The Tennessee Walker is a popular riding horse due to its calm disposition, smooth gaits, and sure-footedness. Commonly ridden by plantation owners “in the day” to travel long distances over their land, thus the importance of a breed of horse with a smooth gait. This breed of gaited horse is known for its unique four-beat running-walk and flashing movement. Well known both as a race horse and for its performance in rodeos, horse shows, and as a working ranch horse, their compact body is well-suited to the intricate and speedy maneuvers required in reining, cutting, working cow horse, barrel racing, calf roping, and other western riding events, especially those involving live cattle. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less, some have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph. The American Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the United States, with a registry of almost 3 million horses. The most predominant horse breed in American excels at sprinting short distances.

Meanwhile, FEI reining championship allocations for 2021 and beyond has been deferred.Quarter Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse, Paint, Percheron – the names are familiar but what defines these breeds? Follow along as we discover unique characteristics and why we make room for them in our stable. “Legacy” possibilities such as still staging a world championship, or having FEI format events integrated into the NRHA have been discussed. The FEI and its reining committee say the main legal consequence of no agreement is that NRHA shows will be viewed as “unsanctioned events ” any FEI registered riders, horses or officials participating in NRHA would be subject to six months ineligibility from FEi events. But it was also recognized that FEI reining could not survive without the NRHA, and that most athletes would choose NRHA. The FEI required the latter to identify events that must be included in the FEI Calendar, with all participants properly FEI registered and FEI rules applied. Since the 2019 GA, the NRHA has declined to recognize the FEI as sole worldwide authority for all international competitions for horses aged seven and above, and to implement a control system for non-FEI competitions, ensuring that no more than four countries and/or more than 15 foreign athletes would participate.

However, policy disagreements – largely over the minimum age of horses and anti-doping policy – led to the original cooperation agreement’s collapse. This meant that, unlike other FEI disciplines, an operating agreement had to be drawn up between the FEI, NRHA (founded 1966) and American Quarter Horse Association (1940.) Reining was already a large participant sport with a US-based, globally recognized governing body before the FEI adopted reining 20 years ago.

Reining with a draft horse