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The OAQHA Challenge has been renamed to the Provincial Championship. This event will bring together the top Non-Pros across all age divisions (Youth/Amateur/Select) to face-off on a highly challenging pattern. The Championship Finals will offer some of the best prizes and payback of the season to recognize the success, hard work, and dedication of our exhibitors.
The Championship Finals will be held during the OQHA Summer Finale show in Ancaster, Ontario over Labour Day weekend. While this is where the Championship comes to a peak, it’s truly a season-long initiative. Each regional (Area Promotional Club) show in the province of Ontario will serve as a qualifying event where the top scoring horse/rider combinations will earn an invitation to the Finals. Keep reading below to learn more about qualification.
The events offered will be Showmanship, Horsemanship, and Hunt Seat Equitation. Your opportunity to qualify will run concurrently with your Youth, Amateur, or Select class. 25 total exhibitors will be invited to compete in the Finals.
The Provincial Championship was built with several objectives in mind, key goals as follows:
One of the key goals of the Provincial Championship is to promote participation at the regional (Area Promotional Club) shows throughout the province of Ontario. Each regional show will serve as a qualifying event.
25 exhibitors will compete in the Finals, by invitation only. To get to this number, 3 qualifiers will be taken from the following 7 events.
Total number of qualifiers from these events = 21
Once a horse/rider combination has qualified, they are in. This means that if a qualified exhibitor earns another Top 3 score at a later show in the season, the 4th highest scoring exhibitor will receive an invitation, etc.
A standby list will be kept of the next highest scores of horse/rider combinations not currently qualified. At least four exhibitors from the standby list will qualify for the Championship.
The standby list will also be used to fill unused spots in the final so that we have 25 shown in each event. (ie. If a qualifier is unable to attend the event, the next highest score on the standby list would be qualified).
The standby list will be updated after each qualifying event and sorted from highest average score to lowest. Your score on the standby list will be your best weekend score of the season on a per-qualifying event basis.
To ensure a level playing-field exhibitors must show in the Level 3 class in their division (ie. Amateur, Select, Youth) to qualify for the Provincial Championships. Scores will be tabulated using the judge’s scores from the Level 3 at each of the qualifying circuits.
For circuits with 3 or more judges, scores will be tabulated by taking the average of the exhibitor’s scores over the course of the circuit. The exhibitor’s lowest score will be dropped from the tabulation.
For circuits with 2 or less judges (ie. Area 7 shows) scores will be tabulated by taking the average of the exhibitor’s scores. The lowest score will not be dropped.
Ties will be broken by calculating the average placings of the exhibitors. The exhibitor who placed higher on average over the course of a circuit will be qualified. The tied exhibitor who loses the tie-breaker will be placed at the top of the standby list.
The intent of the Provincial Championship is to encourage our exhibitors to step up their game and compete on patterns more challenging than typically seen at an Ontario show.
To select the patterns in an unbiased fashion an AQHA professional horseperson who is not a stakeholder in Ontario will be asked to create and provide the pattern.
The person selecting the patterns will be given the following parameters:
The Provincial Championship is schedule to run throughout the schedule of the OQHA Summer Finale Show in Ancaster, Ontario at the following times:
Show management reserves the right to amend the show schedule as required.
OAQHA does not plan to offer a buy-in option for 2023. While this was a nice way to boost payback in 2022, one of the key goals is to promote participation at regional (Area Promotional Club) shows throughout the season. For this reason, you are not required to compete at all qualifying events to earn a spot in the Finals but the only way to get in is through competing and earning a top score at one of the qualifying events.
While the Finals are non-sanctioned, AQHA rules will be followed. For this reason, you can only show one horse in the Finals. If an exhibitor qualifies multiple horses, you may choose which one you would like to show in the Finals. An additional horse/rider combination will be invited from the Standby List to fill the spot.
While the Finals are non-sanctioned, AQHA rules will be followed. For this reason, only one exhibitor can show a horse in the Finals. If a horse qualifies with multiple exhibitors, you may choose which exhibitor will show in the Finals. An additional horse/rider combination will be invited from the Standby List to fill the spot.
All qualification invitations will be on a one horse/one rider basis. You must compete in the Finals on the horse with which you qualified.
Absolutely! We encourage exhibitors from surrounding provinces and states to come to Ontario and show. Ontario has great facilities, competition, and shows and would love to share this with exhibitors from elsewhere.
No. While OAQHA encourages you to consider a membership, the goal is to ensure that those who qualify and earn a spot in the Finals are eligible to compete, attracting the best of the best to the Summer Finale show. There is no requirement nor fee to be eligible to qualify, as long as you show at one of the qualifying events. Note that the Finals registration fee will be discounted for OQHA members, so if it’s something you’re considering the value should outweigh the cost!
CQHA membership is required but free and easy to sign up online at https://cqha.ca/home/register/.
No, however we do thoroughly encourage Level 1 eligible exhibitors to step up and work toward competing in the Provincial Championship Finals. There will be special awards and recognition for the high placing Level 1 exhibitors in the Finals.
The reason that Level 1 scores will not be included in the qualification averages are twofold:
Once you’re in, you’re in! If you qualify a second time, we will move down the list and invite the next high score. All qualifiers will be spotlighted via the OAQHA Social Media and website throughout the season after each qualifying event. A key goal is to increase exposure and recognition for exhibitors and their horses.
The registration link will be sent to all qualifiers. There will be a deadline to register such that individuals from the standby list can be invited based on registrations received.
We do encourage all qualifiers to book their stall at the Summer Finale ASAP to avoid disappointment.
25 will compete in the Finals. Since 21 horse/rider pairs will be invited through the qualifying events, a minimum of four spots will remain open for exhibitors on the Standby List. Additional exhibitors will be invited from the Standby List dependent on registration. Several exhibitors will qualify from the Standby List, so be sure to keep a close eye on where you stand!
Absolutely! We had many spectators last year, and hope to see more in 2023. The Championship Finals will showcase the best of the best in their respective events. It’s a great opportunity to watch, learn, and set goals.
There will be no fee to spectate. Finals are scheduled throughout the showbill of the OQHA Summer Finale Show in Ancaster, Ontario at the following times:
Show management reserves the right to amend the show schedule as required.
Allison Reynolds & Huntin Secret Assets
Amber Zabel & Sleepy Monn
Katie Thompson & Gettin Bizy
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