The Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show has announced the changes to its Qualifying Requirements for 2009.

The significant changes pertaining to show pleasure, country pleasure, and park are as follows:

1. A trainer or any member of his family may not show a customer’s show pleasure or country pleasure horse in order to qualify it for the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show.
2. All ribbon winners in classes of six or more entries will receive the following points – 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (8 for 1st, 7 for 2nd, and so on) - based on number of ribbons awarded. The point allocations for classes of five or less entries are the same as in 2008.
3. Only the champion and reserve champion in the show pleasure, country pleasure, amateur park and park championships at the 2008 Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show will be automatically eligible, but they must have shown in six classes at three shows during the present qualifying period from July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009.
4. A qualifying class and championship for junior exhibitors in the park division will be held, with a limit of 20 exhibitors, the same as it is for the junior exhibitor classes in the pleasure and country pleasure divisions. The same requirements for the pleasure/park qualifying will also apply to this class.

Exhibitors are reminded that the first qualifying requirement prior to review of point totals accumulated is that any horse entered in show pleasure, country pleasure, or park at the Kentucky State must have shown in a minimum of six classes in three or more different shows during the qualifying period of July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009. Points will come into play only after the minimum criteria are met and if the number of qualified entries in any particular class exceeds the maximum number as specified in the Qualifying Requirements.

The major change in the Western Invitational Qualifying Requirements is that starting January 1, 2009, all competitions that are registered with the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA), not just USEF-licensed, will count for points in qualifying for the Western Invitational.

All competitions that host classes for Saddlebreds are encouraged to register their competitions with ASHA in order to be included in the 2009 Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show qualifying system. There is no cost to register a competition. The registration form can be found and downloaded at www.saddlebred.com/files/compreg09.pdf. Competitions must submit their prize lists and official results in a timely manner for exhibitors’ points to be included.

Complete pleasure/park and Western Invitation Qualifying Requirements for the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show can be found at www.asha.net/WCHS-Results. The point standings will be available as soon as possible, and will be located on this same page on ASHA's website. Exhibitors are reminded that in 2008, all entrants who had met the first qualifying requirement, competing in a minimum of six classes in three or more different shows during the qualifying period, were eligible to compete.

Questions concerning pleasure/park or Western Invitational qualifying may be directed to [email protected].