East Coast Trainer Challenge Finals, Virginia
4 Trainers, Four Untouched Horses, 3 Days!!

Winner: Brock Griffith

Winners from North Carolina, Northern Illinois and Arkansas Trainer Challenges compete in Virginia for National Finals

North Carolina: Brock Griffith

Northern Illinois : Scott Purdum

Arkansas: Charles Pelham

Arkansas: Aaron "Mule" Thornbrugh

October 31-Nov. 2: Brock Griffith, winner of the NC East Coast Trainer Challenge will face off against Northern Illinois winner Scott Purdum and the winner of the upcoming Arkansas Trainer Challenges.  This exciting colt starting competition finals will take place Friday (7:30 pm), Saturday (7:30 pm) and Sunday (11:45 am), with the final exhibition of each trainers progress in the finale on Sunday at the Equine Extravaganza.  Each trainer will have one hour each day to use natural horsemanship techniques to get his colt ready to accept saddle and rider the event will culminate on Sunday as each trainer takes his horse through an obstacle course, demonstrating the progress in building trust and confidence in their mount.  Don' miss these exciting  Championship Finals, Virginia, Oct. 31, Nov. 1-2.   

 Brock Griffith wins NC Trainer Challenge.  In an amazing display of natural horsemanship at the NC East Coast Trainer Challenge Brock Griffith emerged as the winner in what was considered by all an exceptional and close competition.  All three trainers did an amazing job with their young, untouched horses.  In what the judges called an amazingly close competition, Brock scored the highest overall and emerged as the winner.  Commentator and exceptional horsewoman Julie Goodnight said she would have any one of the three trainers work with any of her horses.    2007 Winner, Tommy Garland, went on to compete in the prestigious Road to the Horse colt starting competition in TN.

Come to Virginia to see who will join East Coast Trainer Challenge Hall of Famers Tommy Garland and Ed Dabney.

The competition is included in the price of admission to the expo and will be held  Friday and Saturday at 7:00 PM and 11:45 AM Sunday time.

Trainer Challenge admission is included in general expo admission price.

The East Coast Trainer Challenge, presented by Alexis Horse Trailers, has expanded to include 3 preliminary challenges (Northern Illinois, Arkansas and North Carolina) with the final competition to be held in Richmond at the Virginia Equine Extravaganza, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2008.

The Competition
“Natural horsemanship” is a skill and an art and starting young horses is one of the most effective ways to illustrate the many facets of natural horsemanship. Join Equine Extravaganza for this exciting trainer challenge in which these three regional champion trainers demonstrate their natural horsemanship skills as they work with young horses to get them ready to accept a saddle and rider. Trainers will be evaluated on their ability to advance the horses as far as the horses’ individual capabilities will allow while keeping the horse calm, attentive, and engaged.

Four Trainers

Brock Griffith, Winner NC	Scott Purdum, Winner N. IL	Arkansas Trainer Challenge
		Charles Pelham	Aaron "Mule" Thornbrugh

Who Will Win??
Don’t miss this exciting challenge as these three champion trainers face off with three young horses to see who will be the new East Coast Trainer Challenge Champion!

Three Days Each trainer will have a one-hour training sessions with their horse each of the three days of the expo. Trainers will work simultaneously and will be encouraged to explain the techniques used and what challenges and changes they see in their horses. Following the third session, trainers will bring their horses into the open arena for the final exam. They will have 10 minutes to showcase progress made by taking their mount through a course of obstacles. The competition is emceed by our 2007 Winner and Road to the Horse Competitor, Tommy Garland with Wayne Williams.

Three Untouched Horses
The trainers will work with 4 young, untouched horses provided by Virginia Sport Horses. These horses excel in disciplines that require strength, stamina, athleticism, grace and versatility, making them excellent choices for virtually any equestrian sport. You will see Virginia Sport Horses showcased in the breed demos as field hunters, jumpers, eventers, dressage mounts and general pleasure horses. The trainer challenge horses will be available for purchase from Virginia Sport Horses. Visit them in Old Dominion Building!

You Be the Judge!!
And you can help us decide! Each Trainer is assigned a color and the audience will hold up a color coded card at the conclusion of each session to indicate the trainer who they feel best exemplified the judging criteria. Emphasis is placed on the quality of training that occurs. The audience and judges will be looking for enduring and purposeful training skills and steady improvement in the horse.

