The American Sidesaddle Association offers a fun annual awards program to all ASA members. This program is still a work in progress and may change and update with input from regional clubs through their representatives on the Board of Directors. ASA welcomes all suggestions concerning the annual awards program.

ASA’s awards philosophy

• ASA wishes to recognize and honor participation in all disciplines and activities as equally as possible.
• ASA will endeavor to make it possible for those from different regions (often without anything like the same total number of opportunities to compete) to compete on as level a playing field as possible.
• ASA wishes to encourage novice riders, as well as recognize those at the top of their game. We also want to promote the fun and enjoyment of riding aside, as well as the competitive side.
• ASA wishes to encourage and honor regional affiliated clubs through special awards.

Awards for Regional Sidesaddle Groups

• Expansion Award Presented to the club which has had the most new members during the current year. One point per new member.
• Busy Bee Award Presented to the club which has participated in the most events, with at least 5 members of the club participating. Not to include ordinary lessons, but may include shows, trail rides, clinics, demonstrations, drill rides, pace events, etc. Member participation may be as rider, groom (no more than one groom per rider), event official/volunteer, narrator, booth attendant, model. One point per day of event with requisite number of members present.
• The Betty Skelton Award To be presented to a member or club submitting the most outstanding presentation which preserves and archives a side-saddle memory or piece of information which should never be lost. This presentation may be written; oral (taped); visual (videotaped, slide/Powerpoint, labeled photo album); or other. It may be the club's/member's own memory/information, or one collected (with appropriate credits) from another, such as from a retired saddler, rider, person from another country, including any non-ASA member. All such presentations will be judged by a panel of three or more disinterested individuals not connected with any of the entries. Since there may be more than one outstanding entry in a given year, but only one can be chosen to win the Award, a non-winning entry may be re-submitted in a following year. Note: Should there be no entry of archive quality (either as to content or quality of presentation) then the Betty Skelton Award will not be presented that year. Entries must be received by 5 January to be considered for that year’s awards banquet or annual meeting; any late entries will be held for the following year. All entries may be retained by ASA for archive purposes (winning entries definitely will be), so it is strongly suggested that copies be kept by the submitting club.
• The Hundred Oaks Award To be presented to the club which submits the most innovative or notable program for promotion of side-saddle to the general public, and/or most informative/educational program about side-saddle. The club shall submit at least a written outline of the program; preferably, visuals will also be included, which may include (but are not limited to) diagrams, photos, videotape, hands-on materials. All such presentations will be judged by a panel of three or more disinterested individuals not connected with any of the entries. Since there may be more than one outstanding entry in a given year, but only one can be chosen to win the Award, a non-winning entry may be re-submitted in a following year. Note: Should there be no entry of archive quality (either as to content or quality of presentation) then the Hundred Oaks Award will not be presented that year. Entries must be received by 5 January to be considered for that year’s awards banquet and/or annual meeting; any late entries will be held for the following year. All entries may be retained by ASA for archive purposes (winning entries definitely will be), so it is strongly suggested that copies be kept by the submitting club.

Awards for Individual Members

These awards to be by nomination. Letters of nomination for a given year’s awards must be received by January 5th of the following year. These letters will be given to a panel of at least three judges who are not familiar with any of the nominees. Names will not be given to the judges; this panel shall select the winner(s). More than one person may receive an award, at the judges’ discretion.
• Helping Hands Award For going above and beyond the call of duty to help another rider, horse, or performing a minor miracle to ensure an event happens.
• Bottoms Up Award For most spectacular dismount. Must be witnessed, and judged on witness’/witnesses’ report of such fall—oops—spectacular dismount. Photos and/or video are a definite bonus!
• Velcro Award For most spectacular avoidance of the above fate (falling off). Must be witnessed, and judged on witness’/witnesses’ report of such. Photos and/or video are a definite bonus!
• The Court Jester Award For actions which cause great amusement to others, who are likely to have exclaimed, “You idiot!” even before the story is completed.
• The Tom Tom Award (a.k.a. The Travelers’ Consolation Prize) Best story of heroism, adventure, hardship, or downright stupidity while traveling to or from a side-saddle event. Must have evidence of truth. Note: a member may self-nominate for this award.
• The Rookie Award For the tale of greatest adventure or progress. The rookie may be a person or horse in their first year of showing aside, or starting a new discipline, or a rider with a horse new to them that year. Note: a member may self-nominate for this award.

  The following two awards are not judged by the panel as above, but are strictly mileage awards. However, each individual must still be nominated (or nominate themselves) with appropriate documentation.

