Trail is defined as a competitive class where riders navigate a series of obstacles in a set pattern. At this year’s AQHA World Show, the number of entries in the Junior, Senior, and Amateur Trail are some of the biggest classes at the show and have double and triple the number of entries from what they were five to ten years ago. Meanwhile, the Amateur Western Pleasure did not have enough entries to hold a preliminary round, compared to five or six splits which was customary a decade ago.
Trail is a class that welcomes new blood. Last week, the Junior Trail left many top trainers out of the finals and many up-and-coming and young trainers found themselves in the spotlight. In the Senior Trail, an exhibitor won the class for the first time many years of trying.
On Tuesday, the Performance Arena saw nearly 12 hours of Amateur Trail with 70 entries in Level 3 and 56 in Level 2. GoHorseShow took that opportunity to ask exhibitors and trainers what seems to be the million dollar question this year, why has trail become so popular? Let’s find out what some had to say.
Cole Gower (Pictured above)- I think it’s a class that can be anyone’s game at any time. For me, it’s the rush that everything can be gone with one big hit or tick from big prizes. That can take you from first to last. Also, every course changes and every day is new. I love the challenges each course has and the new obstacles that come around every year and at every show.
Ryan Cottingim – I think a lot of it has to do with the scoring system. Once they (the rider) becomes a student of the event, then they begin to know what’s good and bad about their run. I think that trail, whether it is a small or large show, people think they can be competitive. In the senior and amateur, there are 50 talented trail horses that could be in the Top 10. Twenty-five of those could be the winner on any given day, so I think people believe they can play the game and have a chance to be the winner and that is appealing to many.
Tim Kimura (Trail Course Designer)– People want chances…trail is skill and luck here in Oklahoma City. People like trail because of a scorecard that’s justifies your standings and points outs your positives, negatives, and penalties. There’s a review system which makes you feel like questionable maneuvers can be reviewed. When you improve the rules of the game and can justify the results, it’s more appealing to the rider that competes. I see more western pleasure horse trainers starting to learn how to do trail than I see trail trainers learning to do western pleasure. Trail is very popular and the horse market on trail horses is at an all time high. More and more riders want to do it. It’s the going trend and I’m a small part of the movement.
Scott Reinartz – I believe politics plays a large part in it, and the western pleasure discipline has been so critiqued. It is very difficult to get a good pleasure horse to the breed’s extreme standard. The trail can be anyone’s class on any given day. It’s a score, not just an opinion based on each judge’s preference.
Carli Pitts – The western pleasure has gotten very competitive but there are only a few horses that are talented enough to compete at the World Show level. I recently started showing in the trail, and I have become a huge fan of the class. People like being able to go and look at their scores to see how they can improve for the next show. I still show my trail horses in the western pleasure throughout the year, but I know that they can’t compete at the World Show level.
Cathrin Gutmann – I think the trail is a real challenge to every exhibitor. You don’t have to have the best mover in the class and it is really a lot about the rider too. Only if you’re perfectly in-sync with your horse, you’ll manage to excel in the trail. It’s also never the same, the patterns are fun, and it’s also easier to understand for people who watch then a flat class, as they have an idea of what is being asked from the horse and rider.
Cathy Corrigan Frank – Because it’s a blast! It is my favorite class because every pattern is different and on any given day, someone different can win. There are also a lot of factors that play into it; skill and practice are definitely part of it, but so is timing, last-minute decision making, flexibility and good old fashion luck.
Christine McWhorter – I think that trail is popular due to the different challenges that each course has to offer. It is our jobs as exhibitors to be able to interpret the course and choose a path that highlights their horses’ strengths. I also think that it is great that a variety of styles of horses can compete in trail and be successful. Horses that may have started their career in different events can broaden their skill set and transition into the trail.
Caroline Rogers – Trail is a class that requires so much precision, and most days, half or more of the entries have a shot to score big and be the winner. Every day is a new day in the trail pen, there is no guarantee on who will end up on top!
