APHA’s unveiling a new era of ranching competition—its called the Ranch Work Championships. The innovative new event, based on authentic work done on an efficient cattle ranch, made its debut in April 2019 in Kentucky; the next Ranch Work Championship takes place September 28 in Fort Worth, Texas, in conjunction with the APHA World Championship Show.
The Ranch Work Championships are all-breed, timed competitions consisting of three events—Ranch Course, Ranch Penning and Ranch Roping. Contestants can enter one, two or all three classes—enter all three classes to be eligible for all-around prizes.
This new ranch-competition format sets out to solve some problems common in the existing ranch-event community:
- Timed, not judged. Many ranch-type exhibitors have a hard time understanding judging or have no interest in participating in a judged event. APHA’s Ranch Work Championships are all timed, but capped at a trot speed. Our timed events allow you to show off your skills to locate (Ranch Course), gather (Ranch Penning) and doctor (Ranch Roping) cattle in an efficient manner.
- Real-world rewards. Working cowboys generally maneuver cattle in a gentler way than what’s portrayed in judged ranch events, so the Ranch Work Championships are designed to reward efficient-yet-effective efforts. That’s why all classes are walk/trot only; there is no loping in a Ranch Work Championship event.
- Tiered format. Finally, in most judged events, there’s only a single winner. We’ve borrowed a page from the barrel-racing world’s playbook and designed the Ranch Work Championships with a 3D award system—that means you triple your chances of getting paid, even if you’re not the fastest overall.
Competitors of all ages and skill levels are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the Ranch Work Championships. Make plans to join APHA at a Ranch Work Championship event near you.Details and entry info: ranchworkchampionships.com