Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Horse show rosette colours

From: Sonja

Dear Jessica, first let me say a big "Thank you!" for giving us HORSE-SENSE. It means so much to me to know that I can always get well-considered wise advice just by visiting your site and looking up whatever subject is worrying me. Now I have a question for you, and I hope you don't think it is too silly and trivial. Well, perhaps it is! but it's something I really need to know. I live in England and will be moving to the States in a few months, with my (American) husband. He has assured me that we will take my horse Caleb with us and that I will be able to participate in small jumping competitions just as I do at home. (I know that I must begin to think of the States as "home", but it may take some time.) I do not want to appear foolish or ignorant, and I know that in the States the rosettes (do you call them "ribbons?") are awarded in a somewhat different order to ours. For us, red is the first-place rosette, blue is the second-place rosette. I know that in the States, blue denotes first place and red denotes second place. But I have no idea what comes after those two places. Can you help me? I've been told that there are competitions in which the classes are so large that eight or ten rosettes are awarded for the first eight or ten places. How can I find out what the colours of these places are? I know this probably sounds very silly, but there are so very many things I don't know and need to learn, I have a book that has been useful at explaining the differences between our ways and yours, but it doesn't discuss everything, and I just want to begin somewhere! Thank you. Sonja

Hi Sonja! Welcome to the States - and I hope you enjoy the competitions here. The distances between competitions will probably take some getting used to, unless you are moving to one of the New England states and have access to a great many competitions in a fifty-mile radius. ;-)

Your question is easily answered. In the States, the colours of the rosettes (or ribbons, depending on the competition - some economy-minded organizers purchase ribbons, others invest more in simple or fancy rosettes) at horse shows correspond to the following places:

Champion: Tri-colour (blue, red, yellow) Reserve Champion: Tri-colour (red, yellow, white) First: Royal blue
Second: Red
Third: Yellow
Fourth: White
Fifth: Pink
Sixth: Green
Seventh: Purple
Eighth: Brown
Ninth: Grey
Tenth: Light Blue

You'll find the same places and colours at other competitions - human sporting events such as swim meets, skating competitions, track and field competitions, etc.

Now you're in a good position to plan your home decorating in "winning" colours, American-style. ;-)

Jessica

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