I never knew this was out there. I guess I should go to more shows.. or just read more of this forum.
From my understanding this is a "Flat Class" kind of like Western Pleasure just in English Garb? ..
Not sure just asking for some response from experience.. I have really never seen the event. Where is it popular?

This event is at just about any show you go to. It is like an English version of Western Pleasure. They are looking for the "hunter ideal" in this class. Long strides, level head, etc.

It seems to me that when you go to show and these events are going on, there are definite "niche crowds" being developed instead of the "picnic table" crowd you used to see.

Maybe it is just California, but back in the day, I remember that small town How ya doing attitude, now all these different categories seem to isolating groups from one another?

Am I off base, or just to friendly

You can find nice people and snobs in any discipline and in any part of the country. I've found some of the nicest people I've ever met in New York and some of the most rude in the DC area...you'd never expect it...but it can happen. When we were young, my sister used to show in hunter under saddle at local shows hosted by western riders. It was the funniest thing, and most fun, to watch. I remember one judge, with his big ole cowboy hat, said, "well, what do we do with these here english riders?" he asked of the ring steward of the HUS class. He actually had the riders doing patterns and all sorts of different things, then had them ride without their stirrups while cantering figure 8s. The horse and rider that won that class really deserved it! (it wasn't my sister!) Hah! Umm...but that's not how HUS classes are ridden as far as I know. Walk, trot, canter...sometimes halt. Judged on the horse, not rider, but the rider must be accomplished enough to make the horse look good. In the old days, HUS would be a really nice mover, some flexion at the poll, softly round so there's no hollow back, tracking up, somewhat long and low in the head and neck, nose ever so slightly in front of the vertical. No vices like pinned ears or wringing tails. Should be submissively up and down in the gaits. And he should look happy, like he's enjoying his job. Those were the days when you say hunt seat equitation videos by George Morris and the horse could easily be a training level/first level dressage horse by his movement. But now we see hollow backed horses, strung out ponies, not tracking up. I'd like to know where in the country I can finally see real HUS horses.

I showed in some Hunter Under Saddle classes this summer, it was fun. The horses are judged on manners, pace and style, just like in a normal hunter over fences class. It is easy to confuse all the classes, they one that Nearco discribed, with patterns and no sturrip work sounds more like a Equitation on the flat class. Some of thoes can be odd...