The Green Pattern Class debuted at the 2010 NSBA World Show, but since it was a new class last year, many people were not aware it was even available. After the NSBA World Show concluded this past weekend, many riders were impressed with the potential of the class and its growing popularity. This year, the class was won by Bruce Vickery riding multiple Congress and NSBA World Champion, RL A Sudden Image.
The horses that are eligible to show in this class had to have fewer than 10 points in horsemanship as of the first of the year. Also, anybody is allowed to show in the class–open, youth, amateurs, non-pros, etc. Leading trainers like Bruce Vickery, Robin Frid, Charlie Cole, Brad Ost, John Briggs and Butch Campbell showed in the class this year.
“I feel that it is a great way to see the great pleasure horses transition their way into being pattern horses,” said Bruce Vickery, who won the class this year. “You have an option of showing more than one horse and eighty percent is scored on how the horse executes the pattern and only twenty percent on horsemanship.”
Trainer Brad Ost also showed in the class. “It was a lot of fun practicing a class we usually wouldn’t work on as much, and I think they could make it an even more exciting class. For example, make the trainers ride the horse they entered, and then do the same pattern on one of the other horses entered.”
The riders piloted their horses through the pattern at an extended trot into the middle of the pen, stop 360 to the right, lope slow right circle into a mandatory simple change. Then, they loped a left straight line past cone three, where they broke down to the jog, and jogged back to the second cone and executed a 270 to the left. Then, they walked four horse lengths and stopped and backed three horse lengths. The top five placings in the class were Bruce Vickery, John Briggs, Butch Campbell, Charlie Cole, and Jonathan Meilleur.
“I feel that the class was fun to watch because you got to see the trainers do the horsemanship,” said youth competitor Jonathan Nowacki who was excited that his horse won the class. “It was such an honor for me because there were so many great horses in that pen. There was no rail work. So it was all based on who had the best pattern. So, in my mind, it was on how the rider could maneuver the horse through the pattern with ease and flow.”
NSBA Judge Tom McBeath, who judged the class along with Terry Cross, and Bruce Walquist, believes the class is a great marketing tool for trainers and owners. “I think it is sometimes hard to imagine the potential abilities and talents in patterns classes of a horse you only see in the pleasure futurities and on the rail.”
McBeath continues, “This class gives trainers the ability to demonstrate the talents of a young horse and also maybe other horses that may not show in the pleasure futurities because they aren’t nice enough movers. Now, young and green horses have a chance to compete in a class and show that they have potential in the show arena in other events besides the hunter under saddle and western pleasure.”
