Contest Instructions & Rules

Eligibility

All contestants must be 18 or under as of January 1 of the current year 


Divisions

  • 13 & Under 
  • 14 – 18 


Timeline, & Guidelines

Submissions for each section of the triathlon can be accepted during the timelines below. Winners of each section will be announced via email and social media a week after each section ends, and the overall placings will be announced the first week of December. 

By uploading your entry and making it available to APHA, you are granting permission for image(s)/video(s) to be used by APHA for publication, marketing and other promotional and educational efforts. 

Sections

Prepared Public Speaking 

  • Submissions will be accepted September 1- September 22 
  • Video must be 2-5 minutes, and must be uploaded to a video hosting platform that will generate a publicly viewable link, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc. 
  • Contestants will select one of the possible topics to speak on in their division below and will announce their topic at the beginning of their video. 

Topics

13 & Under 

  • What to consider when purchasing a horse 
  • Benefits of showing horses 
  • Benefits of horse ownership 

14 – 18 

  • Equine Assisted Therapy 
  • Horse Welfare 
  • Supplement Usage in Competition 
  • Decrease in Large Animal Vets 


Skills Demonstration 

  • Submissions will be accepted October 1- October 21 
  • Video must be 2-5 minutes, and must be uploaded to a video hosting platform that will generate a publicly viewable link, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc. 
  • Contestants will select one of the possible skills in their division to demonstrate below and will announce their skill at the beginning of their video. Contestants are expected to explain what they are doing and give directions while performing the skill. 

Topics

13 & Under 

  •  Pick a hoof and name the parts 
  •  Polo wraps, what they are used for, how to put on and take off 
  •  Calculating the weight of your horse, weight tape versus actual 

14 – 18 

  • Take vital signs (Temperature, Pulse, Respiration)  
  • Types of shots, how to give each and where 
  • Load and unload a horse into a trailer 
  • Checking teeth and determining age 


Hippology Test 

  • Test opens November 1- November 18 
  • Test will be available on HorseIQ, contestant must make a free HorseIQ account to access the test. Each contestant must use their own HorseIQ account. 
  • Test will consist of 6 sections: 
    • Tack 
    • Genetics, Reproduction, & Evolution 
    • Coloring, Anatomy, & Patterns 
    • Feed & Nutrients 
    • Safety & Disease 
    • Judging & Conformation 
  • Each section of the test will display a random set of 10 questions, so each contestant’s test will be slightly different. 
  • Test may only be submitted once. In the event multiple tests are submitted for a contestant, only the first submission will be counted. 


Tabulation

Prepared Speaking and Skills Demonstration will be graded using the below rubrics with a 3 person panel.  

  • Prepared Speaking Video Rubric 
  • Skills Demonstration Video Rubric 

Hippology Test will be graded by adding together each test section. 

Each section of the triathlon will be evenly weighted when determining the overall placings in each division. Contestants must participate in all three sections to be eligible for overall placing & prizes. 

Tie Breakers

  • In the event of a tie, the individual placing higher in the hippology test wins. 
  • In the event a tie remains, the individual placing higher in the speaking section wins. 
  • In the event a tie still remains, the individual placing higher in the skills demonstration wins. 


Awards

Section Winners

  • 1st Place: $50 Paint Horse Barn Door Gift Card 

Overall Winners

  • 1st Place: $100 Paint Horse Barn Door Gift Card 
  • 2nd Place: $75 Paint Horse Barn Door Gift Card 
  • 3rd Place: $50 Paint Horse Barn Door Gift Card 
horseIQ Virtual Youth Triathlon rules can also be found at https://apha.com/ajpha/contests/horseiq-virtual-youth-triathlon/

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