Pablo Barrios and Zara Leandra won Thursday's $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic (Rebecca Walton)

Lexington, KY - Following his win in Thursday night's $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, Pablo Barrios has leapt to the top of the leader board for the 2013 Hagyard Challenge Series. Barrios and his talented mare Zara Leandra were the winners of the first class in May, and with a speedy clear round during Thursday's event they bested a 15-horse jump-off for another victory.

Richie Moloney maintains the second place position in the standings after placing fifth aboard Let's Go and sixth with Call Me Number One, incurring just a single time fault with each mount in Thursday's jump-off. Kent Farrington is currently ranked third after winning the Series' second event in May with Venus.

The Hagyard Challenge Series is a summer-long series of seven show jumping events at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The rider who accumulates the most points in the series will receive a $50,000 Leading Rider Award, presented during the Kentucky National Horse Show in September. The fourth event in the series will be next Thursday during the Kentucky Summer Classic at the Kentucky Horse Park.

"I won the bonus three years ago, and I think it's a nice opportunity for the riders to compete for more money," said Barrios, who took home the title in 2010. "It's a good incentive, and I am definitely trying to win this year. "

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is one of the oldest and largest equine veterinary practices in the world. Founded in 1876, the institute offers a staff with qualifications unparalleled by any single non-university veterinary group in the equine industry, and Hagyard veterinarians have dedicated themselves to the health and wellbeing of the horse for more than 130 years.

The facility at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute offers 13 Digital Radiology systems, 1.5 Tesla Siemens MRI, Nuclear Scintigraphy, a high speed treadmill, an on-site laboratory, an on-site pharmacy, full surgical services, 24-hour emergency services, and Hyperbaric Medicine. The institute has practiced veterinary medicine for more than 133 years and is currently composed of over 60 experienced veterinarians, with 12 board certifications in specialty areas of Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care, and Theriogenology.

Several generous sponsors have helped make this exciting series event happen. These gracious supporters include: title sponsor MWI Veterinary Supply, and presenting sponsor Zoetis, as well as Audi of Lexington, Dean Dorton Allen Ford, Hagyard Flex-tra HA, Johnson Horse Transport, Hallway Feeds, Kirk Horse Insurance LLC, Pike and Preston, and Stoll Keenon Ogden.

2013 HAGYARD CHALLENGE SERIES STANDINGS
PLACE  TOTAL     RIDER
1            500            PABLO BARRIOS
2            470            RICHIE MOLONEY
3            350            KENT FARRINGTON
4            170            ANDREW BOURNS
              170            KAITLIN CAMPBELL
6            150            BLYTH MARANO
              150            MARGIE ENGLE
8            120            CHRISTIAN HEINEKING
              120            RAMIRO QUINTANA
              120            REED KESSLER