Contact Marie Phillips at RIAP57@aol.com with questions or comments.
Click here to go directly to the Novice Show Dates & Judges list
The MEPSA Novice Photo Show Series provides newcomers with an opportunity to learn how to improve their photo show entries by using direct feedback. Entrants will be given individual private critiques on EVERY photo they enter, thus allowing them to see exactly what they can improve on. Photos will also be judged against one another (just like a regular photo show) and full results will be given to all entrants.
Some rules to remember:
Showers CANNOT enter Novice shows and OPEN shows at the same time. There is a maximum of 2 years allowed in Novice for showers over 16. Age 16 and under, the maximum is 3 years. Graduating from Novice will occur prior to the maximum allowed time, when the majority of judges recommend moving up to Open. A shower may elect to move on to Open on their own at any time. It is recommended that a shower take advantage of the Novice shows and enter as many as possible. The Novice Division is designed to help you improve your photography, but the judge can also help you with other details, such as breed assignment, labeling your photo back, etc.
Novice showers may move up to the Open division, which also includes all Specialty shows, at any time. However, if they choose to do this, they CANNOT enter any further Novice shows and must forfeit all qualifications in the Novice Division. Once moved to Open, they cannot show in the Novice Division. All photography must be done by the entrant, no professional photography allowed. All Original Finish Plastic or China (OF), Custom (CM) and Artist Resin (AR) horses welcome.
FEES AND RULES: $2.00 per show. PLEASE make check/MO out to the judge, not MEPSA!
Entrants may not enter more than 15 photos per show. All photos will be individually critiqued by the photo show judge and entrants will be given constructive criticism on how to improve their entries. Horses that place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any halter class in this series ARE eligible for the MEPSA Novice Halter Championship division and, in Performance, any horse placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd are eligible for the Championship Novice Performance division in the class they place in only!!
STANDARD PHOTO SIZES ONLY – Show photos should be of uniform size. 4×6 photos are preferred, but 4×5.25 and 3×5 are also allowed. Any other size may be disqualified by the judge.
NO PHOTO MANIPULATION ALLOWED – Photos suspected of any manipulation will be pulled from competition at the judge’s discretion. “Manipulation” as set forth by the MEPSA Board of Directors includes, but is not limited to:
– Digitally or otherwise adding, changing or deleting backgrounds, props, riders, tack ,etc.
– Altering the appearance of the horse in any manner.
Minor standard adjustments will be allowed, such as color balance, brightness or cropping.
NEVER write or put sticky notes, or digitally add information on your photo fronts!! EVER!
All model and owner info should be on the backs of your photos, and never on the front.
Entrants may enter one photo per horse in Halter. Enter each photo in one gender class and one breed class. Example: An Arabian Stallion photo would be entered in classes 1, 5, while a Clydesdale gelding would be entered in 3, 8. You do not need separate photos for both sections.
In Performance, it is one photo per horse per class in classes 13, 14, 18, 19. The remainder may have multiple photos of the horse as long as they are of different disciplines, i.e. Roping and Cutting in Western Stock Class or Arabian and Native American in Costumes.
Duplicate entries will be DQ’d.
HOW TO ENTER:
The information needed on your photo back (Click Here for sample HALTER or PERFORMANCE photo back):
Horse’s name, breed, gender, color and make/mold information should be printed or written in ink on a label. Do not write directly on photo backs as it will smear and often transfers to other photos in humid conditions. DON’T use a Sharpie or any marker type pen as they can bleed right through the photo.
Class or classes entered – In Halter, this will be two classes, one for gender and one for breed type. In Performance, this will be only one class, and it helps to explain what your horse is doing. (Use pencil on a blank label. Some use scotch tape, but I dislike it as the pencil fades over time and the tape itself can leave sticky spots. Pencil is used so you can erase and remark the class numbers).
