$10,000 Equine Chronicle L1 Non Pro Western Pleasure is Back at 2017 March To The Arch!
By: Brittany Bevis
The annual March To The Arch Horse Show is a perennial favorite among equestrians for its charitable focus, outstanding turnout, and fabulous festivities. In 2017, the March To The Arch will be held March 23-26 at the National Equestrian Center in Lake St. Louis, MO. Judges for the show will be Randy Wilson, Sandy Curl, Bruce Walquist, Jan Hoskin Hay, Kristy Starnes, Ryan Kail, and Chris Arentsen.
A big draw at the event every year is the live auction and Mechanical Bull Riding Contest on Friday night, in addition to a full line up of speciality classes and added money futurities. On tap again for 2017 is the $7,500 Open Novice Horse Western Pleasure, with special awards for the Highest Placing Intermediate Rider and Highest Placing Limited Rider.
Making its debut in 2016 was a brand new event with a cool concept that caters specifically to novice/level 1 riders, the $10,000 Equine Chronicle Novice Non Pro Western Pleasure. Well, it’s back again for 2017 with a new name but the same huge payout! Introducing the $10,000 Equine Chronicle Level 1 Non Pro Western Pleasure!
For the past several years, the division that has shown the most dramatic and consistent growth has been the Level 1. Whether L1 Youth 13 and Under, L1 Youth 14-18, or L1 Amateur, these classes that help level the playing field for novice competitors have been very well-recieved and continue to be the largest classes at horse shows around the country.
So why should all the big money futurity classes be reserved solely for open and regular non-pro riders? No more! We chatted with Tara Lombardo Landon to find out more about the event.
“We had a great turnout last year with 12 competitors showing,” she says. “It’s a great opportunity for a level 1 rider to ride against his/her own level and win some money! The eligibility follows AQHA rules for level eligibility as of January 1, 2017. The rider has to be the owner, as we don’t allow them to ride on a pass. We’re excited to be doing it again this year and having the Equine Chronicle as our sponsor for the class!”
The class was originally set with a typical 10% entry fee of $1,000, but show management wanted to encourage as many L1 riders as possible to participate. So, the entry fee was dropped to only $300, but the purse stays the same!
Who’s going to show for big money in the $10,000 Equine Chronicle L1 Non Pro Western Pleasure at the 2017 March To The Arch?!
Stay tuned to EquineChronicle.com for more updates coming soon about all the fun things in store for the 2017 March To The Arch horse show.
