You're right, there are a lot more "in-hand" classes and presentions done in-hand than at liberty.
One of my all time favorite endurance memories was seeing an elderly gentleman who was not able to do the completion trot out - required to prove the horses are sound at the end of a ride - with his horse on lead. He got the vet's permission to trot out his horse at liberty. They trotted down and back and there weren't very many dry eyes among the spectators. The vet , smiling broadly, passed the horse and the pair walked away with the horse still off lead. Nancy
