What kind of ride do you need to be able to lay down? What kind of errors are going to knock you out of the ribbons? Zones 2 & 5, if it makes any difference.
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Honestly? At least in Zone 3, hope the class fills. The adult eq stuff, outside of a few of the popular local medals, is just nowhere near as popular as the junior divisions. Be prepared to compete against a few college students who are still doing IHSA but have aged out of the big eq, especially at the larger shows.
I think the only place I’ve even seen it run with more people than ribbons was at WEC.
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I’m in PA, southern Zone 2, abutting Zone 3. Our 3’ Adult Eq typically fills at the bigger shows (Swan Lake As, McDonough As, State College). We don’t venture to Philly so not sure there. Never fills at the few B shows we have left. And when it fills at the As as JenEm said usually more ribbons than participants.
I’d love it to be more popular. Suits my current horse a bit better than the Uber competitive older AAs and I still enjoy it. This year even the MHSA Adult Final was scanty attended. Not sure why. Plenty of folks are showing around here.
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Do you want to go do the Ariat finals or something? At finals you still need to be scoring in the mid to upper 80’s.
In north zone 3 it takes bringing two friends to fill your medal class.
I’m not sure what happened. When I was competing in the adult medals in zone 3 5-6 years ago we had full classes in the MHSA and VHSA with a small (25 people) but competitive final, and I usually had at least one friend with me in the Ariat. I am not that old.
I suspect that my fellow younger adults are finding life very expensive.
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I have seen our state (MD) medal rarely offered at some of our shows this year (whether by omission or lack of interest post COVID), and when it does get on the schedule, tough to fill. In zone 2 I do think some of the New England eq are classes much more competitive. In z2/3 (MD/PA/VA showing, in my experience), have a decent round with no major error and you can be top 4 at a reasonably sized rated show (5-8 in a class). Over the summer you get the IHSA and NCAA riders home for the summer which is always a boost in competition.
What are your goals? State medals? National finals? Ariat medal is tough to qualify for unless you show A LOT as they take too from each zone then work down the National standings. If it’s just zone ribbons, yoy will find success just by showing a few times a year, I think 
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In Northern California there are a plethora of JR/Am medals with heights ranging from 2’9”-3’3”. The finals for these medals can have 25-45 riders. A lot of theses medals require testing in the course so to be competitive you’ll need to be able to trot fences, counter canter, hand gallop. Typically the age group Eq (even the adults will fill at the shows that hold the finals.
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thanks for the awesome information.
A somewhat related question… Can anyone clarify if hunter gags are legal in the eq? The rulebook seems to list them as an exception when listing illegal bits. But it doesn’t explicitly say they are legal.
Unconventional but not illegal, rider may be penalized but not eliminated.
As a starter, have had the judge ask me to quietly have a word with a trainer whose student was showing in one, suggesting that the pair switch bridles before coming back in the ring if they wish to be in contention for a ribbon.
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Thanks!
Another eq related question for which I cannot find anything about in the rules…
Horse sticking out it’s tongue while going around. Penalized?
There was one out here a number of years ago that did that. Never seemed to be an issue, but he just quietly stuck it out without other resistance. Also I think he was more if a 3’3” medal horse, not big eq.
There was a big eq horse who ribboned at several finals in the last year or two, what was his name, Salty? Something like that. He always had his tongue out.