North Carolina Winner: Brock Griffith

October 31-Nov. 2: Brock Griffith, winner of the NC East Coast Trainer Challenge will face off against winners from upcoming Arkansas and Northern Illinois Trainer Challenges.  This exciting colt starting competition finals will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the final exhibition of each trainers progress in the finale on Sunday at the Equine Extravaganza.  Each trainer will have one hour each day to use natural horsemanship techniques to get his colt ready to accept saddle and rider. T

Championship Finals, Virginia:  Brock Griffith wins NC Trainer Challenge.  In an amazing display of natural horsemanship at the NC East Coast Trainer Challenge Brock Griffith emerged as the winner in what was considered by all an exceptional and close competition.  All three trainers did an amazing job with their young, untouched horses.  In what the judges called an amazingly close competition, Brock scored the highest overall and emerged as the winner.  Commentator and exceptional horsewoman Julie Goodnight said she would have any one of the three trainers work with any of her horses.    2007 Winner, Tommy Garland, went on to compete in the prestigious Road to the Horse colt starting competition in TN.

Come to Virginia to see who will join East Coast Trainer Challenge Hall of Famers Tommy Garland and Ed Dabney.

The competition is included in the price of admission to the expo and will be held  Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM with Sunday time TBA and announced soon.

Trainer Challenge admission is included in general expo admission price.

The North Carolina Trainer Challenge Participants
 

Horses for the trainer’s challenge are provided by Virginia Sport Horses. VSH specializes in draft cross sport horses and has provided trainer’s challenge horses in 2006 and 2007. The horses selected for the challenge are minimally handled and halter broke horses and are as close as it is safely possible to come to untouched horses. The horses are Virginia Sporthorses “Signature” Clydesdale/TB/Paint crosses. They originally came from Saskatchewan Canada and are now bred and raised in Virginia. The horses selected for the Challenge are all sired by an APHA Stallions and out of TB/Clydesdale cross mares.

These horses have a calm and sensible natural temperament that makes them ideal candidates to be trained using Natural Horsemanship methods during 3 one hour live sessions. 

Past Trainer’s Challenge horses have gone on to become dressage and hunter jumper mounts. Video clips of 2006 and 2007 trainer’s challenges can be found on the VHS website: www.virginiasporthorses.com. Two past trainer’s challenge horses, Brogan, pictured below, and Aramis are available for sale

JUDGE CARD:

SCORING

Total possible score is 100; score 1-10 in each block, with a 7 score of 70% representing an average performance. Each trainer begins the session with a 70% and is given more of fewer points in each category. Seven=average performance, 8 or 9 is very good; 5 or 6 is below average. Half points and multiple points may be assigned. Final score is attained by adding and subtracting points from the initial score of 70; 65 is below average, 75 is above average.

RULES

Logistics: Trainers may not interact with horses in advance. Trainers may not seek information about the horse. Trainers are allowed one assistant who may only enter the pen to hold the horse at the time of first saddling. The assistant may hand the trainer equipment through the rails when requested. Abusive actions of any kind are prohibited and will result in disqualification. Natural horsemanship methods of control and discipline are allowed. Clinicians will stop if their horses become overtired or stressed; water will be available for both horses and riders, as needed. Goodnight is the final authority on all matters. Equipment: Typical tack and training tools may be used (blankets, ropes, saddles, saddle pads, bridle, halter, flags, sticks, etc.). Only snaffle bits may be used. Items not normally associated with natural horsemanship are prohibited: i.e. machinery, harsh training tools. The announcer and/or the judges may ask questions of the clinicians and ask them for explanations or comments. Participants may be disqualified if at any time they fail to follow the rules,   act in an unsportsmanlike manner or if their representatives, or associates, family or friends act in unsportsmanlike manner on their behalf.  Disqualification is at the sole discretion of show management.  

SCORING

Trainers are not judged on how far or fast they train their hoses, but rather on their ability to read their horses and adapt to the horses’ temperaments while employing the most appropriate methods for their horse. Each judge will score each session based on a 100 point scale, with 70% being average. The total score fore ach session will be an average of each judge’s score, plus the audience choice (25% from each judge plus 25% from the audience). The final score will be an average of all four sessions. At the end, all four scores will be added and averaged and the trainer with the highest average wins. Ties will be broken by tally of the judges scores without the audience scores included.  If a tie still exists after removing the audience score, the event will be considered a tie and the prizes will be split between the tied participants.

SCORE CARD

Each item will be scored from 1-10 by each judge, with 7 given for an average performance and 1- for an outstanding performance. Plus and minus points will be assigned (see below). Each trainer starts with a 7 in each category. If a particular item makes you say “wow!” give a plus 1-2 points (8 or 9 score). If the item makes you respond with a “so-so,” give a 7. If the item makes you frown, give a minus 1-2 (score 5-6). Half points can be used. Major deductions (5 points) can be given at the judges’ discretion. Ten items on the scorecard allow for a total of 100 points.

FINAL EXAM

Following the third round pen session, there will be a short break then each horse/trainer pair will come into the full arena to work the horses for 10 minutes and show the judges and the audience what his horse has learned. Trainers will have the opportunity to work the horses in the open arena and attempt any obstacle that they felt the horse is ready for. Plus points will be given if the horse stays quiet, focused, willing, and moving forward. Minus points will be given if the horse is pushed too hard, shows obvious signs of stress or regresses in his training.