Saddle & Bridle Magazine announced today that it has adjusted the qualification requirements for its 2021 Western finals.

The qualifier class for the Shatner Western Pleasure National Championship, which previously required three horses to fill, will now only require two. Additionally, the Working Western Pleasure National Championship will be run as an invitational, open to any American Saddlebred horse that has competed in a western class during the current competition year, open or American Saddlebred, trail/working or rail. For both classes these adjusted qualification requirements will apply to 2021 only and will be reviewed for the following season.

“Our goal is always to promote the Saddlebred breed and the pleasure division, and to gather the best horses and riders to St. Louis in September,” said Saddle & Bridle co-publisher Chris Thompson. “Each year we try to balance these two goals, and what we heard this year is that there were not enough opportunities to qualify. We hope these changes will allow more great horse and rider teams to compete at the 2021 finals.”

During the 2020 season, the rules were amended to allow all ribbon winners of filled classes to compete in the finals.

“We made adjustments during last season, but it seems that there are still lingering effects of the pandemic,” Thompson said. “While we recognize that it may be too late for some to plan to attend, we hope many horse and rider teams will be happy to know that they are now able to ‘meet us in St. Louis.’”

Qualification requirements for Saddle & Bridle’s Junior Exhibitor Shatner Western Pleasure National Championship, Hunter Seat Classic and Working Hunter Classic will remain the same.

The updated Rules & Regulations packet can be viewed at https://www.saddleandbridle.com/programs/classes. For more information on any of Saddle & Bridle’s finals, contact Allie Layos at allie@saddleandbridle.com or (314) 725-9115.