Top 3 Adult teams New Jersey, New York I and New York II are joined by Meghan Carney and Candice King of USHJA during the 2013 USHJA Child/Adult Amateur Jumper Regional Championship at HITS Saugerties (ESI Photography)

Saugerties, N.Y. - HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) has selected the newly renovated HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, Virginia as the host site for the second annual $20,000 Children’s and Adult Amateur Jumper Regional South Championships. USHJA has also selected HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York as the location for the North Championships for the second consecutive year.

Competition will be held over three days and will include an individual qualifying class on day one, followed by a team competition on day two. The team competition will be held under a Nations Cup format, and will also serve as the second individual qualifier. The final individual championship will take place on day three. The $20,000 in prize money will be split equally between the Team and Individual competitions.

The North Championship – Zones 1, 2 and 5 – will run Thursday through Saturday, September 4-6, 2014. It will again take place during the HITS Championship, highlighting competition for children’s and adult amateur jumper riders during the world’s richest week in show jumping.

Children’s and adult amateur riders in the South Region – Zones 3 and 4 – will be welcomed to the HITS Commonwealth Park, which boasts upgraded footing, new permanent stabling and overall improved facilities this year. The Championships will run Friday through Sunday August 22-24, 2014.

Teams will be fielded by Zone and the number of teams a Zone may field will be based on the three-year average number of children’s and adult jumper riders residing in the Zone. Each horse/rider combination must be registered with USHJA to be considered. Riders interested in representing their state at the Regional Championships should view the rider application and review the USHJA specifications and qualifying criteria to determine eligibility.

The completed application and $30 application fee is due to USHJA no later than July 7, 2014 for South Region competitors and no later than July 21 for North Region competitors.

“These Championships align perfectly with our goals of offering something for every level rider,” said Tom Struzzieri, president and CEO of HITS Horse Shows. “The international-style format of this event is a great experience for these riders, and we are pleased to be able to host both the North and South regions this year.”

Struzzieri also acknowledges the importance of the development of competitive finals for the development of the sport’s future. “The children’s and adult jumper riders of today are the Olympic and international riders of tomorrow. We are excited to work with the USHJA and hope that these events help to bolster the development of tomorrow’s stars,” he added.

The prize lists for both HITS Saugerties and HITS Culpeper are currently being finalized, and will include the Children’s and Adult Amateur Jumper Regional Championships. The prize lists will be mailed and available at HitsShows.com.