National Rider Ranking Info

The USIHC National Ranking is a system to compare results of riders of pure-bred Icelandic horses at selected USIHC Sanctioned events all over the US with each other.

The USIHC Sport Committee started the National Ranking in this form in 2007. It is a continuous system. After each National Ranking show is closed and approved by the Sport Leader, its scores are incorporated into the Ranking. The current ranking standings are shown below.

Detailed show results are available from the online show results archive.

What competitions are included in the National Ranking?

Any National Ranking competition held in the United States contributes to the National Ranking list. Show organizers receive a sanction for their competition by applying to the Sport Leader who grants the sanction, after confirming the details of the application.

What classes/tests are included in the National Ranking?

There are classes/tests included at all levels of competition. The following table shows the included classes/tests:

How is a rider's position in the ranking computed?

The position of a rider in any discipline in the National Ranking is based upon the arithmetic mean of the two best preliminary round results over 4.0 with any horse from the past two years.

What if I ride in more than one tölt or gait test at the same event?

As of April 1, 2023, riders can compete in more than one tölt or gait test at the same event on the same or different horse. 

What if the show I'm competing in does not offer preliminaries and finals?

If a given National Ranking show only only offers one round (not preliminary and final rounds) for a given class/test, the results from that one round will be used to calculate the National Ranking contribution of the show.

When are rankings updated?

The Ranking is updated as soon as the results of a contributing show are reviewed and approved by the Sport Leader, who is also the Chair of the Sport Committee.

Are there National Ranking awards?

A High Point Award will be given each year to the rider with the highest average in each discipline as of December 31. The awards will be presented each year at the USIHC Annual Meeting.

A wooden plaque will be awarded as a perpetual award to the winner for each class, each year. The winner's name will be added to the plaque and the winner will keep the plaque for one year. Each subsequent year the plaque will be returned to the National Ranking Committee. The new winner's name will be added and the plaque will be presented to the new winner at the Congress Annual Meeting.

A small "Iceberg" award will be given to each winner also so that they may keep something permanently.

What are the past end-of-year National Ranking results?