Here at The Big Sky Classic, we are all about education and de-mystifying showing for everyone. One of the most asked questions we get every year is this one, “How do we qualify for Vegas?”. Let us break it down for you! We want quality horse showing to be available to all, and qualifying for the National Championships can be the best experience!

What are you Qualifying for?

What does qualifying for “The show down in Vegas” actually mean? The show down in Vegas is an end of the year National Championship for USHJA held during The Las Vegas National, CSI4*-W. The Championships feature national titles for Hunter, Jumper and Equitation competitors at a range of levels. Hunter competition features Green Hunter Incentive Stake Classes and two $25,000 USHJA National Hunter Derbies. The Jumper Divisions feature junior, adult, and open divisions, from 1.00m - 1.30m.

Now you might be thinking, wow we can qualify for that showing at your horse shows? Not quite, you aren’t qualifying for those divisions. (You certainly can, just not at our shows.) The USHJA also has a program called the USHJA Outreach Program which was created for shows like ours. Every year they host a National Affiliate Championship, at The Las Vegas National - This is what you are qualifying for. The National Affiliate Championships features classes at these levels:

Affiliate Children's Hunter 2'

Affiliate Adult Hunter 2'
Affiliate Children's Hunter 2'6"
Affiliate Adult Hunter 2'6"
Affiliate Children’s Jumpers – 0.70m
Affiliate Adult Jumpers – 0.70m
Affiliate Children’s Jumpers – 0.80m
Affiliate Adult Jumpers – 0.80m
Affiliate Children’s Jumpers – 0.90m
Affiliate Adult Jumpers – 0.90m
Affiliate Children’s Jumpers – 1.00m
Affiliate Adult Jumpers – 1.00m
Affiliate Equitation 17 & Under 2'
Affiliate Equitation 17 & Under 2'6"
Affiliate Equitation 18 & Over 2'
Affiliate Equitation 18 & Over 2'6"

You can learn more about the Affiliate National Champion Specifications here.

Some of our Big Sky Classic riders competing at Marshal & Sterling Insurance USHJA National Championships 2023.

How Does Qualifying Work?

Competitors are nominated through each individual Affiliate Organization, qualifying procedures vary by Affiliate. The Affiliate organizations at our shows are the Yellowstone Hunter Jumper Association (YHJA) and the Montana Hunter Jumper Association (MHJA). Each Organization can nominate up to three horse-and-rider combinations per section. Since we do have a small zone, and a small amount of competitors that want to go to the Championships, the YHJA and MHJA work together at the end of the year to nominate different combinations, so that more people have a chance to go. Affiliate Organizations must submit their nominations by August 2024.

Affiliate and Outreach Competitors have an opportunity to compete at the USHJA National Championships in the Affiliate Championship sections. Open only to Juniors and Amateurs.

Qualifying as an Affiliate Competitor
Affiliate Competitors are nominated through each individual Affiliate organization based on which entrants they deem most qualified to compete and represent their organization. Qualifying procedures vary by Affiliate. Thirty entries will be accepted per section. Horses and riders do not have to be registered or members of USHJA to participate in these sections. Please see page 4 of the Affiliate Championship Specifications for full detail on qualifying through the USHJA Affiliate Organizations.

Qualifying as an Outreach Competitor
Outreach members who have been awarded the Outreach Golden Backstage Pass, based on points calculated, December 1 -September 1 of the current competition year are provided the opportunity to compete in the USHJA Affiliate Championships. Golden Backstage Pass winners will also have the opportunity to participate in National Championship course walks and attend additional educational sessions at the National Championships.

Riders may only compete in Affiliate Championship sections of comparable height for which they achieved their Gold Level status. Affiliate section entry fees will be waived for these members. Outreach Gold Level rider entries will be in addition to the 30 selected Affiliate entries. Please see page 4 of the Affiliate Championship Specification for full detail on qualifying through the USHJA Outreach program.

What is it like to show at the Championships?

The Marshall & Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships are unlike any other championship experience currently offered for the Hunter and Jumper disciplines. You can learn more about what to expect and the schedule here.

A variety of educational opportunities will also be available to participants, free of charge, throughout the event.

The Championships will take place during The Las Vegas National, CSI4*-W, held at the South Point Hotel, Casino, & Spa's unique Arena & Equestrian Center. The Center offers an exceptional experience where riders and horses stay under one roof and exhibitors can also enjoy the spa, tables and slots, 64 bowling lanes, and nine dining establishments. The hotel room group code will be provided to competitors along with stall assignments once final show entries are made with the Blenheim Equisports show office.

What does this mean for you?

If you are wanting to qualify for The USHJA National Affiliate Championship this year, here are your next steps:

Join an affiliate organization. YHJA, or MHJA or both! (If you join both, you have twice as good as a chance of being nominated.)
Pick a division you would like to qualify for, and ride in it: We wouldn’t suggest the highest you’ve ever competed - remember if you do qualify, your going to be riding at a big show, with challenging courses. Pick a division you are super comfortable riding at, and ride in that division at all Affiliate Shows you attend. Remember, to qualify your trying to collect as many points as you can in a single division.
Let the organizations you joined, know you want to Qualify! This ensures that the organization knows you would like to qualify. Realistically, not all competitors at our shows that are part of an organization want to go to the Championships. They have either already gone, or they just don’t want to travel down to the show. Each organization will work down it’s list of qualified participants, so just because you didn’t win your division, doesn’t automatically mean you won’t qualify.
Go Horseshow. Plan to compete at a couple of the affiliate organization’s horse shows for the year. Check each affiliate organization’s website to see how many shows they have for the season. Remember, to qualify you need to have collective points in a division. Rider’s who compete at multiple shows and have multiple wins will have more points than riders who only compete at one show and have less wins. Each organization picks three combinations for each division. Keep checking your points throughout the season to see where you are in the standings.
Plan ahead. If you are wanting to qualify for the Championships, keep an eye on your points throughout the year. Keep checking back when nominations are made for the year, and be sure you get all your paperwork in by the due date in September. Make sure if you qualify, to send in your entries, book a hotel, get your horse’s paperwork ready, and plan your travels! You made it to Vegas baby!

As part of our mission here at the Big Sky Classic, we want to provide quality, educational horse showing for everybody. We also want to provide the opportunity to show at an “A” rated show if you never have before. Many of us grew up riding on our local horse show circuit, and the biggest show we went to was a finals or championship held at the end of the year that we qualified for. This program that the USHJA provides is such a special opportunity for our riders in Montana, and that show at our series from surrounding states! We hope this blog post cleared things up for everyone, and if you have any questions about qualifying, or about horse showing in general, please reach out!

-The Big Sky Classic Team