They use this division to school the horses for the other riders. It is whoever can get the best performance out of their horse. It is partially luck, because some horses are easier to ride than others. . . You have to adapt really quickly to different kinds of horses. The competition season extends for the duration of the school year-the first show was Labor Day weekend, and Nationals are the last weekend in April.
Riders receive points for finishing in the top six, seven points for first place.
They must accumulate 35 to qualify for the regional. In the other divisions you can accumulate the points over time. Burr has collected 35 points in the novice division on the flat, qualifying her for the regional which will include schools such as Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Southern Illinois University, Northeastern Illinois, Murray State and Western Kentucky. Many of these schools have much larger equestrian programs with their own horses and indoor rings. Riding brings other returns which overshadow the monetary obligations, Burr says.