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 Kitty Barker, Ralph Caristo, Marylisa Leffler, Keith Hastings, Rachel Kennedy, and Jimmy Torano. The first Hunter Pony classes begin Tuesday at 11:00 am ET.
A List of Green Hunter qualified ponies is available here.
A list of Regular Hunter qualified ponies is available here.
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 www.usef.org.
A list of US Pony Jumper Championship teams is online here.
The culmination of the week, and most coveted of US Pony Finals championships, is the Marshall & Sterling/US Pony Medal Finals on Sunday in Alltech Arena. During the championship, the riders will be judged by Karen Healey and Stacia Madden while going head-to-head over a demanding course of fences. US Pony Medal points rankings coming into the US Pony Finals are available online here.
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.
On-demand video highlights as well as competition recaps will be available at www.usefnetwork.com.
For more information about US Pony Finals go to http://www.usef.org/_iframes/breedsdisciplines/discipline/pony/ponyfinals.aspx.