By Katherine O. Rizzo (first published in the July 2024 Equiery)

In the world of Western riding, competitors have lots of options when it comes to classes and types of shows. From Reining to Speed classes to Western Pleasure and everything in between! But here in Maryland, Ranch Riding is quickly becoming one of the more popular Western disciplines.

Ranch Riding
The goal of Ranch Riding is to showcase the versatility of the Western horse. “It’s to show what an actual ranch horse would be asked to do… a real working horse,” explained Maryland competitor Shannon O’Grady. The sport promotes traditional Western heritage and working-type horses with classes geared toward showing off the natural movements and ability of the horse.
O’Grady has been showing in Ranch Riding since 2018, along with her twin sister Sharleen Bender and husband Scott Rauhauser. “The sport is designed to welcome all levels of riders and it’s a great community,” she said, adding, “everyone is super supportive of each other.”

Jamie Timson of Delaware has been competing in Ranch Riding since 2019 and said, “Everyone supports each other, and I love the way the horses are encouraged to move the way they are meant to move.” She added, “I enjoy it all, the people, the horses, everything!”

Timson often travels to Maryland to compete. “The Maryland venues just have more opportunities for Ranch Riding than Delaware,” Timson explained. She also shows her grullo American Quarter Horse Shining C Austin in AQHA shows. “He’s a foundation style horse and was bred to be a working horse,” she said. “He’ll do most anything… even with a spook every now and then,” Timson added with a chuckle.

Here in Maryland, those interested in the sport have several venue options including Rockin A shows, which are run by Lynda Arnold who says she loves the Ranch classes because they “let your horse move freely and forward.” She added, “riders can come with their everyday normal horse, wear regular clothes and use everyday tack” making the sport accessible to all types of riders and horses.

This more laid-back atmosphere is what attracted Pam Mitchell of Baltimore to the sport as well, when she was 64 years old, in 2019. “I’m enjoying Ranch Riding because for me, it’s low-key competition,” she stated. “Everyone encourages each other.”
Other venues/organizations that offer Ranch Riding here in Maryland include the Eastern Shore Western Horse Association, Maryland Western Horse Association, Free State Riding Club, Double C Farm, and Western Horse Shows of Harford County.

East Coast Ranch Riding Association
Many of these venues offer their own show series as well as classes that are pointed for East Coast Ranch Riding Association (ECRRA) year-end and lifetime points. ECRRA was co-founded in 2017 by the late Terry Lynn Helder. Helder, who was 68 when he died on May 25 of this year, was from Pennsylvania and started ECRRA with the purpose of promoting and educating Western horse enthusiasts on the versatility of the Western horse.

His primary goal was to create a sport that anyone could participate in with competitions as well as educational opportunities. ECRRA offers competitions in three regions with Maryland being part of Region 3. Helder modeled the competition classes after AQHA competition with competitors being able to show in five classes.

Ranch Horse In Hand is a halter class. “The bigger shows often separate geldings and mares but some of the smaller shows will have them all compete together,” O’Grady explained.

Ranch Pleasure is an under-saddle class where horses can be judged individually but often in groups “on the rail.” Horses are judged together on general overall movement and way of going. “Judges are looking for a horse you’d want to ride all day long,” O’Grady said. ECRRA carded judge Roxy Baldwin of Manchester said she looks for horses that are able to show two trots and two lopes. “They need to be able to show easy transitions between the regular work and extended gaits,” she explained.

The Ranch Riding class is tested on a series of patterns from the AQHA rulebook. The patterns are short and can include maneuvers such as stops, rein backs, and turns.

Ranch Trail also has a set of standard patterns and maneuvers but in this class, they are more outdoor/trail type questions. These can include crossing a bridge, weaving through cones, dragging something behind the horse and opening/closing a gate. “This is where I want to see horses and riders performing in a fluid movement,” Baldwin stated. “Horses can’t touch the ground rails and need to move along from obstacle to obstacle.”

