Heart & Hooves
Liberty Horse Challenge

2025 Heart & Hooves Horsemanship Liberty Challenge

📅 Sunday, October 5, 2025
🕘 Start Time: 9:00 AM
📍 Heart & Hooves Arena – Lee Road, Deer River, MN
🏟 Heated Indoor Arena

About the Liberty Challenge

The Heart & Hooves Horsemanship Liberty Challenge is more than just a competition — it’s a true celebration of the partnership between horse and handler. Liberty horsemanship invites the horse to willingly engage without the use of ropes, reins, or restraints. Instead, handlers rely on subtle cues, body language, and energy to guide their horses, showcasing trust, respect, and communication at the highest level.

This unique event provides a welcoming and supportive space for Liberty enthusiasts of all levels:

For beginners, it’s a chance to step into the arena, gain confidence, and share the first steps of their Liberty journey.
For intermediate handlers, it’s an opportunity to refine skills, test connection in new ways, and continue building precision and creativity.
For advanced participants, it’s a stage to demonstrate polished routines, advanced maneuvers, and the beauty of a well-developed partnership.

What makes the Liberty Challenge special is its focus on growth and encouragement. Each performance, whether simple or complex, reflects the time, patience, and heart invested in the horse-human bond. Spectators will be inspired by the variety of performances — from obstacle courses that highlight responsiveness and control, to freestyles that showcase creativity and artistry, to team and double Liberty acts that push the boundaries of communication and coordination.

Above all, the Liberty Challenge is a community gathering — a chance for horse lovers to connect, learn from one another, and celebrate the spirit of horsemanship built on kindness, understanding, and respect.

Divisions

To ensure fair competition and growth at every level, riders may enter in one of three divisions:

Novice – For participants new to Liberty or still developing consistency.
Intermediate – For handlers with growing confidence and experience.
Advanced – For seasoned Liberty trainers ready to demonstrate polished, high-level performances.

Classes Offered

Obstacle Course Liberty: Handlers and horses navigate a thoughtfully designed course featuring maneuvers such as weaving poles, circling obstacles, backing, and crossing bridges.
Individual Liberty Freestyle: A self-designed routine showcasing creativity, expression, and trust. Music is encouraged to highlight artistry and flow.
Team Liberty Freestyle: (New for 2025!)Two handlers and two horses perform together in a synchronized routine. (Only one team member needs to register and pay the entry fee.)
Double Liberty: A challenging class where one handler works with two horses simultaneously, demonstrating timing, balance, and advanced communication.

Awards & Recognition

Champion & Reserve Champion in each division
Grand Champion & Reserve Grand Champion overall
Special awards for Team & Double Liberty

Scores from the Obstacle Course and Freestyle will be combined.

Registration Details

Entry Fee: $50 per horse, per class
Team/Double Liberty: $50 per horse/rider pair ($100 per team)
Deadline: Thursday, October 2, 2025
Payment: All payments are non-refundable and due at the time of registration
🎶 Music selections must be submitted with Freestyle, Team, and Double Liberty entries

⚠️ Late Registration: Entries submitted after October 2 will be accepted if space allows and will include a $30 late fee per horse.

👉 Register Here for the Liberty Challenge

Rider Services

Stalls: $25 per night (waived for Heart & Hooves Advanced Class riders). Outdoor stalls only.
Electricity: $25 per day. Generators are welcome but limited to 3 hours at a time. Quiet hours are 10:00 PM – 7:00 AM.

Reservations for stalls and electricity must be made at the time of registration.