Awards Programs


Eligibility Qualifications for ALL IRHA Awards Programs (including weekend and year-end high point):

  1. Must be a current IRHA member in good standing. To check your membership status, contact Charter Secretary Courtney Spence at indianaranchhorse@gmail.com.
  2. Owners of all horses must be a current IRHA member in good standing.
  3. All exhibitors of Jr and Sr horses must be IRHA members for the horses' points to count toward year-end awards.
  4. All horses must have an ARHA Certificate of Eligibility.
  5. Points for Weekend High Point, Top Cow Horse, Top Performance Horse, and Year-End class awards are based on a 1 horse/1 rider combination in all divisions, EXCEPT for All Age (Jr and Sr Horse), where the points are tallied on the horse only.
  6. Top Hand/Top Horse is based on a 1 horse/1 rider combination in ALL divisions.
  7. IRHA points follow the points calculation that is set forth by ARHA. That description and table of calculation can be found in your ARHA rulebook.
  8. Your points will start accumulating once you have paid your IRHA membership.

Hoosier Circuit Weekend High Point Awards:


  1. Member and horses must meet all eligibility qualifications.
  2. Highest total accumulated points earned for all classes per horse for All Age and per 1 horse/1 rider combination for other divisions will determine the weekend champion. Reserve high point will be offered as well.
  3. Horse and rider combination may choose to enter and show in more than one division to accumulate points in each division's high point awards. It is possible for the same horse and rider combination to win more than one division if the combination earns enough points in each separate division.

Year-End Class Awards:


  1. Member and horses must meet eligibility qualifications.
  2. No nomination fee required.
  3. Member and/or horse must show in that particular class in at least 4 out of the 5 IRHA shows.
  4. Member and/or horse combination accumulating the highest amount of points out of all pointed shows in a class will be the Class Champion for that year.
  5. Champion and Reserve Champion in each IRHA class will be recognized.

Year-End Division High Point:


  1. Member and horses must meet eligibility qualifications.
  2. No nomination fee required.
  3. Based on the most points in all ARHA classes offered in a particular division.
  4. Points will be awarded to 1 horse/1 rider combination in the Amateur, Novice Amateur, Youth, and Novice Youth divisions.
  5. Points will be awarded to the horse in the Jr and Sr divisions.
  6. Members must show in at least 4 out of the 5 IRHA pointed shows.
  7. A champion in each division will be recognized.

Top Hand/Top Horse:


  1. Member and horses must meet eligibility qualifications.
  2. No fee required for this award.
  3. This award is for 1 horse/1 rider combination in ALL divisions.
  4. Points will be accumulated in the following classes
  5. Ranch Trail
  6. Ranch Riding
  7. Ranch Reining
  8. Ranchmanship
  9. Ranch Cutting
  10. Ranch Roping
  11. Working Ranch Horse
  12. Ranch Boxing
  13. For classes that do not offer Jr and Sr Horse, those All Age points will count toward the Jr and Sr Horse divisions.
  14. You must show in one cattle class and one pattern class at EACH show to be eligible.
  15. You must show in 4 out of the 5 IRHA sanctioned shows.
  16. Points in all the above classes will be tallied for this award. However, you do not have to ride in all of the classes to be eligible for this award.
  17. Champion and Reserve Champion from each division will be recognized.

Top Cow Horse:


  1. Member and horse must meet eligibility qualifications.
  2. No nomination fee required.
  3. Points will accumulate in the following classes for all divisions:
  4. Herd Work
  5. Ranch Roping
  6. Ranch Cutting
  7. Ranch Boxing
  8. Working Ranch Horse
  9. Working Cow Horse
  10. Horses must show in at least one Top Cow Horse eligible class at each show in at least 4 of the 5 IRHA shows.
  11. The horse with the most accumulated points in each of the 6 divisions will be Top Cow Horse for that division.
  12. Champion and Reserve Champion from each division will be recognized.

Top Performance Horse:


  1. Member and horse must meet eligibility qualifications.
  2. No fee required for this award program.
  3. Points will accumulate in the following classes for all divisions:
  4. Ranch Trail
  5. Horsemanship
  6. Ranchmanship
  7. Ranch Riding
  8. Ranch Reining
  9. Horses must show in at least one pattern class at each show in 4 of the 5 IRHA shows to be eligible for this award.
  10. The horse with the most accumulated points in each of the 6 divisions will be the Top Performance Horse for that division.
  11. Champion and Reserve Champion from each division will be recognized.

STAR Award:


A prestigious award reserved for those members of IRHA that are true ambassadors for IRHA and Ranch Horse in general.


Honorees of the STAR Awards:

  • 2018 - Rick Landes
  • 2019 - Dave and Brenda McCartney
  • 2020 - Jamie Feuquay
  • 2021 - Miriam Farrell
  • 2022 - Mike Neese
  • 2023 - Dave DeWell
  • 2024 - Ben Bowman