Lexington, Ky. – All eyes will be on top junior competitors from around the country as they compete in two prime events for national championship honors October 10-13 at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. First, the jumpers will take to the main arena of the Pennsylvania Farm and Expo Center on Thursday for the start of the Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championships. The equitation will close out the weekend with the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final on Sunday.
Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championships
The Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championships consist of the Team Championship, known as the Prix des States, as well as the Individual Championship. United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Zones make up the teams, with seven teams competing in the 2019 Prix des States. Several athletes have already secured coveted accolades in 2019 and will bring their experience from those events to the Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championships. Accolades include:
- Team gold medalists from the 2019 Palm Beach Masters CSIOJY and 2019 Langley CSIOJ teams,
- Winners of the 2019 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals- East and West,
- Team gold medalist at the 2019 FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final,
- 2019 Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) presented by Gotham North junior individual gold medalist,
- Silver and bronze medal-winning junior team members from the 2019 NAYC,
- Silver and bronze medal-winning young rider team members from the 2019 NAYC, and
- 2018 Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championship Individual Champion.
View the complete list of teams here.
The Individual Championship Phase I, the $7,500 Welcome Speed Class, initiates competition, followed by the $15,000 Neue Schule/USEF Prix des States Team Championship and Individual Championship Phase II on Friday. The Prix des States is run in a modified Nations Cup format. The team with the least number of faults at the end of two rounds will be awarded the team gold medal. In addition to team medals, the William C. Steinkraus Style Award will be presented to the Prix des States junior jumper rider who best exemplifies the American style of equitation and the respectful, dignified, courteous, and workmanlike manner of a true sportsman. The competition will conclude on Saturday with Phase III, the Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper Individual National Championship, to determine the individual medalists. The individual champion will be the competitor with the lowest number of total penalties across all three phases.
Find out more about the Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championships.
Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final
Over 250 junior competitors will take part in the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final on Sunday. A key equitation competition that has played the role in the development of many top riders, many competitors have moved on to represent the U.S. on teams, such as previous champions Kent Farrington, Lillie Keenan, Brian Moggre, Spencer Smith, and Jessica Springsteen.
The Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final is comprised of multiple rounds and judged on equitation over a course set at 3’6”. All riders compete in the first round where judges Chance Arakelian, Cynthia Hankins, and Kip Rosenthal will select the top 25 riders from round one to move on to compete in round two. Following round two, the judges must ask at least the top four combinations to return for additional testing, which can include a variety of formats, to determine the champion. The name of the winner will be engraved upon the Adrian Van Sinderen Trophy.
Learn more about the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final.
USEF Network will livestream both events in their entirety, beginning with Phase I of the Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championships on Thursday at tentatively 7:10 p.m. ET. The Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final will air on Sunday beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET. View the competitions’ complete broadcast schedule here.
Find out more about the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, running October 10-19.
For photo galleries, leading ride videos, and more from the Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championships and Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final, follow USA Jumping on Facebook, Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final on Facebook, US Equestrian on Twitter and Instagram, and USEF Network on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.