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XTA Mounted Patrol Academy
Tailwind Trails, LLC
The Mounted Police Championships gathers elite mounted patrol units for a series of rigorous events spanning 7 disciplines, promoting excellence in horsemanship, precision, and teamwork. This is an annual individual competition held at the World Equestrian Center, where the individuals will earn points for their agencies towards the overall standings. Each rider will be presented with a complete Feedback Package at the completion of the competition which will contain each of the judges’ score sheets and comments, helping to identify each pair’s strengths and weaknesses. The Mounted Police Championships not only celebrates individual excellence but also fosters camaraderie and professional development among law enforcement mounted units.
Schedule
WEDNESDAY:
13:00 – 17:00 Check In Arena 5 Show Office
15:30 – 17:00 Mounted Sunset Tour of The World Equestrian Center
THURSDAY:
08:00 – 12:00 Opening Ceremonies/Parade of Competitors Arena TBD
13:00 – 16:00 GAMES Arena 5 & Arena 5a
19:00 – 21:00 “The Champion Mindset” presented by Motivational Speaker, Author & Professional Life Coach, Rahz Slaughter
FRIDAY:
08:00 – 16:00 GAMES Arena 5 & Arena 5a
12:15 – 12:45 Liberty and Horsemanship Demo with Sonny Garguilo
19:00 – 21:00 The Art & Science of Equine Scenting”
with Mike Hadsell Peace River K9 Search & Rescue Corp / Arena 5
SATURDAY:
08:00 – 14:00 GAMES Arena 5 & Arena 5a
17:00 – 21:00 MEDAL CEREMONY Location TBD
SUNDAY: Depart
Inspection
This event consists of a “Head to Toe” and “Nose to Tail” inspection of the Horse & Rider including uniform, tack, overall turnout and grooming. Riders will be in full patrol uniform and tack for this event. English or Western tack are appropriate and must be clean, in good repair, properly fit and properly worn. Ceremonial, Dress or Parade uniforms and Tack may be worn, but are not required for those units who do not have them. Each rider & horse will be judged according to their standard SOP for correctness and presentation. There will be two judges for this class and the two scores will be averaged together. A complete list of the requirements and the judging sheet will be published on the website prior to the event.
Dressage
Riders will ride the USDF “Intro Test C” in a standard 20mx60m Dressage arena. This is a beginner Walk, Trot, Canter test. It can be ridden in either Western or English tack. It will be judged by the standards set forth by the United States Dressage Federation. Standard USDF judging criteria will be used. Riders will be evaluated on relaxation, forwardness, rhythm, connection, symmetry, balance and the precision of the prescribed ground track. This test can be downloaded from USDF and practiced ahead of time. Riders may memorize the pattern or opt for a “Caller” who may read the exact verbiage on the test while it is ridden. In the event of a rider using a gaited horse, the rider may gait instead of trot.
Jumping
Competitors will ride a course, in order, of up to 8 jumps at a height of 2’. The jumps will be numbered and the course published the morning of the event. The event will be scored on time with penalties for downed poles and refusals in accordance with the sport guidelines outlined by United States Hunter Jumper Association.
Barrels
This event is a traditional, 3 barrel, clover-leaf pattern, as seen in all NBHA events. The event is judged on time, with time penalties for each downed barrel in accordance with the rules of the National Barrel Horse Association.
Obstacles
Competitors will be required to execute a numbered course consisting of a series of challenging arena obstacles. The obstacles will include items that must be ridden through, over, and under. Scoring will be based on the precision of execution against the completion standard criteria for each obstacle. The event is not timed, but there will be a time cap for each rider. The map and details of the course and completion standards for each element will be available on the website prior to the event, posted ringside and available at check-in. Elements of the traveling obstacle course are being provided by Practical Horsemanship, LLC. and the course is being designed by XTA Mounted Patrol Academy.
