Lexington, Ky. – Coast to coast, the country’s top junior hunters are preparing to compete for high honors in the 2018 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 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 both coasts.

The championships kick off in Del Mar, Calif., July 23-24, with the USEF Junior Hunter National Championship - West Coast hosted by Blenheim Equisports. Riders seek to impress judges Robert Crandall (Wellington, Fla.), Steve Wall (Pinehurst, N.C.), and Chris Wynne (Virginia Beach, Va.) as they navigate courses designed by Thomas Hern (Plymouth, Mass.). The competition then moves to HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, N.Y., July 30-31, for the USEF Junior Hunter National Championship - East Coast. Riders take on Rian Beals’s (Saugerties, N.Y.) course for judges Chance Arakelian (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), Betty Oare (Warrenton, Va.), and Mike Rosser (Southern Pines, N.C.). The under saddle phase will be judged by Todd Karn (Fayetteville, N.Y.), William Sparks (Houston, Texas), and Jimmy Toon (South Salem, N.Y.).

The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) 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.

Tune in to the USEF Network to watch the live broadcast of the USEF Junior Hunter National Championship - West Coast, July 23-24, and the USEF Junior Hunter National Championship - East Coast, July 30-31.

For additional information or questions regarding the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships, please contact Kelsey Shanley, Director, National Affiliates, by phone at (859) 225-6960 or via email at [email protected].

Find out more about the hunter discipline and all of US Equestrian’s 29 recognized breeds and disciplines in this Learning Center video. Stay up to date throughout the competition by following the USEF Junior Hunter National Championship on Facebook and follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use #JoinTheJoy.

 

Photo: Captured Moment Photography