• The Route 66 Award For greatest distance traveled (one-way) from member’s home to a side-saddle event. Documentation of attendance at the event, and home address, will be proof of distance, but member must also nominate themselves (or be nominated) for this award.
• The Sanity Clause Award For greatest number of miles traveled to all side-saddle events in the course of the year. A mileage log must be kept and submitted as nomination for this award (self-nomination permitted).

Year-End Riding/Activity Awards

Unless otherwise designated, all performance divisions shall be awarded to a rider/equine team. Any breed of horse or pony, mule, donkey, etc., is eligible for any and all awards. If fewer than three eligible competitors submit points for an ASA Year End Award division, no trophy will be awarded, only champion and reserve ribbons. In order to be eligible for a year end award in a given division, the competitor must have submitted points toward that division from at least three separate events Point sheets for all events must be postmarked within 30 days of the event; events in December of a given points year must be postmarked by the following Jan. 5; points sheets may be e-mailed or faxed, but must be followed by hard-copy sheets correctly postmarked. Each point sheet (or group of point sheets from the same event) must be accompanied by some sort of verification: trail ride notice, horse show prize list, schedule for event where demos are held, publicity (before or after, such as newspaper reports) for a parade, or even a note or letter from a person “in charge” of the location (school, nursing home, youth club, etc.) where a demonstration was held. Each points sheet must be signed by an event official, with contact information (address and either phone or e-mail). Point secretary may conduct spot-checks of points at any time, by contacting the event official who signed the point sheet, as above.

All competitors who submit points of any sort will receive a certificate of participation.

Overall Champion Rider Awarded to the junior rider and senior rider (regardless of how many equines used) who achieves the greatest accrued points in the following divisions: NOTE: a junior shall be 17 years old or under, as of January 1st of the year; a senior shall be 18 years old or over as of January 1st of the year.

• The Show-Off Award For greatest number of shows (or other arena events) ridden aside, one point per day, regardless of number of classes entered.
  
• The Street Cruiser Award For number of street parades in which the member participated, one point per parade. This includes as a rider, safety walker, rig mover, caterer (feeder of the unit’s riders), banner carrier, pooper scooper, or wardrobe assistant.
  
• The Exhibitionist Award For greatest number days doing exhibitions or demonstrations, one point per day regardless of how many different demonstrations are done that day. Number of spectators not important; however, it must be a scheduled program, not just a chance conversation or explanation. May be a rider, narrator, groom (no more than one per rider), model. If a person has actively participated in set-up the day before an event, that day may also be counted. If the member has been on the grounds, but not actively participating that day (riding, modeling, working in the booth, etc.) then that particular day may not be counted.
  
• Trail Mileage Award To be awarded to the competitor who logs the greatest number of miles on trail-type events, including pleasure trail rides, competitive trail rides, endurance rides, ride-and-tie (both participants may receive credit), pace events, mileage to be as designated in the prize list or notice of such event. No partial mileage will be given for any such event: if the competitor withdraws before the end of the complete event, or is eliminated for any reason, no miles may be counted (in accordance with standard practice in trail ride competition). However, if the event has more than one section with different mileages, and the competitor is permitted by ride rules to choose one or the other section at any point, mileage completed will count.
  Hunting (fox hunting, drag hunting, stag hunting, clean boot hunting, mounted bassetting or beagling, etc.) may be counted in this section with 10 miles being counted for each hunt. Horse must complete either 2 hours minimum, or the entire hunt (if less than two hours), to be eligible for the 10 mileage points. Exception: If the competitor can prove mileage greater than 10 miles on a hunt, such as with GPS records, then the verified mileage will be credited. NOTE: Trail riding done in training, or for pleasure, may not be counted in this category. The event must be an organized and publicized event with verifiable paperwork and official(s).

Wet Saddle Blanket Certificates

This award is for participation only, and consists of a special certificate acknowledging the many hours of preparation and training that go into riding, whether or not a rider is able to compete. To be eligible, the rider must maintain a year-long log of daily side-saddle riding time (note: it is not necessary to ride every day, nor year round—only total side-saddle riding time is counted). Hours spent riding side-saddle at any of the above events may be counted, along with schooling or pleasure riding time in a side-saddle. (Note: Astride riding time may not be counted toward this award, nor can sitting on the side-saddle in the living room, dreaming of long summer days.)

• Gold Certificate - 300 Hours
• Silver Certificate - 200 Hours
• Bronze Certificate - 100 Hours
• Blue Ribbon Certificate - 75 hours

  This is an honesty award, and a simple diary or calendar page type riding log, recording time spent riding and the horse’s name, will suffice. This is our way of recognizing those who don’t own show horses, are too far away from events, or who simply take pleasure from riding in the pasture or the woods. For they too explore and expand the elegant art of riding aside.