Q: How do I start a saddle club?
A: To start a new WSCA member club, an Application For Membership form must be completed and submitted to the WSCA Secretary by May 15, 2014 (late fees begin for any renewal submitted after January 1). The appropriate dues must accompany the application. The fee schedule and other instructions are included on the form. A club membership list must be submitted through the WSCA web site Online Membership List by May 31, 2015. The information on the Online Membership List and instructions on how to use it can be downloaded from the WSCA web site under Forms. A club must have a minimum of 12 members. More details may be found in the WSCA Rulebook on pages 11 and 12.
Q: What if our saddle club misses the deadline for club renewal with WSCA or to submit the club membership to WSCA?
A: The yearly club membership renewals (the Application For Membership and dues) are due by December 31st of the year prior to the renewal year (i.e. due December 31, 2014 for the 2015 membership year) in order to avoid a late fee. After that date, club renewals are accepted by WSCA until May 15th with ever increasing late fees. The late fee schedule is listed on the Application For Membership form to be filled out for the club renewal. After May 15th, WSCA will not accept any club renewals for the year. The club membership lists must be submitted directly online by the member clubs. This must be done by May 31st. After that deadline, there is a late membership procedure. Contact the WSCA Executive Secretary for the late membership procedure. The late membership procedure will allow a club to add members to the club membership so that they will be eligible for the WSCA Championship Show. Adding members through the late membership process WILL NOT allow clubs to have those late members be eligible for that year’s WSCA classes at the MN State Fair.
Q: How can I purchase a rulebook?
A: The WSCA rulebook has lots of great information including WSCA show rules, by-laws, club lists, Board of Directors and Committee Chairs. You may purchase a WSCA rulebook by sending a request with your name and address along with a check, written out to WSCA, in the amount of $6 (this amount includes postage) to Cindy Ladd, Rulebook Chairperson. Her contact information may be found under Committee Chairpersons on the web site. It is possible to purchase the rulebook at various places including the WSCA booth at the MN Horse Expo. If a book is purchased in person, the fee is $5.
Q: What are the club delegates’ duties?
A: Each WSCA member club may have up to two club delegates and two alternate delegates. Member delegates or their alternates have the voting power of their club. The General Meetings are held in March and October every year. Each delegate gets one vote with a total of two votes per club on issues that come up for a vote to the General Delegation or during elections. For more details, check the WSCA rulebook, page 63.
Q: How do I get a subscription to the WSCA Spotlight?
A: Each WSCA member club receives a subscription to the Spotlight. The monthly issues are sent to the club secretary. If you wish to purchase a subscription to the Spotlight, you may contact Herald Journal Publishing, the publisher of the Spotlight. The contact for Herald Journal is: Randy Heuer: (320) 485-2535 or e-mail: wsca@heraldjournal.com. The cost of a Spotlight subscription for one year is $24.
Q: How do I submit events to be listed on the On Deck section of the Spotlight and web site?
A: The WSCA web site has an On Deck Submission Form listed on the home page. If you click on this, it will bring up a form that can be completed and submitted online. This is the most expeditious way to get your listing on the On Deck Listings, however it may be submitted by mail: Randy Heuer, Herald Journal Publishing, 120 Sixth St. N., PO BOX 129, Winsted, MN 55395.
Q: Where can I get information on how to put on a horse show that is a WSCA qualifying show?
A: The best way to do this is to purchase a WSCA rulebook which lists ‘Recommendations For Show Committees’ on page 13. This section covers the most important aspects of running a show including hiring judges. See WSCA Judges List on the website. You will also find the WSCA rules for classes and equipment regulations in the rulebook. Remember, WSCA does not approve shows, it approves judges and rules of the WSCA rulebook.
Q: How do I apply to be a WSCA judge?
A: The requirements to apply for a WSCA judges’ card are: 1) Applicant must have reached the age of 25 years. 2) Applicant must have five consecutive years experience in training, showing and/or judging horses. 3) Applicant must have some type of judging experience. 4) Applicant must have been a member of a WSCA club for the last two years.
The testing application must be submitted by January 1 to be eligible for testing that year. The initial testing is usually held in late March or early April. You must complete an application and submit it with $50 non-refundable fee. You must arrange to have three letters of recommendation submitted directly to the Judges Committee Chairperson, Robin Fauchald. You will receive a rulebook.
Testing consists of a written test, an interview, and judging classes either from video or live. If your score merits, you will then be required to guest judge three shows. The judge at these shows completes a form evaluating your judging ability. The results are then evaluated by the Judges Committee and the Committee then makes a recommendation to the WSCA Board of Directors. The Board votes to approve or disapprove.
Q: How can I change a WSCA rule?
