Home / Equestrian sports / Show hunter
For everyone: leisure and amateur
Show hunter is a competition where judges score the style and beauty of the horse's jumping rather than its speed. An ideal hunter moves smoothly, evenly and calmly, like a horse in the traditional hunting field.
| Group | For everyone: leisure and amateur |
|---|---|
| Also called | hunters, hunter over fences, working hunter, hunter derby |
| Olympic | no |
| Governing body | USHJA / USEF (USA) |
| Where it is popular | Hunters are especially popular in the USA. In the UK the jumping version is called working hunter. |
A course usually has 8 to 12 fences in natural colours such as brown, green, white and beige, made to look like obstacles in the hunting field. Judges look for an even canter rhythm, accurate take-off, good jumping form and manners; refusals, knockdowns and rubs lower the score. Heights depend on the class, from tiny fences for young children to 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) and up for green hunters. There are also two-round hunter derbies and flat classes judged on walk, trot and canter.
Any breed may compete, but top hunters are usually Thoroughbreds or warmbloods. Children have separate pony divisions by height.
Riders use classic English tack, and the turnout of horse and rider matters a lot. The rider wears a helmet, show jacket, breeches and tall boots.
Well-known events include the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania (late May) and the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in Kentucky (August).
Hunters are a great start for young show jumpers because they teach steady rhythm and calm riding. The youngest riders can try leadline classes with fences under 12 in (30 cm); train at a club with a jumping coach.
Hobby horsing has a hunter class too: judges score style, rhythm and neat jumping rather than time. What is hobby horsing →
The Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania has been held since 1896 and is the oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed horse show in North America.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, usef.org, ushja.org