​Gettysburg College Western Riding Team

Competitions



The Gettysburg College Western Riding Team will be particpating in reined cow horse, cutting, reining, and ranch versatility competitions amoung others. The Western riding Team will be participating in American Quarter Horse Association(AQHA), National Cutting Horse Association(NCHA), Atlantic Reined Cowhors Association(ARCHA), and American Ranch Horse Association shows among others. We would like to thank Jeff Gettys for preparing our members and our horses for these competitions. We would also like to thank Lori and Andy Smallwood of A&L Horse Transport for trailering our horses to these shows. For more information on A&L Horse Transport please visit our Contact Us page. 

Reined Cow Horse

 

 

Reined Cow Horse competitions allow a rider to exhibit both their expertise on cattle as well as their ability to perform a reining pattern. The cattle portion of this event consists of boxing, circling, and going down the fence with the cow. The reining portion of this event allows a rider to show that their horses can perform flying lead changes, spins, perfect circles, and sliding stops. The picture to the left is of Dom Conicelli, owner of Kinda Silly Farm, displaying a run down the fence for a reined cow horse competition. For more information please visit the Contact Us page and ask about membership and lessons. 

 

 

 

 

Cutting

 

Cutting Horse competitions focus on cattle work. In a cutting competition, the horse and rider walk into the herd and pull a cow from the herd. Their goal is to keep the cow from the herd, but they are not allowed to use their reins. These riders use their legs and seat to steer a highly trained horse. The picture to the left depicts Jessie Minnich and Hicks 'N Jewels cutting it up! They ride with Andy Sutliff, a trainer and farrier who may be available for some clinics. For more information please visit the Contact Us page and ask about membership and lessons. 

 

 

 

 

Reining

 

Reining competitions allow the horse and rider to show case how well they can perform certain maneuvers. The sliding stop is usually a crowd favorite where the rider runs their horse and then stops very hard to allow the horse to actually slide about twenty feet. Spins are also a big favorite. Here, the horse is asked to pivot around one of his back feet. Usually, spins are performed in both directions. Flying lead changes and perfect cirlces are also a large part of reining competitions. To the left Amy Worrell, displays a sliding stop on her mare Fancy! For more information please visit the Contact Us page and ask about membership and lessons. 

 

 

 

 

Ranch Versatility

 

Ranch Versatility is a competition where the horse and rider are asked to perform tasks that would be encountered in a working situation. These include opening gates, going down large hills, going over logs, maneuvering in tight spaces, and others. This competition is all about maneuverability and can be quite challenging even though it is a lot of fun. The picture to the left is Jeff Gettys riding in a ranch versatility class down a steep slope, next to some scary tires, and carrying a large box. For more information please visit the Contact Us page and ask about membership and lessons.