| The ideal English Versatility horse is ridden with light contact, carries its head at a natural angle and its nose should be in front of vertical. Horses also demonstrate an obvious lengthening of stride when extending gaits. Photo: Rusty Bay Doc with Lainie DeBoer in the irons. |
| English Versatility is poised to do for Hunt Seat riders what ranch classes have done for western enthusiast: demonstrate the handiness and fun of riding a versatile, forward moving horse with light contact. Sun Circuit is offering Open and Non-Pro English Versatility on the 2025 Schedule. While not an AQHA approved class at this time, both the Open and Non-Pro will offer circuit awards for champion and reserve. Horses work individually in this pattern class that combines elements of working hunter mixed with a bit of trail, the spirit of ranch riding, the flow of dressage and the elegance of equitation. Rules for the English Versatility at Sun Circuit pull heavily from the vision for the class developed at APHA by Sandy Jirkovsky, Dave Dellin and others. Their goal was to design the class to be approachable, doable with or without a trainer and appeal to a wide range of all arounders from youth to select. They also expect to interest breeders who want to showcase the versatility and ability of their horses. The ideal English versatility horse travels with forward movement and demonstrates an obvious lengthening of stride when extending gaits. Horses are to be ridden on light contact. The overall manners, responsiveness and smoothness of the English versatility horse while making transitions, as well as the quality of movement are of primary considerations. Importantly, the horse’s head should be carried at a natural angle that is suitable to the horse’s conformation at all gaits. Ideally, a horse should carry its head no lower than level and its nose should be in front of vertical. Patterns will have 10 to 15 maneuvers that include the walk, trot, and canter in both directions; extended trot, stop, back, 180 forehand turn either direction, change of lead (simple or flying) either direction, leg yield, and trot or canter over a jump, cross rail, cavelettis, ground poles or raised rails. There is a maximum height of 2’6” on any jump or 12” on any raised rails. Horses will be penalized for being over bridled, having a too high or too low head carriage, having short vertical strides or being out of frame. Other points can be lost for ticking a pole, or knocking down poles or obstacles. As more people are getting to know English Versatility, enthusiasm is mounting. It especially speaks to anyone who recalls a fondness for mixing up their training routine: working on their horsemanship skills in the arena, trotting cavaelettis, maybe taking a small fence or two, then cantering out across a field and down a trail. Riders who have tried English Versatility share that it is the same amount of hard work as any other class, but it’s more fun both on the training side and the showing side. One goal that proponents of the class share is that after experiencing the movement and carriage in English Versatility, riders will take some of that lightness back to under saddle and equitation. They hope that riders will look at things differently and find that moving more forward and a little more up hill benefits their horse in many ways. Complete rules for the Sun Circuit English Versatility can be found at https://www.suncircuit.com/english-versatility/ |
