2025 MFTHBA Rulebook

76 VERSATILITY COMPETITION Versatility of the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse The MFTHBA Versatility Program has been implemented with the goal of showcasing the versatile, unique, practical and valuable Missouri Fox Trotter attributes. The Missouri Fox Trotting horse is an excellent working and family horse. The quiet disposition, willingness, ability to perform in any situation, and athletic ability of the Fox Trotting Horse are unsurpassed in the versatile horse world. Versatility classes are designed to demonstrate the horse and rider as a unit, working together. This horse and rider team showcases a well- trained, athletic and willing horse that is a pleasure to ride and an accomplished horseman who has mastered an art. Section 1. Versatility Champions: A. Versatility Champion is the highest award at an MFTHBA Versatility Competition. This award is based only on Versatility points. The Versatility Championship is not a class as such, but rather a method of scoring each horse’s overall versatility at a show. The scoring has been designed to recognize the diversity of the horse rather than spotlighting a specialty type horse at a show. The Versatility Champion may not actually win classes but may place well in more events and in more categories, earning the most points a result win the Versatility Competition as outlined below. Ranch Horse Champion honors the ranch or working horse. Where Ranch Horse competitions are held, this event will showcase the abilities of the horse in typical ranch situations. Scoring will award points for the skills demonstrated by the horse and rider team. B. World Champion and World Grand Champion titles : 1. Class winners at the Annual Show and Celebration will earn the title World Champion. 2. The World Grand Champion Versatility title will be awarded to the winner of each division (Open, Amateur and Youth) at the Annual Show and Celebration. A Reserve World Grand Champion Versatility title may also be awarded in each division. To be eligible for the World Grand Champion title a horse must place in the top ten of at least one class in Category 1 (three- gait classes - Western Pleasure and English Pleasure) and must compete in all Versatility categories. Points will accrue and be tabulated from each class in the Versatility categories listed below. a) The stake race will not be included on the calculations for a World Grand Champion title. 3. The World Grand Champion Ranch Horse title will be awarded to the winner of each division (Open, Amateur and Youth) at the Annual Show and Celebration. A Reserve World Grand Champion Ranch Horse title may also be awarded in each division. To be eligible for the World Grand Champion title a horse must participate in four of the six classes in the Ranch Horse Competition. C. Show Requirements: 1. All approved MFTHBA Point Shows that offer Versatility or Ranch Horse classes, or Championships shall follow official rules, standards and policies of the MFTHBA. 2. All special events such as, but not limited to, futurities, derbies and circuits, will be governed by the current rules and regulations of the MFTHBA unless specific safety or legal variations are approved by the Board of Directors. 3. Show management shall have the right to: a) Cancel divisions at an approved point show as necessary, when exhibitors in a division number two or less. b) Combine identical classes of divisions and judge concurrently. D. General Eligibility requirements: 1. MFTHBA registration shall be required of a horse for eligibility. 2. MFTHBA membership is required for both owner and exhibitor. 3. All classes are open classes unless specified as an amateur, novice, youth class, or class being run concurrently for two or more divisions.