Finally, there is the Ranch Round Up class which is a speed class judged on fastest time to complete a simple pattern.
ECRRA divides these classes into five divisions as well. Open, which is for anyone including professionals; Non Pro, which is for anyone but excludes professionals; Youth, which is restricted to competitors 18 years old and under; Novice, which is for those new to competing in Ranch Riding; and Prime Time, which is for competitors who are 50 years old or older. Each division has walk/trot and walk/trot/lope options. Competitors can participate in just one or both.

Brooke Domino Skodzinski of Waldorf competes in the Open classes as a professional trainer. She took up the sport about four years ago. Skodzinski grew up in New Jersey where she primarily rode in the Jumper world all the way up through the Grand Prix levels. “I just love the Western lifestyle,” she said, adding that she has spent a lot of time out West working cattle and living the true ranch work life. “I just love working through the training and such that is needed to compete in this sport.”
ECRRA offers Days End and Lifetime Awards to competitors. Days End awards are given out per show with a Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion per division. Members can accumulate lifetime points towards recognition, achievement, and other top awards.

“When Terry Helder created ECRRA, he designed Lifetime Awards that he intended to be difficult to get,” O’Grady said.” “He wanted people to have to strive for and work hard to achieve them.”

The highest Lifetime Award given by ECRRA is the Superior Champion Award. “To receive this award, you must earn five Award of Achievements (500 points in each class) for either walk/trot or walk/trot/lope,” O’Grady explained. The Supreme Award is given to competitors who earn 300 points in each class.

Currently, the only competitor to achieve either of these awards is O’Grady’s semi-retired American Paint Horse TC Blazin Potential, aka Lincoln. O’Grady competed Lincoln from 2018 through the beginning of 2023 and achieved Supreme status last year. He’s just a few points shy of Superior Award honors and has come out of retirement to compete here and there!

The Ranch Horse
Although American Quarter Horses tend to be the horse of choice for most Western discipline riders, Ranch Riding is not breed specific and welcomes all sorts of horses. “Some people ride retired reiners and pleasure horses while others come out on Thoroughbreds,” O’Grady said. “I’ve seen some Haflingers and even a draft horse here and there!”

Mitchell rides a now 20-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred she’s had since he was five. Mitchell described “Bug” as a “hot mess” when she got him off the track from a trainer friend. “Now he’s just the biggest sweetheart,” she said. Mitchell started competing Bug in Ranch Riding in 2019 stating, “Bug really enjoys trying new things. It keeps his brain busy.” She added that the challenge of learning the various required movements has been good for Bug. Together they won the Western Horse Shows of Harford County Novice Championship in 2022. “I was shocked to win! Never dreamed this could happen,” she said.

No matter what breed of horse is competing, Baldwin said what she is looking for as a judge is the overall working horse. “You know, that horse that looks like a pleasure to ride all day long on a working ranch,” she said.

Baldwin, who moved to Maryland a little over 30 years ago, has always loved Western disciplines even though she dabbled a little in English riding in her youth. More recently, she has become passionate about Western Dressage and while working on becoming a carded judge for those competitions, she was introduced to Ranch Riding. “I already had a lot of judging hours and then took some clinics and classes to learn how to judge Ranch Riding,” she explained. “I learned a lot from Terry [Helder] and also from playing around with trail obstacle-type classes myself.”

Skodzinski competes a big Quarter Horse that was overlooked and tossed aside by other trainers. “The true Ranch horse is responsive and easy to ride and comfortable to sit on while working cattle all day long,” she said. “Larry is a big guy but gets a lot of praise for how broke and well trained he is.” Skodzinski added, “he covered the ground easily and floats but can also do all the quick tight movements needed really well.”

Tips for Newbies
With Ranch Riding being geared towards all levels of riders, from all sorts of backgrounds, riding all kinds horse breeds, one might wonder… how do I get started!?!?

Timson says riders should just go out to a local show and ask lots of questions. “Find people already showing and just ask. We are always willing to help new people,” she said.

Baldwin agrees adding, “find someone who can help you with the basics. The basics really are the key to everything.”

Skodzinski wanted to remind riders that they should spend time focusing on overall horsemanship before competing. “This is about how well you can ride your horse and how well they listen to you,” she said.

And Mitchell added, “It takes time to learn [the patterns] but remember, its supposed to be fun!”