Showmanship Trends at the Western Paint World

October 15, 2010
Jennifer Barbee for The Equine Chronicle

Held each October in Bakersfield, CA, the Western Paint World Show is the last APHA approved show of the year in California. While known for its typically large class sizes and ability to earn final year-end points at the State level, the Western Paint World is also becoming an important show for exhibitors polishing their performance before the Fall World Championship Show in November.

I attended the Western Paint World Show on Friday, October 15th to watch the Halter and Showmanship Classes. I was especially interested in spotting trends and tips to enhance my own performance in Showmanship.

The patterns are attached for your review. As is often the case with “straight line” patterns, the patterns were deceptively simple on paper. I was impressed that all of the exhibitors I watched managed the jog around the “blind” right turn easily, with no one knocking over the cone.

In both the novice and regular patterns, the back up, set up and final ¾ turn were the elements where the winners distinguished themselves.

The back is a popular component of current patterns because it allows the judge to assess your control of your horse’s body and your ability to use invisible cues. If your horse doesn’t have a smooth flowing back up on curves and a straight line, now is the time to start practicing on that for next season. Some exhibitors had to tug on the lead for each backward step, but the horses that backed off of body language and hand position alone were the ones who earned the highest scores. This was especially apparent in the Classic and Masters divisions.

Also, the fast and accurate set up was rewarded. The winner of the Classic Amateur Showmanship had a beautiful go. When she asked for the halt at the judge to set up for inspection, the mare was already set behind. A quick move of the left front hoof and the set up was nailed – less than 3 seconds! Two Novice exhibitors put in smooth flowing patterns, but after the set up, their horses moved a front leg. Both appeared to notice, but did not attempt to reset the leg, costing both exhibitors ribbons.

Moving the pivot foot is considered a major fault in Showmanship and carries a hefty penalty. A handful of exhibitors had trouble keeping the foot planted in the final 270 turn, and more than a few failed to “complete” their turn before trotting away. The judges seemed to respond most favorably to the exhibitors that completed each movement, paused, and then went onto the next element.

Showmanship is an event where personality and style can help create a favorable impression in the judge’s mind. Most exhibitors were dressed tastefully, with monochromatic jackets and slacks. More than a few sported black, and asymmetrical patterns were abundant, especially with white and gold trim.

Some of the stand out designs included a Novice Amateur who wore a black jacket with shiny kelly green swirling around from the left shoulder to the right hip and a Novice Youth who displayed an Ed Hardy-tattoo-type design of a heart with wings on the back of her white jacket, above black slacks. The winner of the 14-18 wore an embellished-at-the-waist white jacket with burgundy slacks and topped it off with a burgundy hat. Yup, a burgundy hat! She looked spectacular, turned in a beautiful, floating pattern, and complimented her sorrel horse perfectly. And, I only saw one brocade jacket, signaling the end of that trend, perhaps.

While the Showmanship class sizes seemed down from the prior year, it was a great day to watch, observe, and learn!