The classes are judged on who can ride what they are given with the best position. Shows are hosted by various colleges in the region, and all the colleges in the region try to pool horses together for the shows.
The morning of the show, those who are competing are not permitted to ride at all before their class. They watch all the horses in the competition warm up with designated warm-up riders, and then go to a draw table to see which horse they will be riding in their classes. Sometimes riders luck out and draw a horse they know quite well, and other times, they draw a horse they've never laid their eyes on. This keeps riders on their toes and means they must be adaptable riders, as no two horses are the same.
For more information please visit csupomona.edu/~horseshowteam
Added by fairplexevents1 on March 23, 2010