A: This is covered in the WSCA rulebook under General Rules, page 15, paragraph 1. To ask for an addition, deletion or change of a WSCA rule, you must request the forms and procedures from the Rulebook Committee. Cindy Ladd is the Rulebook Chairperson. Except for safety purposes, revisions will not take effect until the next printing of the rulebook. The current rulebook is good for 2013/2014/2015.
Q: Where can I find the contact information for the WSCA Secretary, Board Members or Committee Chairpersons?
A: The WSCA Secretary, Board of Directors & Committee Chairpersons contact information can be found in the Spotlight or on the home page of the WSCA web site. You will also find the WSCA Judges List on the home page, which gives contact information for the WSCA judges.
Q: My daughter is 13 years old as of January 1 of this calendar year and is riding in the Junior classes. She turns 14 years old in March, so will she have to switch to Intermediate classes after that date and also ride in Intermediate classes at this year’s Champ Show?
A: If your daughter was 13 years old as of January 1, she will ride in the Junior classes throughout the entire calendar year (through December 31) and at this year’s Champ Show, even after she turns 14 years old. Starting next calendar year, January 1, she will ride as an Intermediate.
Q: My daughter was 13 years old as of January 1 of this year and turned 14 years old in March. If my daughter rides as a Junior rider in classes at WSCA qualifying shows after this year’s Champ Show and places 1st or 2nd, will these classes still qualify her to ride in next year’s Champ Show as an Intermediate rider?
A: Yes, although she has shown as a Junior rider for this calendar year, if she places 1st or 2nd at a WSCA qualifying show after this year’s Champ Show (which is part of next year’s Champ Show qualification period), those qualifications will be valid for her to show in the Intermediate classes at next year’s Champ Show. She must ride in her proper (current) age group at Champ Show.
Q: When is the qualification timeframe for riding at the MN State Fair in WSCA classes or the WSCA Championship Show?
A: The qualification period for the MN State Fair WSCA classes and the WSCA Championship Show are different from each other and vary from year to year. Typically, the qualification period for the MN State Fair runs from a specific date in July of one year to July of the next year. The Champ Show qualification period runs from a specific date in August of one year to August of another year. These specific dates change from year to year. You will find the exact dates for both events on the Qualifications page on the website.
Q: What do I need to do to compete at the WSCA Championship Show?
A: Refer to the Champ Show 101 page which gives you lots of great information. You may also find details on this in the WSCA rulebook, page 12, under Eligibility for WSCA Championship Show. However, some of the requirements include that the contestants must be members in good standing of WSCA member saddle clubs. Also, horse and rider, together, must have placed 1st or 2nd at a WSCA qualifying show during the appropriate qualification timeframe. If these requirements are met, entries for Champ Show may be completed and sent in. The Champ Show entry forms, with instructions, as well as other Champ Show information such as the Champ Show stalling forms, Class List, etc. will be published in the Spotlight and posted under forms on the web site.
Q: How does the stalling at Champ Show work?
A: Stalling has been a big issue in the last years as the WSCA Championship Show has grown immensely. Accommodating so many horses has become a challenge for the Champ Show committee. This year, new information and forms will be available to WSCA members in the Spotlight and the WSCA web site. However, some things to remember are: 1) There is a stalling deposit required. If the stalls are not cleaned, and verified to be clean by a WSCA representative, the deposit will NOT be returned. 2) There are NO refunds for stalling. This includes cases of injury or illness to horse or rider. 3) Stalls are assigned in order received and no guarantees are made on stall preferences. 4) Tack stalls cannot be ordered unless there are 3 or more horses on the tack stall request. 5) There are options for box stalls and ties stalls. There will be no In & Out permits issued this year.
Be sure to look for other important details on the Stalling Forms.
Q: How do I get information on the WSCA Royalty contest?
A: The WSCA Board has recently made a huge gesture of support for the WSCA Royalty by adding many exciting incentives to those who run including cash and saddle awards. There is a Royalty Clinic held each spring to help interested saddle club queens find out more about the contest. A contestant must be at least 18 years of age by January 1 of the current year and a member in good standing of a WSCA member club. A Royalty Contest application must be submitted by the deadline. The competition includes interviews, public speaking, written tests and riding. The coronation of new WSCA Royalty is held at the WSCA Championship show. Bridget Behrns, Royalty Chairperson, can answers detailed questions regarding the contest. Their contact information may be found under Committee Chairpersons on the web site. Visit the Royalty Contest page for details about the contest.
Q: How do I apply for a WSCA Scholarship?
A: Scholarships are awarded each year by WSCA. The Scholarship application will be available in the Spotlight and on the WSCA web site. Scholarship Chairperson, Kelly Nelson, can answer detailed questions regarding the scholarship application and award process. Her information may be found under Committee Chairpersons on the web site.
