VHSA - Associate Program Details

2024 VHSA Associate Championship Horse Show

The 2024 Associate Championship Horse Show will be held October 31st ~ November 3rd. The show date change was a mandated change by the Virginia Horse Center.

The 2024 Prize List

IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO EXHIBIT AT THE ASSOCIATE CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW:

A rider must have shown at five Associate Shows as a current VHSA member throughout the show season.
A horse must have been shown at five Associate Shows as a VHSA recorded horse and must be shown under it's VHSA recorded name.
Owner/Lessee of horse must be a current VHSA member.

Only when the horse is recorded, owner a member and rider a member can ASSOCIATE horse shows start to count towards the five shows to become eligible.

JUMP HEIGHT CHANGE: The jump height for the Large Pony Hunter Division at the 2024 Associate Championship Horse Show will be 2'6" and held in the Coliseum.

ANY TROPHIES THAT WERE RECEIVED AT THE 2023 VHSA ASSOCIATE CHAMPIONSHIP HORSE SHOW, PLEASE BRING THEM BACK TO THE 2024 ACHS SHOW.

NEW FOR 2024: The VHSA Associate Championship Horse Show will be holding a Halloween-theme Stall Decorating Contest. The Champion will receive $100 and Reserve Champion will receive $50. The Judging for the Stall Competition will be held on Friday, November 1st, from 4:00 p.m. ~ 9:00 p.m. The Winners will be announced before the show has ended. In keeping with the Halloween Theme, Trick-or-Treating (Costumes are optional) will be allowed in the barns from 4:00 p.m. ~ 9:00 p.m. on Friday, November 1st. We strongly encourage an Adult Guardian to accompany the Trick-or-Treaters (please keep groups to a maximum of 4).

2025 VHSA Associate Rules/Guidelines

The 2025 VHSA Associate Rules/Guidelines can be downloaded by clicking the above title

New for 2025: “A Pony is eligible to compete as a Green Pony for a maximum of two (2) Years (not necessarily consecutive)”

VHSA ASSOCIATE (LOCAL SCHOOLING) POINTS SYSTEM
VHSA Associate Point Structure for 2024

The following point system is for the 2024 Associate Horse Show Season. Each horse show is required to use this point system during their horse show and especially when pinning Champion and Reserve. If a show does not use the following point system, they will not be following the VHSA rules and will be considered not in good standing which may cause possible removal of VHSA sanctioning for any future shows.

Number of Exhibitors 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
3* exhibitors up to 5 exhibitors 10 6 4 2 1 .5
6 exhibitors up to 9 exhibitors 11 7 5 3 2 1.5
10 exhibitors or higher 12 8 6 4 3 2.5

*with the exception of Jumper Divisions which is allowed a minimum of 2 exhibitors to complete the course (Hunters must have a minimum of 3 to complete the course)

Champion: 10 points
Reservie: 6 points

The number of exhibitors for the Division will be determined by the number of horses or ponies shown successfully (completed the course) in the first performance (over fences) class of all Hunter Divisions and the number of horses or ponies shown in the first class of the Hunter Pleasure Divisions.

Year end points will only include the exhibitor’s top ten best horse shows, plus any points accrued at the Championship Show will be added to the
exhibitor’s top ten for the final year end total. With the exception of the VHSA Associate Equitation Classes which will be total points for year-end.

The Barbara Meegan Young Rider Award

In recognition of Barbara's support of the Associate Program and her many years of being involved with young riders the Barbara Meegan Young Rider Award was established and will be awarded each year to a deserving person in her honor. The following is the criteria for this prestigious award:

1.   The rider must be in their first year of competition in the VHSA Associate Program and have competed in Hunter or Equitation Divisions.

2.   The rider must have exhibited primarily in the Associate Program, but may have competed in divisions at USEF rated shows, with the exclusion of Regular Hunter, Working Hunter, Junior Hunters, Amateur Owner and Confirmation Hunter Classes. (Limited showing to divisions such as: Short Stirrup, Maiden Equitation, Local Classes- mostly Unrated Divisions)

3.   Riders are to be nominated by their trainers.

4.   The recipient will be selected at the year-end VHSA Associate Championship Show.

5.   Points of consideration will be as follows:
      a) Points accumulated in the VHSA Associate Program
      b) Performance at the Year End Show
      c) Conduct and sportsmanship at the Associate Championship Show

6.   The recipient will receive a ribbon and the trophy at the show.

Please submit your nomination via e-mail to the VHSA office (vhsa@verizon.net) by October 15th.