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With the competition season just starting across the country, the American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association (ASHBA) is pleased to announce exciting new changes to the National Select Series, presented by State Line Tack, including the addition of a National Championship for 2023.

The National Select Series National Championship will take place at the All American Horse Classic in Indianapolis, Sept. 12-16, 2023. To qualify for the National Championship, you must show in one qualifying class or be a ribbon winner in any 2022 Regional Championship class. Qualifying for the National Championship runs from Sept. 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023. Classes offered at the National Championship include:

Five Gaited Amateur/Junior Exhibitor

Five Gaited Show Pleasure Amateur/Junior Exhibitor

Three Gaited Show Pleasure Amateur/Junior Exhibitor

Three Gaited Country Pleasure Amateur/Junior Exhibitor

Open Park

Open Fine Harness

Open In-Hand

Open Walk/Trot Snaffle Bit (Open to any age horse or rider, professional or amateur)

Open Road Horse

Open Roadster Pony

Other changes for 2023 include opening up Select Series classes to Half Saddlebreds that are registered with the ASHBA Registry, where they will be able to compete in the same classes as purebred American Saddlebreds. The classes will be held under regular USEF American Saddlebred and Half Saddlebred rules and class specifications.

All ASHBA National Select Series qualifying and Regional Championship classes are now required to be stand-alone classes, with concurrent classes no longer being offered. To help shows with the extra costs of holding stand-alone classes, ASHBA is offering grants to incentivize shows to add these classes at shows that previously had concurrent classes or no classes at all in 2022.

New classes added to the National Select Series this year include:

Open Park

Open Fine Harness

Open Pleasure Driving

Open Walk/Trot Snaffle Bit (Open to any age horse, rider, professional or amateur)

Open In-Hand

The ASHBA National Select Series, presented by State Line Tack, was created to encourage more participation in the showing of American Saddlebreds, Half Saddlebreds, Hackney Ponies, and Road Horses. The Series strengthens the show horse market by adding value to the competitive experience while promoting a market for horses that are not currently competing at the World’s Championship Horse Show. The Series creates a valuable marketplace that is much needed in the horse industry. Horses will be able to compete in classes that qualify for National Select Series Regional Championships and the National Select Series National Championship at shows all across the country.

--via ASHBA