In an effort to increase awareness of the rules among all owners, trainers, breeders and exhibitors, the NHSC would like to issue a reminder concerning the following:

Rule V, Article H, Section 1(b): Any person who has not reached his or her 18th birthday is declared to be an amateur. For horse show purposes, a youth exhibitor is an individual who, on January 1st of the show year, has not yet reached his or her 18th birthday. If an exhibitor is 17 on January 1st and turns 18 on January 2nd, the exhibitor is still eligible to show as a youth exhibitor all that year.

Rule V, Article H, Section 3: (a) Any member of a professional’s family who has reached his or her 18th birthday is a professional if he or she aids or assists in the activities which make the aforesaid a professional. (b) Any member of a trainer’s immediate family who has reached his and/or her 18th birthday shall be considered a professional if he and/or she shows a customer’s horse. This provision shall apply to exhibiting at any horse show. Exception: A trainer’s immediate family may show a customer’s or co-owned horse in an open class and not jeopardize their amateur status.

Rule VI, Article A, Section 4(d): Combined ownership is permitted in Owners’ and Amateur-Owners’ classes. Combined ownership may be in corporate form. Any horse which is jointly owned, and one owner receives remuneration for training, is considered a customer’s horse. The horse is ineligible to be shown in owner/amateur classes by the owner (who is receiving remuneration) or his or her immediate family.

There is also an addition to the NHSC Rule Book concerning Trail Pleasure classes:

Rule VI, Article D, Section 3(b): Now reads as follows: The Trail Pleasure class may be a two, three or four gaited class (the fourth gait being the Trail Walk, which may be called for at the Judge’s discretion). Effective 9/29/2003.