Hayley Saul – I feel like it can be a fair playing field because every day is a new day in trail. You can go from a hero to a zero on any day. Plus, Tim makes the courses so beautiful.
Alyssa Neiberger – Trail, to me, is a very team-oriented class. I think the rider has to be in sync with their horse and the horse has to be in sync with the pattern. I think this class has become more and more popular because it’s a challenge for the horse and rider. Each trail pattern is different in some way. There is always new obstacles, poles are raised and lowered and the stride count varies throughout the pattern. I also think that trail is a fun class. It’s an adrenaline rush. I have been very blessed to own such a great trail horse. He loves his job and trail is our favorite class!
Tenielle O’Brien, Sydney, Australia – As a non-pro exhibitor, I think my horses knowing and showing in the trail always increases their value. Trail is the most challenging class I have ever shown in, so, it definitely keeps me constantly learning new things, and it keeps my horse’s mind fresh.
Lindsey Gillette – Trail is one of the few classes that, depending on the day, anyone could walk away with a big score. I have never really had a horse with a lead change, so I feel the trail is the one class that never really asks for a lead change, and, if they do, a simple one is okay to do.
Lauren Crivelli – Trail is a challenging class that offers a new course each time you show in the class. Each course has different obstacles that cater to different types of horse and rider strengths. Some horses are better at trot overs while others excel in technical obstacles such as side passes or back ups. Because of this, each new course could bring about a new winner which makes it so exciting and fun to watch. Poles are a great equalizer too; one tick could be the difference between making the finals at the world show or not. It’s a fun class to show in because you have to ride each step to help your horse make his spots and get over the poles all while looking ahead and staying on course. Trail is also a class that you can constantly improve on and it gives you something to look forward to each time you get on your horse to ride.
Vanessa Gillette – The trail is anyone’s game. There is never a guaranteed winner and that keeps things interesting. Even your best horses and riders can mess up on a world show trail course. Likewise, the underdogs can throw down a great ride and come out on top. I might not be showing it this year, but the trail is certainly one of my favorite classes to watch!
Kyle Smith Simmons – I think the pleasure horses have gotten so specialized and expensive. It’s hard for people to play. Therefore, a lot of the horses have found other jobs like the trail.
Lori and Andrew Augsburger – Trail is a class that truly any horse and any rider can compete in, on any given day. You can show the trail and be totally clean and not hit a thing then go right back in to show again and hit everything, so it definitely keeps horse and riders on their toes at all times.
Ashley Dunbar-Clark – I think the trail is bigger as it’s an equal playing field. In the pleasure or the hunt seat you need a great mover and those great ones are hard to beat. In the trail you can take an average horse and if it doesn’t hit poles, you could be the winner. The most average mover can be the most careful horse at the same time. To me, the trail never has a given winner. Yes, you have horses or people who win all year long, but at the end of the day, it’s anyone’s game!
Jeff Johns – I think the trail has always been very popular. Ever since I showed it at youth world and up to now, it has always had a huge number of exhibitors at AQHA World Shows. One of the aspects that I think draws a lot of people to it is the fact that everyone has a shot on any given day. One minute you can be riding high at the top and the next you’re humbled up very quickly. You will always have your top trail horses/riders in the country, but I’ve also seen people that may not have such a big name or expensive horse step up and knock it out of the park at a world championship event. That is what makes it so fun and awesome to a lot of people I think. I also believe it draws a lot of people because you always have a different pattern and a new challenge each time you show; you never get bored with it.
In terms of the pleasure being small at the AQHA World Show, I think that’s just an anomaly at this show. Pleasure numbers were huge at the All American Quarter Horse Congress, and they were also very large at the NSBA World Championship Show. For some reason unbeknownst to me, a lot of people just don’t come to the AQHA World Show anymore to show pleasure. I don’t think pleasure will ever disappear though, we get our next western riders and trail horses from the pleasure arena. The foundation of the western pleasure horse is vital to so many other AQHA events and we must never forget that or turn our back on them.
View the slideshow below of great candids from the AQHA World Show in the Amateur Trail prelims taken by Kaleena Weakly and EB Combs
