Denver horses and Park

[RackOn11]

Ok, I was wondering what is a Denver horse? And can someone please tell me the difference between park pleasure and regular 3 gaited country pleasure? :confused1:

[wstrngrl]

I think a Denver horse is a reference to a 'type' of junior horse "Denver junior horse" which is like 5-and-under (I believe) instead of the usual 4-and-under...

The difference between Park Pleasure and Country Pleasure is:
-Park Pleasure is open to Professionals, Country Pleasure is not
-Park Pleasure horses can wear pads/bands/ect, Country Pleasure horses cannot
-Country Pleasure horses are required to halt on the rail and perform an extended trot; Park Pleasure horses are not
-Many times the Park Pleasure division is used to exhibit horses that need schooling by a trainer and are a Pleasure type (verses a Performance type); and aren't ready for an amateur rider yet.
-When not used as a 'schooling division' Park Pleasure horses generally have more motion and/or set up better than Country Pleasure horses

[mskyar]

You are correct Wstrngrl, a Denver horse is 5 years old....the name started at the Denver Stock Show :cowboy: which is held in January and rather than make the just turned 5 yo horses show against the open ones they started the Denver Junior Classes. It was always more of a western half of the US thing since we had shows much earlier in the year than most of the country. Don't know or remember if they ever had them at the FL shows (Yacht club or Tampa) or not, and I think when ProAm started they had them as well and I think still do. (Here in CA we had the Denver classes at shows thru the end of March and sometimes early April, mainly the old Channel City Horse Show that was in Santa Barbara)

I have no answer about the park/country pleasure classes since the Park division started long after my time! :huh: However, I do think a Park Pleasure horse seems more like the Show Pleasure horse as opposed to a Country Pleasure horse...(and this is only from pictures I have seen :001_rolleyes: )

[attafox]

Monterey still has Denver classes (of course it's early).

Park Pleasure horses can be ridden by a pro as opposed to amateurs only. That's the biggest difference. Suggest for:helpsmilie: with the differences in the pleasure classes that you go to usef.org and read the class specifications.

[chelseab2005]

I agree with everything said. Look at USEF for a more detailed description.

I usually show in Show Pleasure, but I sometimes go into Park Pleasure and have shown a couple horses in Country Pleasure. Park Pleasure is essentially the same as Show Pleasure, but Park Pleasure offers Open and Junior classes for Professionals (they can't just go in any Park Pleasure class) and the horses tend to be more high strung with more flash and go. The best way I can explain a Park Pleasure horse is take a Park horse, teach it to flat walk, and show it without a brace, or at least that's what I've seen some people do here in Texas.

[mskyar]

Attafox, In my day Monterey was in August during the fair (so I didn't even think about it)....and now it is just a little later or about the same time as when Channel City used to be!