TOURNAMENT FORMAT • •
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All scores received are published on the USPA website under the I/I Scoreboard. Teams in each region and division are then seeded; the lower seeded teams play through preliminary tournaments, while higher seeded teams may receive a bye to their regional tournament. Winners of the preliminary tournaments advance to the regional tournament. The winner of each regional tournament advances to the national tournament. If a game should end in a tie at the end of regulation, a shootout format is necessary to determine a winner. Tournament locations are selected based on availability of host site, the proximity of teams and available horses. Teams entered into a tournament are required to provide a string (6-9) of horses. All horses must meet the published USPA I/I Equine Welfare requirements, including a negative coggins & current health papers. All horses are subject to a pre-tournament horse inspection by the onsite veterinarian, testing for soundness and Body Condition Score. Tournaments are kept to a maximum of six teams so students are out of school for the least amount of days as possible, keeping in mind necessary rest in-between games for the horses. Tournaments are played either as a round robin or single elimination format, with consolation games as horses are available. Awards are presented to the winners of the tournament, and teams vote on 4 All-Stars and 1 Sportsmanship award to be given to their peers. In addition, all players score their horses on a scale of 1-10 after playing, and at the end of the tournament, scores are tallied and a Best Playing Pony is awarded, as well as a Best Playing String.
