Re: First show on Sunday and in need of help!
Both of your classes are nice and simple to do, but the more you get into it, the more complicated it gets!
However, you'll be fine! The very correct tack and turnout for Riding Horse classes is is navy hat with a leather chinstrap, navy jacket, coloured tie or stock that matches your horse’s browband, white shirt, cream/beige/fawn jodhpurs, long black boots, brown gloves and a showing cane. Your horse should be pristine, with the aforementioned coloured velvet browband, brown tack, an odd number of plaits down his neck, even including the forelock, all whiskers, ears and fetlocks trimmed, no boots/bandages, a pulled tail and some quartermarks.
However, as this is a local show, just try and get as close to the above as possible, without breaking the bank. There's no need to buy new tack for a riding club show!
In your class you will walk around the arena in open order, the judge will look at each horse and judge its manners. Then the steward will ask for trot, and you will all trot around. Here is where people begin to try to cut you up in front of the judge! If they do this, simply circle back around and trot in front of the judge when there's a free space. I've also found riding slightly off the track helps, as they don't want to crash into the steward! Then they will ask for canter, and perhaps a gallop (which in riding horse classes is a slight extension of canter, more like your jumping canter) Then the judge will pull you in in his desired order. Then depending on the judging, you will either do an individual show, or the judge will ride your horse. Make your individual show short and snappy, a walk, trot and canter on each rein on a figure of eight usually works fine, with a bit of a gallop if you want to, but that's mainly a hunter horse thing. Then you may have to do a strip (your horse, not you!). For this take off your horse's saddle, and lead him up to the judge, stand him up for the judge to look at his conformation, then walk away, trot back in a straight line (aim at the judge, they will get out of the way!), then trot back to your space in the lineup, put on your saddle again and get mounted up for your first place prize and lap of honour ;)
Best of luck!