Guide to the Action

What are the judges looking for in the next Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion? Here is a breakdown of the three events.

It’s show time! Nowhere in the world of equestrian sport will you find more spine-tingling action than in the reined cow horse arena. These finely tuned equine athletes will dazzle you with their athleticism, cow sense, courage and finesse.

The 3-year-old horses in the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity® are judged in herd work, rein work and cow work. Contestants in the ancillary horse show classes – hackamore, two-rein and bridle – are judged in rein work and cow work only.

HERD WORK

In this event, one horse and rider enters a group of cattle, separates a single animal, and then prevents it from returning to the herd. The horse should step into the herd willingly and quietly, sorting out one cow without disturbing the rest. There is a two-and-a-half minute time limit for each run, and two or three cattle are worked during that time.

Judges are impressed by horses that display exceptional courage while holding a difficult cow, work on a loose rein with a bright, alert expres-

Ricky Piggott captured the Level 1 Limited Open title in 2020 partly due to a high herd work score of 281.5. sion, maintain proper position on the cow and spend the majority of the two-and-a-half minutes holding a cow out front.

Judges also will deduct for losing a cow, failure to control the cow, insufficient working time, low degree of difficulty, or lack of eye appeal.

REIN WORK

The rein work is the only phase of cow horse competition that does not involve a cow. Sometimes described as the equestrian equivalent of figure skating, horse and rider perform a pattern with specific maneuvers: fast and slow circles, lead changes, spins, sliding stops and backing up. In the reined work, judges look for a horse that is willingly guided, with little or no apparent resistance. Points are deducted for disobedience or deviation from the pattern, while credit is earned if the maneuvers are performed with extra speed and finesse in a manner that is pleasing to watch.

COW WORK

The cow work, also called the fence work, is the final, adrenaline-fueled stage of reined cow horse competition. Fortunes can rise and fall in a split second during this fast paced event, and the outcome of the Snaffle Bit Futurity is not certain until the fence work is complete. The key to a good score is maintaining control of the cow at all times.

After horse and rider enter the arena, a single cow is pushed through the gate at the opposite end. The horse must first “box” the cow, or hold it at the end of the arena, maintaining control and staying in proper working position. Next, when the rider decides the time is right, he allows the cow to run down the long side of the arena and turns it on the wall. This first turn must take place after the center marker, but before the first penalty marker near the corner. Horse and rider must turn the cow a second time in the other direction, and may make additional turns on the fence before taking the cow into the open arena and maneuvering it in a 360-degree circle each way.

The most controlled cow work, with the highest degree of difficulty and the best form, scores the highest.

SCORING

Five judges are scoring the action at the Snaffle Bit Futurity. They all have the NRCHA’s highest 3A judge’s credential. Judge’s Monitor for the 2021 Snaffle Bit Futurity is NRCHA Director of Judges, Bill Enk, who will be officiating along with Andy Adams, Sandy Collier, Bobby Ingersoll, Doug Ingersoll and Smoky Pritchett. They are also the judges for the Hackamore Classic.

Judging the horse show classes and AQHA Ranching Heritage portions of the competition are Bobby Lewis and Terry Thompson.

In the five-judge system, the high score and low score are thrown out, and the remaining three scores are added up to achieve the final score. For example, if a horse receives a score of 219, it averaged a 73 from each judge.

All events are scored using a plus and minus system for each maneuver. If a rider incurs penalty points, they are deducted from the overall score.

A score of 70 is considered average. Each contestant begins with a 70 as soon as they enter the arena. Each maneuver receives a plus, a zero, or a minus from the judge. Plus indicates an above-average performance, zero means it was done correctly, and minus means a below-average maneuver.

Anything above 70 means horse and rider earned credit during the run, while a score below 70 means something went wrong; either the maneuver quality was poor or penalties were incurred.

PRIMO MORALES

The 2020 Open Two Rein Champion Nick Dowers and Still Get Jealous make a sliding stop look easy, marking a 147 rein score on their way to a win.

PRIMO MORALES

Gusti Buerger makes a fence turn look easy in a classic example of the cow work portion of the reined cow horse event.