General
- The NRHA Youth Team Tournament Scholarship Reining will be held at the regional NRHA Affiliate Finals & Championship Shows.
- This contest should be added to any and all show promotion. The team draw time should also be posted and participants should be entered before teams are drawn. This is not mandatory, but will help in the overall process.
- Riders must be members of NRHA, and participating horses must have NRHA competition licenses.
- Definition of Youth. A youth competitor shall be defined as stated in the current NRHA Handbook.
- NRHA ownership rules will apply. (NRHA Handbook, Youth Show Rules and Regulations, A, 4.)
- Note: NCAA rules may prohibit collegiate youth from accepting awards. Show Secretary should provide a box on entry form that will notify NRHA Rep, Regional Youth Rep or Show Secretary that these individuals cannot compete in Youth Team Tournament or accept prizes.
Team Selection
- Any state, regional, national breed association or group can send members to participate in the team tournament (examples: breed associations, NRHA affiliates, individual stables or farms, and/or service organizations).
- Eligible youth classes to draw from are as follows:
- Youth 13 & Under
- Youth 14 to 18
- Youth Rookie (18 & Under) *exemption from NRHA rider/ownership rules.
- Not eligible youth classe:
- 10 & Under (Short Stirrup)
- Unrestricted youth
- Each team will consist of three (3) members, at least one of which shall meet qualifications of 13 or under youth competition. If there are no 13 or under competing, teams will consist only of 14-18 competitors, vice versa if there are no 14 – 18 competitors. Exhibitors are allowed to compete in the tournament on only one horse.
- If all 13 or under competitors in the class have been exhausted to create a team, all 13 or under competitor’s names will be put in a hat and a competitor’s name will be drawn to complete a team without a 13 or under competitor. In the event two riders are needed to complete a team, the same process will be used to select the 14 - 18 competitors.
- The NRHA rep or Regional youth rep will randomly select the teams prior to the youth classes at the competition. Team members will not be required to be qualified for the Affiliate Finals but must be entered in either age division of the youth classes and or affiliate finals youth classes. Each team will be required to have a name to promote team spirit.
- All youth riders are to be placed on teams, even late entries. Teams that have been formed, posted, or announced should not be changed. No rider should be deleted from a team unless that rider removes herself or himself voluntarily. Additional teams may be added to accommodate late entries until the beginning of the class and before the first youth rider enters the show pen. This may be done by using a random draw, just as it is done at the original draw for teams, to complete the team. The addition of new teams must be announced by the announcer prior to the first rider and the team members read aloud.
- The new teams should be added to the posted teams as soon as they are formed.
Scoring and Placing
- Judging will be done according to the current NRHA Handbook.
- The total score of all three team members will comprise the team score. The team tournament reining will run concurrently with the NRHA youth reining classes allowing exhibitors to enter and participate in both. The Top 10 teams will be placed
- Any ties for teams placing one through three will be broken by using the scores of the highest scoring team members. If the tie remains, the next highest scores will be used. If the tie cannot be broken in this manner, a coin toss will determine the winner.
Scholarships
- Scholarship awards will total $1,800.00 per tournament and will be allocated as follows:
- $1,200 to the highest placing team to be divided equally among team members
- $600 to the second place team to be divided equally among team members
- Continuing education opportunities and benefits in countries outside of North America will be addressed on an individual bases.
Awards
- The first place team will receive Youth Team Tournament champion buckles.
- First through 10th place teams will receive Youth Team Tournament medals according to their placing
- Scholarships will be awarded to the first and second.