Exhibitors Not Eligible for Adequan® Level 2 at the 2023 Nutrena AQHA World Show

Adequan® Level 2 open, amateur, and Select classes are offered at the AQHA World Championship Show.

AQHA exhibitors are leveled by points earned and any AQHA world or reserve world championships earned. Most of AQHA’s alliance partners level their competition playing field on money earned by their exhibitors.

The following criteria will be used to determine Level 2 eligibility of exhibitors at the 2023 World:

  1. Points earned in AQHA-approved classes (exhibitors placing in approximately the top 2 percent in horse-based leveled classes will not be eligible as Level 2 competitors); For the 2023 Nutrena World, the time period ranges from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2021.

  2. Exhibitors placing in the top three in the Level 3 classes in a class by division in the last five years (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and/or 2022);

  3. Horses placing in the top three in the Level 3 classes at the Nutrena AQHA Open World Show are not eligible for Level 2 for the subsequent five years in that class, regardless of points earned in the past three years.

  4. Alliance partner guidelines & monies earned by exhibitors and by class. (See specific exclusions by class.) Even though an exhibitor is not expressly listed by name on this list, an exhibitor is not eligible for a Level 2 class if that exhibitor meets the criteria named for that particular class.

These criteria will be reviewed for leveling purposes, which will further even the playing field as intended and thereby protect the integrity of the Level 2 program, sponsored by Adequan® (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) at the 2023 World Show.


OPEN EXHIBITORS

In addition to AQHA Level 2 eligibility for the Adequan® Level 2 Championships, AQHA alliance partner earnings will also be considered.

Speed, rail and individually worked events: To show a Level 2-eligible horse at the Adequan® Level 2 Championships, the open exhibitor cannot be listed on the ineligible exhibitors list.

Halter and cattle classes: To show a Level 2-eligible horse at the Adequan® Level 2 Championships, the exhibitor must be Level 2 eligible and cannot be listed on the ineligible exhibitors list.  Level eligibility can be verified at www.aqha.com/leveling.

Horses placing in the top three in the Level 3 classes at the Nutrena AQHA World Show are not eligible for Level 2 for the subsequent five years in that class, regardless of points earned in the past three years.

It is the responsibility of the exhibitor to provide accurate and up-to-date data to AQHA for purposes of eligibility verification. 

In accordance with the guidelines listed above, the following exhibitors are not eligible to compete in Level 2 at the 2023 AQHA World Show.


OPEN HALTER

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years 

2. AQHA Top Handlers (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

OPEN CUTTING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners),

3. Riders who have won more than $250,000 in lifetime NCHA earnings (as of 12/31/2022)  

OPEN WORKING COW HORSE

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

3. NRCHA Top 30 Open Money Earners

OPEN TIE-DOWN

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

3. PRCA Tie-Down Ropers, showing in Tie-Down; entrants will be verified with PRCA

OPEN HEADING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

3. PRCA Team Ropers, showing in Heading; entrants will be verified with PRCA

4. Exhibitors with Global Handicap Rating higher than 6 Heading, showing in Heading; entrants will be verified with Global Handicaps

OPEN HEELING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

3. PRCA Team Ropers, showing in Heeling; entrants will be verified with PRCA

4. Exhibitors with Global Handicap Rating higher than 7 Heeling, showing in Heeling; entrants will be verified with Global Handicaps

OPEN BARREL RACING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

3. WPRA card-holders; entrants will be verified with PRCA

OPEN POLE BENDING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

OPEN REINING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

3. NRHA Top 35 Professionals

 OPEN WESTERN RIDING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

 OPEN TRAIL

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

 OPEN WESTERN PLEASURE

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

3. NSBA Top 35 Western Pleasure Money Earners

4. NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Club

OPEN RANCH RIDING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

OPEN HUNTER UNDER SADDLE

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

3. NSBA Top 15 Hunter Under Saddle Money Earners

4. NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Club

OPEN WORKING HUNTER

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)

OPEN HUNTER HACK

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors & horses) from the past five years

2. AQHA Top Riders (approximately the top 2% of point earners)


AMATEUR & SELECT EXHIBITORS

In addition to Level 2 eligibility for the Adequan® Level 2 championships, AQHA alliance partner’s earnings will also be considered. To show at the Adequan® Level 2 championships, the amateur or Select:

  1. Must be eligible for Level 2. Level eligibility can be verified at www.aqha.com/leveling.

  2. Cannot be listed on the ineligible exhibitors list. Even though an exhibitor is not expressly listed by name on this list, an exhibitor is not eligible for a level 2 class if that exhibitor meets the criteria named for that particular class.

  3. Exhibitors placing in the top three in the Level 3 classes in a class by division (Select is considered a subdivision of the amateur division) in the last five years (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and/or 2022);

  4. Exhibitors who win a class at the Level 2 Championships are no longer eligible to compete in all exhibitor age divisions and/or all sex divisions of that class at any future Level 2 Championship for the subsequent 3 years;

  5. Horses placing in the top three in the Level 3 classes at the Open World Show are not eligible for Level 2 for the subsequent five years in that class, regardless of points earned in the past three years.

It is the responsibility of the exhibitor to provide accurate and up-to-date data to AQHA for purposes of eligibility verification.  Although the following exhibitors are ineligible for Level 2 in the Amateur or Select Divisions, unless otherwise listed in the Open Division portion, they are eligible for Level 2 in the Open Division.

In accordance with the guidelines listed above, the following exhibitors are not eligible to compete in Amateur Level 2 or Select Level 2 at the 2023 AQHA World Show. Click on the link(s) below to see exhibitor's names. 

AMATEUR HALTER

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR & SELECT SHOWMANSHIP

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR CUTTING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. Riders who have won more than $150,000 in lifetime NCHA earnings (as of 12/31/2022)

AMATEUR WORKING COW HORSE

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. NRCHA Top 25 Non Pro Money Earners

AMATEUR WORKING COW HORSE - BOXING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR TIE-DOWN ROPING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. Please note that PRCA card-holders are not eligible for any Amateur roping event (in any Level); entrants will be verified with PRCA

AMATEUR HEADING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. Please note that PRCA card-holders are not eligible for any Amateur roping event (in any Level); entrants will be verified with PRCA

AMATEUR HEELING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. Please note that PRCA card-holders are not eligible for any Amateur roping event (in any Level); entrants will be verified with PRCA

AMATEUR BREAKAWAY ROPING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. Please note that PRCA card-holders are not eligible for any Amateur roping event (in any Level); entrants will be verified with PRCA

AMATEUR BARREL RACING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. Please note that WPRA card-holders are not eligible for Amateur Barrel Racing (in any Level); entrants will be verified with WPRA

AMATEUR POLE BENDING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors  from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR STAKE RACE

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors  from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR REINING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. NRHA Top 35 Non Pro Riders 

AMATEUR WESTERN RIDING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR & SELECT TRAIL

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR & SELECT HORSEMANSHIP

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR & SELECT WESTERN PLEASURE

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. NSBA Top 15 Non Pro Western Pleasure Money Earners

4. NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Club

AMATEUR & SELECT RANCH RIDING

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR & SELECT HUNTER UNDER SADDLE

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

3. NSBA Top 10 Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle Money Earners

4. NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Club

AMATEUR WORKING HUNTER

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR HUNTER HACK

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR & SELECT HUNT SEAT EQUITATION

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years

AMATEUR EQUITATION OVER FENCES

1. AQHA World / Reserve / Bronze World Champions  (exhibitors) from the past five years

2. AQHA Level 2 Champions (exhibitors) from the past three years