Your full name, your street address, city, state, zip code, email address and your five letter entrant ID code (1st two letters of 1st name and first three letters of last name-example: Marie Phillips-maphi). An address label is perfect and preferred for this information, but you may write it in pen on a blank label. Be sure it’s readable! Bigger is better.)
Showers should put their photos in a ziplock bag to keep them clean, dry and together. It is not mandatory to do this, but it is good practice to keep your photos safe and should the envelope be damaged, they will get back to the shower.
WHAT TO SEND:
Don’t forget your entry fee, to make sure your name and address is on EVERY photo back, that your classes are marked on every photo back, and that you have enclosed that very important SASE! What is an SASE? It’s an envelope you have addressed to yourself, with that show’s judge’s address as the return, that is LARGE enough to fit all your photos and results if needed, and is PRE-STAMPED with enough postage to mail home all your photos and results, unless you get your results by email. This is very important, because otherwise, the judge cannot return your photos to you! You need to put at least the same amount of stamps on the return envelope as it takes to send your package to the judge. A lot of veteran showers will put an extra stamp in their photo bag with their name written on the back of the stamp in ink (just in case).
Shows will run the third Saturday of every month.
HALTER SERIES (runs in August, September, November, December, February, March, May – Championship Show)
| Halter – Gender 1. Stallion 2. Mare 3. Gelding 4. Foal | Halter – Breed 5. Arabians/Morgans (pure & part-bred) 6. Sport Horse (TB, WB, STB, pure & part-bred) 7. Stock (pure & part-bred) 8. Draft (pure & part-bred) 9. Pony (pure & part-bred 10. Gaited/Spanish (pure & part-bred) 11. Other Breed (pure & part-bred) 12. Mules/Donkeys/Other Exotic |
HALTER GRAND CHAMPION
HALTER RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
PERFORMANCE SERIES (runs in October, January, April – Championship Show)
| Performance – Western 13. Western Pleasure 14. Western Trail (obstacle required) 15. Western Games (barrel, pole or prop required) 16. Western Stock Class (cow/cows required) 17. Other Western (must state what event) | Performance – English/Other 18. Huntseat Pleasure 19. Dressage (show marker) 20. Hunter/Jumper (jump or obstacle required) 21. Harness 22. Costume 23. Other English (must state what event) 24. Other Miscellaneous Performance (must state what event) |
PERFORMANCE GRAND CHAMPION
PERFORMANCE RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
MEPSA NOVICE SHOW JUDGES 2024/2025
All shows will run on the 3rd Saturday of the month
AUGUST 17, 2024 – Halter
Rhonda Chisholm
3066 Emerald Ln
Magnolia, MS 39652
littlepintos2016@gmail.com
SEPTEMBER 21, 2024 – Halter
Traci Durrell-Khalife
1666 SW Country Club Pl
Corvallis OR 97333-1561
khalife@proaxis.com
OCTOBER 19, 2024 – Performance
Traci Durrell-Khalife
1666 SW Country Club Pl
Corvallis OR 97333-1561
khalife@proaxis.com
NOVEMBER 16, 2024 – Halter
Janet Cary
11654 Shannon Dr
Marilla, NY 14102
stamplady63@gmail.com
DECEMBER 21, 2024 – Halter
Rhonda Chisholm
3066 Emerald Ln
Magnolia, MS 39652
littlepintos2016@gmail.com
JANUARY 18, 2025 – Performance
Rhonda Chisholm
3066 Emerald Ln
Magnolia, MS 39652
littlepintos2016@gmail.com
FEBRUARY 15, 2025 – Halter
Marie J. Phillips
93 Franklin Ave
Oakville, CT 06779
riap57@aol.com
MARCH 15, 2025 – Halter
Toni Rakestraw
340 26th St
Springfield, OR 97477
tonirakestraw@gmail.com
APRIL 19, 2025 – Performance
Julia Reightler
Send to:
Rhonda Chisholm
3066 Emerald Ln
Magnolia, MS 39652
littlepintos2016@gmail.com
MAY 17, 2025 – Halter