Lexington, Ky. - The 2018 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals will showcase some of the top young athletes in the U.S. The Finals will be held on both coasts, with the West edition taking place September 20-22 at Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Two weeks later, the East edition will be held October 5-7 at the United States Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, N.J.

As a stepping stone to the national and international stage, the Finals have helped competitors become top athletes and trainers. They have cultivated elite show jumpers, such as Lauren Hough, Beezie Madden, and McLain Ward. Looking to follow in these footsteps, each of this year’s Talent Search Finalists has earned a place at the Finals by performing consistently in Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search qualifying competitions throughout the year.

The judges of the Finals will serve dual roles, as both judges as well as course designers. Ronnie Beard and Michele Grubb of Wellington, Fla., will judge the West Coast Final, while Ralph Caristo of Saugerties, N.Y., and Chris Kappler of Flemington, N.J., will judge the East Coast Final. The judges will test the field in an intense four-phase competition that is designed to prepare the up-and-coming show jumpers for the demands of international competition. 

The four phases of competition will be split over two days; the first day of competition hosts Phases I and II. In Phase I, judges will look for the rider’s ability to effectively guide their horses on the flat. During Phase II, riders will apply the skills from the flat to a gymnastics course. The second day of competition hosts Phases III and IV. In Phase III, the riders will compete over a jumper-style course, followed by Phase IV, the ride-off, in which the top four riders compete over a jumper course both with their own horses and with the horses of the other three riders.

At the end of the competition, one rider on each coast will be the 2018 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals winner, and special trophies will be awarded to participants with exemplary performances. On the West Coast, the champion will receive the Denali Memorial Perpetual Trophy, the champion’s trainer will earn the Leading Trainer Award, and the best horse will be given the Gulliver Trophy. On the East Coast, the French Leave Memorial Perpetual Trophy will be awarded to the champion, the Leading Trainer Award will be given to the champion’s trainer, and the Grappa Trophy will go to the best horse.

The USEF Network will live stream all four phases of both Finals, West and East. Find out more information about the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals.

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