Equitation
Riders will be evaluated as they ride through a published pattern of gaits and tasks highlighting the maneuvers required for Mounted Patrol. Elements included in this event are: Stop/Halt, Rollback, Backing, Turn on the Forehand, Turn on the Haunches, Weaving Cones, Side-Pass left & right, Walk, Trot, Canter Transitions, Dismount and Mount, Haunches-In and Shoulder-In, Trot Poles, Terrain Change, and Carrying a Flag. The full course will be available to competitors prior to the event on the website, posted ringside and also available at check in along with the judging criteria for each element. Competitors are not required to memorize the pattern. It will be well marked and riders may also elect for a “Caller.’ This event will be judged on the precision and execution of each individual element. This event is not timed, but there will be a time cap for this event.
Drill Formation Team Ride
This is a Team Event. Teams must consist of 5 riders, and larger departments may enter more than one team of 5. Smaller Departments may join together to form a Team for the purpose of this event. If you need a team, we will assist in placing you with other individuals after registration closes. Teams will be required to ride a prescribed a series of Drill Formations and be judged on precision, execution and overall impact of the performance. The pattern for this ride will be posted for all competitors the night before. The Team Ride can be called from horseback, or the team may opt for a “Caller” who may read the exact verbiage on the test while it is ridden. It can be rehearsed on foot but not ridden on horseback until the event. The Pattern will incorporate both Tactical and Administrative Formations and judged according to the standards outlined in the Calvary manual. This event will be judged by three judges whose scores will be averaged to determine a winner.
Judging & Awards
Each of these events will be judged by one or more industry professionals in the given disciplines represented by the class. Our qualified Guest Judges for each discipline will be announced in the coming months and their bios will be posted on that event page.
The competition will be overseen by a Technical Delegate whose decisions are final.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
Each individual event winners will be awarded Gold, Silver & Bronze. Every member of the Drill Team winners will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze. The spirit of the competition is that each rider will compete in all the events and your registration will include ride times for each; however, this is only required to be eligible for the Individual Overall Awards. If you wish to scratch an event, you may do so at the Show Office when you check in.
INDIVIDUAL OVERALL:
Individuals must compete in all 7 events to be eligible for the Overall Title. The Individual Overall will be calculated using a formula that assigns a point value to each place finisher in every event producing a total point value for each individual rider. Overall Individual will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze.
OVERALL ROOKIE:
Individual Rookie Rider will be awarded to the top finishers Overall as defined above who have been with their unit less than 1 year as of Jan 1 2025. The spirit of this award is to recognize those sworn officers who volunteer for a Mounted Detail with no previous riding experience and allow them to compete among their peers. This distinction is for sworn officers.
AGENCY OVERALL AWARD:
Each individual and Drill Team will garner points for their department towards the Overall Agency Awards. In order to be considered for the Overall Agency Awards, the agency or unit must have at least one entry in each of the 7 events. The Agency Awards will be calculated using a formula that assigns a point value to each placing in each of the 7 categories. The Agency’s top finish from each of the 7 events will be tallied, producing a total point value for each agency. In the event of a mixed Drill Team, the Drill Score will be counted towards the Agency Points for each agency whose rider was in that team. Overall Agency will be placed Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Championship Eligibility
RIDER:
This competition is open to Horse and Rider partnerships who are active members of an organized Mounted Unit. These include Police Departments, Sheriff Offices, and Volunteer Units associated with each, as well as independently organized 5013c Mounted Units and Mounted Search & Rescue Units. If you are unsure of your eligibility, please have your unit commander contact us.
HORSE:
Each rider must be using a horse that is registered with their Agency or Department and specifically trained in Mounted Police and Mounted Patrol work with the appropriate training documentation. Many units do not assign horses to riders and instead ride a variety of horses when they patrol. The competition is designed for each rider to compete in each event with the same equine partner throughout, as partnership and communication with your equine partner is part of the judging criteria for every event. Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis in the event that a horse in unable to continue and that rider wishes to do so on another horse from his/her unit.