CDE Handbook - Florida FFA Association

Horse Evaluation
and Selection CDE
Purpose
The Horse Evaluation and Selection Career Development Event
is designed to stimulate the study of and interest in, equine
science selection while providing recognition for those who
have demonstrated skill and competency in this area.
Eligibility
The participant must be an active member of a chartered Florida
FFA chapter in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12. Each Junior and Senior
chapter may enter one team of 4 members with only the top
three scores used to determine team placings.
Event Procedures
1. Contestants must provide their own pens, pencils, erasers,
and other necessary items for CDE competition.
2. FFA members must be in official dress, appropriate to the
contest, and will be scored accordingly.
Event Format
1. The Horse Evaluation and Selection CDE will be held in
2 rounds of competition, a state preliminary event and a
state final event. The top 15 teams at the preliminary event
will advance to the state final event. The state winning
team will be eligible to represent Florida at the National
Event.
2. The preliminary event will consist of a written exam, 8
placing classes, and one set of questions on one of the
8 classes. The 25-question exam will cover basic horse
industry knowledge for a maximum of 100 points.
3. At the state final event, contestants will place 8 classes
of horses, give oral reasons on four of those classes, and
participate in a team activity. One set of reasons will be
given on a performance class, one on a halter class, and
the third and fourth will be selected at the discretion of the
CDE officials.
4. Classes will be selected from the following categories:
– Conformation or Halter Classes: Arabian,
Quarter Horse (or mixed Stock Type), Morgan,
Tennessee Walkers, Paso Fino, Hunters, Appaloosa,
Thoroughbred, Buckskin, Paint, Saddlebred, POA
and Draft Horses.
– Performance Classes: Western Pleasure, Hunter
Hack, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation,
Western Riding, Western Horsemanship, Reining,
Horse Evaluation and Selection CDE
English Pleasure (Saddle Seat), Plantation Pleasure
and Pleasure Driving.
– Performance horses will be shown at a walk, jog/
trot/or preferred gait, and canter and may be asked
to show at an extended jog, extended trot, road
gait, or gallop depending on the class. The horses
will also be required to back and stand quietly.
Horses should be judged on brokeness, consistency,
and way of going. In scored classes, horses are
judged on execution of a prescribed pattern.
5. Participants will be given 15 minutes to judge each class.
Scoring
Classes will be placed by an official committee of judges and cuts
assigned to pairs. Contestant’s placing will be compared to the
official placing and points deducted for switches based on cuts.
Perfect score is 50 points per class. Reasons scores are assigned
by official judges out of 50 possible. Questions are worth 5
points each for a total of 50 possible points. The scores will be
totaled for individuals and the top three scorers on each team
are compiled for team scores.
Tie Breakers
Ties will be broken using the following procedure, unless
otherwise noted by the CDE Coordinator. In breaking a tie for a
team the drop score will be used first, followed by team written
exam total, and then by team placing class total. Individual ties
will be broken by oral reasons first, followed by written exam,
and then by a single placing class (chosen by CDE Coordinator).
If any of these are absent from a CDE, (ie. oral reasons, written
exam, etc), then the next highest point practicum will be used.
Awards
Awards will be presented at an awards ceremony. Awards are
presented to teams as well as individuals based upon their
rankings. Awards are sponsored by a cooperating industry
sponsor(s) as a special project and/or by the general fund of the
Florida FFA Foundation.
References
This list of references is not intended to be inclu¬sive. Other
sources may be utilized and teachers are encouraged to make
use of the very best instructional materials available. The
following list contains references that may prove helpful during
event preparation.
• Horse and Horsemanship, Florida 4-H Horse Program,
IFAS Publication # 4-H 147
• Horse Science, 4-H Horse Program, IFAS Publication #
4-H HSG01
Florida FFA Career Development Event Handbook 89