Lexington, Ky. - The stage is set for the 2017 USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm to begin at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. From August 8-13, over 600 ponies from across the country will compete with their youth riders in hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The live stream on the USEF Network will cover all of the competition from the Walnut and Alltech Arenas. View the streaming schedule.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the prestigious competition. A pony hunter challenge between Great Britain and the U.S. that began in 1959 inspired the 1967 creation of a U.S. national championship for pony hunters. The Pony Medal Final has been a part of Pony Finals since 1984. The National Pony Jumper Championships were added to the Finals in 2001 and have been an exciting addition. Several past Pony Finals competitors have gone on to represent the U.S. in international competition and championships, including the Olympic Games. For many youth riders, the USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm will be the first major national championship of their equestrian careers and a cherished memory forever.

Through Saturday, competition for the USEF Hunter Pony Championships 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 a panel consisting of Robert Bielefeld, Diane Carney, Scott Fitton, Mark Jungherr, Dale Pederson, and Tony Sgarlata. The first Hunter Pony classes begin Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET.

View the lists of Green Hunter qualified ponies and Regular Hunter qualified ponies.

The USEF Pony Jumper Championship starts Thursday at 7:15 p.m. ET and will feature three phases of individual competition, as well as a team championship on Friday afternoon, all judged by Ralph Alfano and Ron Beachy.

View the list of Pony Jumper teams.

The culmination of the week, and most coveted of USEF Pony Finals championships, is the Marshall & Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Finals on Sunday at 7 a.m. ET in the Alltech Arena. During the championship, the riders will be judged by Rachel Kennedy and James Toon while going head-to-head over a challenging course.

View the Pony Medal points rankings.

Find out more information about the USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm at www.ponyfinals.org.

The live stream is only available to US Equestrian members. 

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