in the arena at the same time with the judge calling for the gait. At others, the horse and rider are alone, following a prescribed pattern. Horses are judged on obedience, transitions, purity of the gait, correct leads, maintaining the requested speed and the correctness of the rider.
Ranch Trail: The course contains a minimum of six obstacles that a horse might encounter in a regular day’s work on a ranch. Horses work at a walk, trot and lope while following a pattern. Working a gate (opening, passing through, and closing) is a mandatory obstacle, as is dragging a log. Dismounting, unbridling, and re-bridling, as well as picking up all four feet is another mandatory obstacle. Obstacles often found in Ranch Trail classes include crossing a bridge or water, loping over poles, jumping a log, riding into and out of a ravine or gully, roping a straw-bale steer...course designers often incorporate the landscape into their course and can get very creative.
Ranch Cutting: A small herd of cattle is released into the arena, and a specific cow’s number is called. The horse and rider have two and a half minutes to find the cow, cut him from the herd, display control over the cow by not allowing it to return to the herd, then penning the cow at the opposite end of the arena. Turn-back riders help keep the herd from interfering with the cutting and to keep the cattle at the prescribed end of the arena, once the cow is isolated from the herd. Riders are not penalized for helping the horse control the cow by reining, but in this event, the horse should have some natural herding instinct and to want to work the cow on its own.
Working Ranch Horse: This event has three parts: a reining pattern, working a single cow, and roping that cow. Scores from each section are totaled for the class score. The rider has six minutes to complete the class. The class begins with a reining pattern (usually one of the two AQHA reining patterns). The pattern contains circles at a lope in each direction, a change of lead in each direction, rollbacks, spins, sliding stops and a back-up. Once the pattern has been completed, the rider calls for the cow. The cow is then “boxed” on the designated short end of the arena; the team must demonstrate their ability to control the cow. The cow is then “fenced,” or taken down the long side of the arena with at least one turn each way on the fence without using the corners of the fence. The third portion of the class is roping the cow. The horse must be able to follow, rate and, once roped, must stop the cow without dragging it. The rider may attempt two loops. Not catching the cow is not disqualifying; if the rider can’t catch the cow, five points is deducted from the score. Some novice classes allow the rider the option to circle the cow in each direction instead of roping it.
Ranch Conformation: This halter class is held at the end of the day, when everyone is tired, sweaty and not very pretty. Horses enter the arena one at a time. After being acknowledged by the judge, the horse is trotted to a cone, then turned left and lined up parallel to the wall for the judge’s inspection. Horses are judged according to their breed standard, as well as their suitability for ranch work, with stock-type horses being a more desirable type than say, hunters, race horses, or draft horses. The sexes are judged together, without bias, in this class.
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