Nationals

2024 Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals

November 8-10, 2024
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, VA

   2023 HQC Nationals Results   

HQC Nationals Program

The USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals is a multi-phase event that puts the top scoring participants, who advanced through HQC Levels One and Two, to the ultimate test. HQC Nationals, formerly known as the HQC Finals, consists of a written exam, a horsemastership/identification exam, and a final practicum that requires participants to demonstrate their mastery of practical horsemanship knowledge.

Twenty four individuals will be invited to compete in the HQC Nationals where they can win a variety of prizes generously provided by USHJA sponsors. The top three overall finishers will also receive training grants to continue their equine education, supported by the USHJA Foundation.

How to Qualify:

  • Deadline for completion of the Level Two Quiz is September 1.
  • Each participant may login three separate times to complete each quiz.
  • Each participant has one opportunity to score 80% or above on the Level One Quiz in order to advance to the Level Two Quiz.
  • Each participant has one opportunity to score 90% or above on the Level Two Quiz in order to be eligible for selection to compete in the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals.
  • In order to be eligible to selection to Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals, all participants who will be 18 years of age or older prior to the event must complete Safe Sport Training no later than September 1st.
    Click here for instructions on how to register for Safe Sport.

USHJA will invite the top 24 qualified participants to the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals via email beginning in September. See the program specifications for detailed information on how finalists are selected.

What You Need to Know:

  • The National competition consists of three phases:
    • Written Exam – 30% of score
    • Horsemanship/Identification Exam – 30% of score
    • Practicum Exam – 40% of score
  • All finalists take the Written Exam, Horsemanship/Identification Exam and one of the Practicum Exams.
  • Scores from the Written Exam and the Horsemanship/Identification Exam will be combined and the 12 Individuals with the highest combined scores will compete in Practicum A on the second day of Nationals.
  • Finalists ranked 13th-24th based on their combined scores following the Written Exam and Horsemanship/Identification Exam, will compete in Practicum B on the second day of the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals but will not be eligible for prizes.

For details on Nationals qualifying procedures, please review the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Specifications.

The Horsemanship Quiz Challenge is supported in part a grant from US Equestrian. To help support the HQC program, click here to make a charitable donation today.


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