The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) will host a ribbon cutting ceremony August 20 at 6 p.m. to celebrate the opening of its new headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.

Founded in 2004, the USHJA was established to promote the hunter/jumper sport, to provide broad-based education to its members and to provide the framework for the conduct of our sport. Since receiving approval as the Federation Recognized Affiliate for the hunter/jumper discipline, the USHJA has grown to more than 36,000 members, a full-time staff of 15 and dozens of outsourced partners and vendors nationwide.

William Moroney, President of USHJA, shared his excitement. "This is an exciting time for all participants in our sport. When the Board of Directors decided it was time to establish a permanent headquarters for the organization, we moved quickly to secure a prime location at the Kentucky Horse Park. The staff moved into the new building last fall, but we decided to hold the official dedication in August, when more members could share in this amazing accomplishment. The ribbon cutting will take place in front of the building overlooking the WEG demonstration area. In just a few short weeks, the USHJA will be bringing the Hunter Derby to the world, by performing several demonstrations during the World Equestrian Games. The official dedication of the new offices coupled with the upcoming Hunter Derby Finals and followed by the Hunter Derby demonstrations at WEG creates an exhilarating series of events for all equestrians."

The official dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held in conjunction with the 2010 The Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby Final taking place August 20-21 at the Horse Park.

A draw party for the top 25 riders qualified for phase two of the Hunter Derby Finals will be held immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony inside the USHJA headquarters. In addition, there will be a Calcutta to benefit the USHJA Foundation and its Horseman's Assistance Fund.

An open house to showcase the new headquarters will be held August 21 from noon to 3 p.m.

For more information on the USHJA ribbon cutting ceremony and open house, please contact Whitney Allen at [email protected] or (859) 225-6707.