Lexington, Ky. – From coast to coast, the country’s best junior hunter riders are preparing to compete for top honors in the 2019 USEF Junior Hunter National Championships. The championships will take place on both the East and West coasts in 3’6” and 3’3” sections, with the riders separated into 15 & under and 16-17 sections, as well as Small Junior Hunter and Large Junior Hunter.

Riders will compete in three phases: Classic Round, Under Saddle, and Handy Hunter. The Under Saddle phase accounts for 20% of the rider's overall score, while the Classic Round and Handy Hunter each account for 40% of the overall score. Ribbons will be awarded after each phase in the various sections, and overall champions will be named after the completion of each section. Finally, the Overall Grand Champions, Overall Reserve Grand Champions, and Best Mare will be crowned on each coast.

The championships kick off in Devon, Pa., July 8-9, with the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships - East Coast hosted by Brandywine Horse Shows. Riders will seek to impress judges Jen Bauersachs (Frenchtown, N.J.), Bill Ellis (Ocala, Fla.), Jenny Fischer (Montgomery, N.Y.), Daniel Geitner (Aiken, S.C.), Rachael Kennedy (Brookville, Md.), and Sissy Wickes (Unionville, Pa.) as they navigate courses designed by Skip Bailey (Wellington, Fla.).

The competition then moves to the Sonoma Horse Park in Petaluma, Calif., from July 22-23 for the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships - West Coast. Riders will take on Scott Starnes’s (Bend, Ore.) course for judges James Clapperton (Ocala, Fla.), Andrea Wells (Ocala, Fla.), and Patricia Griffith (Wellington, Fla.).

The United States Hunter Jumper Association Hunterdon Cup Equitation Classic presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College will also take place during the USEF Junior National Hunter Championships on both coasts.

How to Watch

Tune in to the USEF Network to watch the live broadcast of the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships - East Coast, July 8-9, and the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships - West Coast, July 22-23.

Follow US Equestrian

Stay up to date throughout the competition on Facebook by following the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships on Facebook and USEF Network on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Use #JoinTheJoy.

Visit the US Equestrian Learning Center video library to find out more about the hunter discipline with Geoff Teall, what judges look for in a winning hunter round with Danny Robertshaw, and get a few handy hunter exercise tips from Hope Hobday Glynn.

Photo by: Cathrin Cammett Photo