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AQHA's novice program allows even the experienced AQHA member
wanting to try something new to develop his or her horsemanship
and exhibitor skills.
WHO'S ELIGIBLE?
The novice program is available to you in youth and amateur
competition. The AQHA skill sets, which have been updated for
2008 (see www.aqha.com,) are
designed to help you and your horse grow in a new event at your
pace. To be eligible, you must not have earned 25 novice youth,
youth, novice amateur, amateur or open combined lifetime points
in that skill set.
WHO IS CONSIDERED A NOVICE COMPETITOR?
If you have never shown in an AQHA-approved show event, you
should consider yourself a novice. As a novice exhibitor, you
compete in a separate class to learn new events at your pace.
There are a few rules to follow to determine your eligibility
as a novice. You cannot compete as a novice in any skill sets if
you match any of the following criteria:
~Won a world or reserve world, national or reserve national
championship title in any other equine breed organization in an
AQHA-approved event
~Won a total of $5,000 in cash and prizes with any equine breed
organization
~Been an accredited horse show judge
~Earned 25 or more performance points in the AQHA open, novice
amateur, amateur, novice youth or youth divisions combined.
Novice points are awarded for an exhibitor’s lifetime points
in that skill set. Novice points are not added to your permanent
show record.
WHAT'S NEW IN AQHA NOVICE COMPETITION?
Now, your points earned in a particular class will not
hinder your eligibility as a novice in other events. Previously,
when you earned 40 novice points, you graduated out of novice
altogether. Now, your points in the new skill sets do not affect
your novice status in another skill set. All these changes will
make your horse showing experience more fun and easier for you
to try a new event!
WHO CAN SHOW AS A NOVICE?
As a youth or amateur competitor, you can show in any skill
set as a novice if you never won a world or reserve world,
national or reserve national championship title in any other
equine breed organization or in an AQHA-approved event, never
won a total of $5,000 in cash and prizes with any equine breed
organization, never been an accredited horse show judge, never
earned 25 or more performance points in the AQHA open, novice
amateur, amateur, novice youth or youth divisions combined. If
you have ever been or are currently an accredited horse show
judge, you are ineligible to compete as a novice. You may still
compete as an open limited rider in eligible skill sets.
FOR MORE INFORMATION - check out
www.aqha.com/showing/divisions/novice.html | 
