Lexington, KY – The 2006 USEF Pony Finals National Championships will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park from August 9-13, 2006. Unlike in years past, this year’s Pony Finals will observe a new five-day format in place of the traditional four days. The championships include the 2006 Adequan/USEF National Pony Jumper Championship Individual, the 2006 Adequan/USEF National Pony Jumper Championship Team, 2006 USEF Pony Medal Final presented by Far Niente Stables, 2006 Wild Horsefeathers/USEF National Green Hunter Pony Championship, and the 2006 Wild Horsefeathers/USEF National Hunter Pony Championship.

In 1967, the Pony Finals was created as a national event, open to all members who met the qualifying criteria. The current criteria for the hunter championships demand that a USEF-recorded pony win a championship or reserve championship in a “AA”-rated Regular Hunter Pony section, a championship in an “A”-rated Regular Hunter Pony section, or a championship or reserve championship in an “A”- or “AA”-rated Green Hunter Pony section.

Since 1984, the Finals have included the popular Pony Medal Finals. To qualify for this championship, a rider must accumulate 30 points in a USEF Pony Medal qualifying class. In 2001, the USEF Pony Finals added the USEF National Pony Jumper Championships. Ponies and riders qualify by their placement as one of the top four pony/rider combinations in their zone standings.

Today, the USEF Pony Finals is the most prestigious and celebrated event of its kind in the United States. The Hunter Pony Championships are three-phase competitions judging the pony’s conformation, way of moving under saddle and jumping ability. The Pony Medal Final tests young riders in head-to-head competition, judging both their equitation and their ability to compete over a technical course of fences. The championship event hosts more than 300 riders and their talented ponies, as well as interested spectators and families.

The American Hunter Pony Classic is an elite hunter pony auction that will be held in conjunction with the USEF Pony Finals. The auction is put on by Professional Auction Services, Inc. and will be held in the Kentucky Horse Park’s indoor arena. Ponies will be available for inspection, and the performance demonstrations will take place on Tuesday, August 8 with the auction on Wednesday, August 9 in the afternoon (exact time TBD). For more information, please visit www.professionalauction.com or e-mail [email protected].
~~~For more information, please contact Jeannie Putney, National Marketing Manager, at (859) 225-6974, or via e-mail at [email protected].