Competitive Trail Riding is one phase of the rapidly growing distance sports. Riders throughout the United States and Canada participate in this discipline. A competitive trail ride (ctr) is a timed event with a minimum and maximum time limit so that all horses compete at nearly the same rate of speed. There is no ‘First to Finish’ as in endurance, and penalty points are assessed for finishing to early or to late. As in all distance events. Horses are examined before, during, and after the ride by qualified veterinarians. An horse not meeting the soundness and metabolic requirements is eliminated from further competition from that ride. For scoring, horses are given a numerical value in a variety of categories at the pre-ride veterinarian check. Later, these same categories are assessed again to determine any changes for the worse. Pulse and sometimes respiration are also scored. Penalty points are figured accordingly. Least number of penalty points wins. There are numerous distance ride organizations around the country who sanction competitive trail rides. Most have weight divisions (lightweight etc.) for adult riders, and a separate division for Junior riders. Organizations within Region 8 that sanction CTR’s are the North American Trail Ride Conference (www.natrc.org) and the Middle of the trail Distance Riders Association (www.motdra.fws1.com) and the Arabian Horse Association. (See the Competitive trail Ride section in the current AHA handbook). Rules and scoring vary slightly from one association to the next, but the basic concept is the same, regardless of the sanctioning group. Region 8 may offer a regional Championship and the Arabian Horse Association sponsors a National Championship CTR every year. That event has been held in Region 8 several times. In October of 2006 the CTR National was held in central Kansas at Kanopolis State Park where three of our own members won top honors. Achievement Award points are available at all sanctioned rides for qualified entrants. Some rides are also approved for Breeders Sweepstakes points.