The Walking Horse Trainers’ Association (WHTA) recently appointed a Riders’ Cup committee chaired by Chad Williams to look at changes for the 2012 show season.  The Riders’ Cup Committee consists of Williams, John Allan Callaway, Charlie Green, Edgar Abernathy and Larry Wheelon.  The committee has reviewed a suggestion by exhibitors and trainers that a pleasure division be added in 2012 and has decided to implement that change in 2012.

The Riders’ Cup program had been exclusively for Open Performance divisions since its inception and will add the Open Pleasure divisions in 2012.  To begin the program, three divisions will be added:  Lite Shod, Park and Classic Park.  Although only three divisions will be kept in 2012, all open pleasure classes will be allowed to participate in Riders’ Cup.  All Open Performance classes are also eligible to participate in the Riders’ Cup program.

Horse shows that are Riders’ Cup will not be charged an additional fee to participate in the Riders’ Cup program and if they have both performance and pleasure divisions in 2012, the $100 affiliation fee will continue to be allocated to the Performance division.  The only requirement to add pleasure classes to the Riders’ Cup program will be for shows to charge the additional $10 entry fee and submit it to the WHTA office after completion of the show.

Points and monies will be kept separate for the performance and pleasure divisions as well as sponsorships.  Participating trainers can receive points in both divisions however those points will be kept separate.  At the WHTA Year-End Horse of the Year banquet presentations will be made to the winning trainers from both the performance and pleasure divisions.

The pleasure division is looking for sponsors and those sponsorships will remain $2,500 just as the performance sponsorships are in 2012.  More details on the pleasure division will be made available in the near future.  Just as with the performance division, the standings and points totals will be kept exclusively on the Walking Horse Report’s web site and weekly in their print editions.  Standings are kept up-to-date at www.walkinghorsereport.com.