Congress Amateur Select Pattern

Findings:

• Be ready for the judge between the cones, have your horse's nose centered on cone 2.
• Trot straight away and stop with your horse's nose at cone 2, allowing yourself enough room to perform the 180.
• Walk around cone 3 and IN LINE with the judge when you stop. Your horse's nose should be even with cone 3 when you stop.
• Back a 1/4 circle, stopping with your horse's nose even with cone 3.
• FOLLOWING your back tracks (so you should be trotting on the same steps you backed,)trot around cone 3 and to the judge, stopping with enough room to perform your 270 at the end of the pattern.
• Upon dismissal, perform a 270, give a courtesy look and trot away.
  
  

Drumroll PLEASE.... Congress Novice Am Pattern...

Ok, here is the long awaited Congress Novice Amateur Pattern (and I'm almost positive it was the Novice Youth and NYATT patterns also...)...so without further adieu...

Findings:

• Be ready BEFORE the judge signals you...do NOT make the judge wait on YOU...
• Center your horse's nose on cone 2 before you set up...and make sure you leave several walk steps BEFORE cone 1.
• Trot to cone 2 and stop with ENOUGH ROOM so that you can perform your 270.
• This is where a LOT of people had problems...the inside circle, some horses trotted ahead of their exhibitors thus making it difficult for the exhibitor to see and end directly in front of the judge, lots of exhibitors OVER did their circle and had to steer IN to get their horse to land in front of the judge. I also saw a lot of odd shaped circles...
• Make sure when you stop you give yourself 1 1/2 arms length away from the judge so that you can complete your 90 without running into the judge.
• Back STRAIGHT for AT LEAST 6 steps.
• This 270 killed a LOT of people BECAUSE THEY QUIT SHOWING, they needed to pull their horse slightly forward so it would pivot on the correct (horses right hind) foot.
• Trot straight away and quickly...at this point they want you out of the arena and are waiting for the next go.