August 3, 2015–The stage is set for the 2015 US Pony Finals to begin at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. From August 4-9, over 800 ponies from across the country will compete with their youth riders in hunter, jumper, and equitation classes.
Through Saturday, competition for the US Hunter Pony Championships presented by Sallee Horse Vans will take place. Riders will vie for championships in Small, Medium, and Large Regular Hunter and Green Hunter divisions. The Hunter Pony competitions are held in three phases in which a pony’s conformation, movement under saddle, and jumping ability are judged by the panel consisting of Jim Dahlquist, William Ellis, Daniel Robertshaw, Christina Schlusemeyer, James Toon, and Steven Wall. The first Hunter Pony classes begin Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. ET.
View the lists of Green Hunter qualified ponies and Regular Hunter qualified ponies.
The US Pony Jumper Championship starts Thursday and will feature three classes of individual competition, as well as a team championship on Friday afternoon, all judged by Ron Beachy and Oliver Kennedy. Qualifying information is available at online.
The culmination of the week, and most coveted of US Pony Finals championships, is the Marshall & Sterling/USEF National Pony Medal Finals on Sunday in Alltech Arena. During the championship, the riders will be judged by Frank Madden and Ken Smith while going head-to-head over a demanding course of fences. The Pony Medal points rankings coming into the US Pony Finals are available online.
For live scoring, results, schedule, and competitor and hospitality information go to www.usefconnect.com.
For many, US Pony Finals will be the first major national championship of their equestrian careers, and a cherished memory forever. A national pony championship has been held in the United Sates since 1967, and the Pony Medal Final has been a part of the Finals since 1984. The National Pony Jumper Championships were added to the Finals in 2001 and have been an exciting addition.
The USEF Network presented by SmartPak will live stream competition from the Walnut and Alltech Arenas. Tune in to the USEF Network for a complete schedule.
Find out more information about the US Pony Finals.