Reining to Kick Off WEG

Martin Larcombe and Top Prize Prince at the Trot Up
Photograph: Franz Venhaus (courtesy Equestrian Australia)

Reining will be the first competition held at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, when all the action kicks off on 25 September (11.00pm AUS time). The trot up took place on 24 September with all Australian competitors' horses passing. Apparently the heat wave was interrupted by a storm, bringing rain to go with the reining, which is predicted to carry on for a couple of days.

The Australian team went first in the trot up (it was run alphabetically) with all horses passing. Therefore, Robyn Schiller who is our alternate will not compete. The Team is Warren Backhouse on Whisz Bronze Star, Martin Larcombe on Top Prize Prince, Shauna Larcombe on Silver Bemz, and Warwick Schiller on Peptos I Brow.

There are 71 competiors from 22 nations. 15 Nations participating in the teams event and seven will be represented by individuals. Three horses did not pass today's veterinary inspection, one from Great Britain, one from Israel and a Canadian horse.

The Australians along with most other nations are riding American horses which they have leased for the event. So they have not had much time to get to know their steeds before the competition, but all are happy with their horses.

Reining is the only western-style discipline featured at the 2010 Games. According to the National Reining Horse Association, competitions are designed to show the athletic ability of a ranch-type horse within the confines of a show arena. Reining is America’s discipline, with a history that dates back to the Western ranch.
Reining is a judged event, and similar to Dressage, riders will perform specific patterns and movements in front of judges to receive subjective scores, based on the accuracy and style of their performance.

According to the FEI, credit is given for smoothness, finesse, attitude, quickness and authority of movements whilst performing a pattern. Speed also adds to the level of difficulty of the movements.

A well-performed pattern will not only follow the drawn pattern and include the required manoeuvres but will look smooth and fast, but also controlled. In competition, a horse and rider are judged from the moment they enter the arena until they have complete their last manoeuvre.

Riders incur penalties and lose points for mistakes such as spinning more or less than 360 degrees, not performing a lead change on time or not stopping at the right location. Credit is given for performing the maneuver well, and there is no limit for how high a rider can score.

At WEG, for the Team Competition, all riders complete the same required Reining patterns and earn individual scores. Those scores are then combined with the other teammates for a team score for their country. The country with the highest score will win the Team Competition. In addition, the 15 athletes with the highest individual scores will automatically move on to the Individual Final.

The athletes that placed 16th-35th in the Team Competition will compete in the Qualifying Competition for the five remaining spots in the Individual Final.
The Individual Final will include the top 15 athletes from the Team Competition and the top five athletes from the Qualifying Competition. The athlete with the best score after this competition will be the world champion.

Reining is an exciting event and unlike most equestrian disciplines, the louder the crowd support the better! Everyone gets behind the competitors by “hootin’ and hollering” and even whistling while riders are performing. It is customary for spectators to cheer when a rider completes a manoeuvre and then again when the pattern is completed, making reining alot of fun for the crowd as well as the riders!