From: prescott@rtsg.mot.com (Audrey Prescott)
Subject: quarter sheets and intercollegiate showing
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 17:56:19 GMT

I have info on two subjects - that's why the title sounds so confusing!

I made my own quarter sheet and it works wonderfully.  I used a wool blend
material that is on the heavy side.  I have made a cooler from the same
material and used the left overs.  It is basically a rectangle, goes
completely under the saddle, has no seams anywhere, has rounded corners
so it looks nicer, and cut around the front to fit the withers nicely.
(kinda like the shape of the top of a sheet or blanket).  Then I trimmed
it with quilt binding, making it look nice.  I also attached those loops to 
attach to the billet to the sides and a loop to run the girth through to 
keep everything in place.  Like the loops you run the girth and billets
through on a hunt seat saddle pad.  My horse thinks this is a really cool
thing because she hates being cold.  She brags about her 'mini skirt' all
the time to the other horses in the barn!  I even school in it.  She jumps
just fine in it (although I know a lot of horses that probably wouldn't
like this idea), it doesn't restrict her motion.  I have also folded it 
back and pushed it partially under the saddle to keep it in place when she
gets warmed up and that works fine also.  If you have a horse that doesn't like
the cold, moves stiff, and keeps that tail pinned down in that "oh am I 
cold today" position, I think a quarter sheet helps out a lot.  

Secondly, I used to show intercollegiate at Purdue University.  It was 
incredable fun!  Basically there are (in our region) 10 shows a year -
5 weekends where Saturday is one full show and Sunday is another full show.
The host school supplied horses, tack, and facilities.  (Not all schools
hosted shows)  In the hunt seat catagory there is 
an array of flat classes: beginner walk trot,
advanced walk trot, beginner walk trot canter, advanced walk trot canter
(if you can jump you are suppose to show walk trot canter), novice 
(can jump a nice little course, never showed medal MacClay (SP?) classes)
intermediate (showed medal macclay, never won) and open (won one
of those though medal things!)  There is also jumping for novice, 
intermediate, and open.  Only six people per school were allowed to jump
or else the horses would not have made it through the day.  There was no 
limit on how many people showed on the flat.  There is also western, 
and there is something like 4 stock seat divisions.  If there are too many
people in a division for one class, you have several classes.  Every school
gets to pick a point rider for each division before the show.  However those
riders do is how points are determined for the show.  There is a high point
and reserve school for each show.  (every one could win except your point
riders and you wouldn't get any points!)  At the end of the year the 
school with the most points in the region got to send a team to nationals.
Each show also awarded high point and reserve individual for the combination 
of the hunt seat flat and jumping classes.  
These did not have to be point riders.

Before each class, each rider picks a horses name out of an envelope and
that is who you ride.  No warming up.  We picked names two classes ahead 
of time so at least you got to watch your horse go.  No warming up for 
jumping either!  

The whole thing was lots of fun, and you got to meet many fellow riders
from other schools.  There was also an alumni division for the graduates.
I think you could only show a total of 4 years, and had to be a full time
student.  

If the original poster of this question has any questions, drop me 
an e-mail!

Audrey Carroll
and Miss Liz  (one of those SMALL horses who is absolutely wonderful!)

E-mail prescott@blue.rtsg.mot.com