Lexington, KY - More than 500 of the very best ponies in the U.S. are in Lexington, Kentucky right now to compete at the 2012 US Pony Finals. Starting Tuesday they will be ridden into competition at the Kentucky Horse Park by youth riders from around the country.
 
Over the next six days riders will take aim at the US Hunter Pony Championships presented by Sallee Horse Vans in Small, Medium, and Large Regular Hunter and Green Hunter sections and at an overall Regular and Green Hunter championship.  Starting Wednesday and continuing through Friday pony jumpers will go after Team and Individual jumping championships. On Sunday, August 12th the week will end with the awarding of the Equisport Insurance/US Pony Medal Championship.
 
The full 2012 U.S. Pony Finals schedule is available here.
 
Though a National Pony Championship has been held in the U.S. since 1967 the popular and cherished Pony Medal has only been awarded since 1984. Since then the equitation competition that determines the medal winner has been a highlight of the week. Riders qualify by earning a blue ribbon or by earning 30 points in any U.S. Pony Medal Qualifying class. During the championship they will be judged head-to-head over a demanding course of fences.
 
2012 is the 11th year that the National Pony Jumper Championships are being held as part of the US Pony Finals. To qualify rider/pony combinations need to be one of their zone's top four. Zone 7 won last year's team championship and last year's individual winner Julia Curtis is back with her winning mount, The Waterboy.
 
The Hunter Pony competitions are held in three phases in which a pony's conformation, movement under saddle, and jumping ability are judged. The first Hunter Pony classes begin Tuesday in the Walnut Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park.
 
USEF Network will post results and videos from the US Pony Finals daily at http://usefnetwork.com/featured/2012USEFPonyFinals/
 
Find out more about the Pony Finals at www.usef.org. 

Join us for the USEF/AVA National Championships Aug 2-5 at the Kentucky Horse Park!

Vaulting competition will be in the Alltech Arena Thursday through Sunday.  They have more than 350 competitors from 20 states across the country (CA, WA, IO,NM, TX, UT, WI, MI, IL, MN, TN, GA, NJ, VA, CT, NH, CO, NY, NC and OR).

Inexperenced Vaulters range in age from 6 to mid- thirties.  Average age range of vaulters is 12-20.  The youngest inexperienced will compete in the unrecognized classes on our "Festival Day" on Thursday.

They have vaulters at levels in trot and canter.  They compete in different divisions:  Individual, Pas de Deux (2 on the horse) and Team (a group of 6 vaulters, with a maximum of three on the horse at one time.)

Detailed schedule:  http://vaulting.swcp.com/orderofgo/acorn27/NATOOG12.pdf

Summary of classes by day:  http://www.americanvaulting.org/Nationals2012/schedule2012.pdf

Included with park admission!

By Joanie Morris, NAJYRC

Lexington, KY - The dates and location of the 2012 Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North have been designated. 

The competition will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park from July 18-22, 2012 - the week before the Olympic Games commence in London.

Adequan has returned as the title sponsor of this competition, and makes the dreams of young equestrians (ages 14-21) a reality. It is through the support of Adequan that this event has been able to grow - it now boasts nine FEI Championships.

Dressage, Eventing, Jumping and Reining each offer a championship for Juniors and one for Young Riders. Endurance - which was added in 2011 as a championship, offers an FEI championship for Young Riders.

In 2011 both Vaulting and Para-Equestrian produced exhibition performances at the championship - both were very well received by the other athletes and spectators.

"We look forward to another excellent year of competition at the Kentucky Horse Park," said John Long, CEO of the USEF. "This is the showcase for our youth athletes in these five disciplines and it is a fantastic opportunity for them to compete in a championship of this caliber."

Other supporters of the only FEI Championship held annually in North America include: Gotham North, SmartPak, Equine Canada, Platinum Performance, Ariat, Howard and Martha Simpson, the United States Dressage Federation, the United States Eventing Association, the United States Hunter Jumper Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, Griffin Gate Marriott, Sallee Horse Vans, Hodges Badge Company, Phelps Media Group and the Alltech National Horse Show, the Mexican Equestrian Federation, Kentucky Horse Shows, LLC., Hagyard Equine Medical, WISE Equestrian, Equifit, Dever, Inc., Best of Flowers, and Hertz.

A huge number of people and farms made the first 75-mile Endurance ride possible: Barton Brothers Farm, Ben Koostra, Black Fences/After Hours Farm, Billie Steffie, Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, Chad Needham, Dunroven Stud (Steve and Martha Brown), Emmett Ross, Fayette and Scott County Police, Gaylord Highlander, Glenn Thompson, Kentuckiana Farms, Oscar and Eloise Penn, Secretariat Center, Spy Coast Farm, UK-Ag Department (Dr. Nancy Cox), Ulrike McGovern, Equine Monitors (Donna Shifflette) and Distance Depot.

And thanks to all of the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to make this event a success.

ENDS
Please visit: www.youngriders.org for more information.

Mark the Calendar for the 2012 Event, to get involved, please contact Joanie Morris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 859.225.2052.

WHO:  Nearly 250 riders, ages 14-21, from 6 countries, along with their families, trainers, friends, veterinarians, farriers, judges, volunteers and spectators (174 riders from the U.S., 59 riders from Canada, 10 riders from Mexico, 2 riders from Columbia, 1 rider from Germany and 1 rider from Spain)

WHAT:  Opening ceremonies of the Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships

WHEN:  Wednesay, July 27, 6:30pm;  Entire event, July 27-31.

WHERE:  Kentucky Horse Park's Rolex Stadium

WHY:  The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders, age 14-21. Young equestrians vie for team and individual FEI medals in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage, eventing and the FEI World Equestrian Games disciplines of reining and endurance.  Many of North America's best equestrians who now regularly represent their country on Olympic, World Championship and Nations Cup teams got their first taste of international experience at NAJYRC. Watch a short video of last year's NAJYRC.

HOW:  Members of the media who wish to attend the opening ceremonies should park in the main Visitor Parking lot and walk to the Media Center, located next to the large Hospitality Tent by the Rolex Stadium. For more information, contact Cindy Rullman at the Kentucky Horse Park 859-259-4209, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to www.youngriders.org.

The public is invited to attend. The NAJYRC is included with park admission; opening ceremonies are free of charge.

WHO:  Competitors, ages 14-21, who are in Kentucky for the Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) at the Kentucky Horse Park

WHAT:  75-mile endurance race from the Kentucky Horse Park, utilizing part of the now world-famous Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games endurance course

WHEN:  Friday, July 30, 6:30am

WHERE:  The race begins and ends at the Kentucky Horse Park in front of the Maker's Mark Secretariat Center.

WHY: The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders, age 14-21. Young equestrians come from the U.S., Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Islands to vie for team and individual FEI medals in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage, eventing and the FEI World Equestrian Games disciplines of reining and endurance. The competition is run under rules of the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale), the international governing body for equestrian sport, and is the only FEI championship held annually in this country. Many of North America's best equestrians who now regularly represent their country on Olympic, World Championship and Nations Cup teams got their first taste of international experience at NAJYRC.  Watch a video, shot at 10:45am< Jul 29, at one of the endurance veterinary inspections.

HOW:  Members of the media who wish to attend should contact Cindy Rullman at the Kentucky Horse Park (859-259-4209, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) or Vonita Bowers at the United States Equestrian Federation (859-225-6001, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) for additional information.  There will be other opportunities throughout the day to follow the race, however, there will be no media or public access to the private lands through which much of the race will take place.  A map of the entire 75-mile route is available by request.