The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby Series was created to bring show hunters to the international level, to increase spectator, media and sponsorship interest and to bring tradition and basic riding principles back to the sport of showing hunters. Over the past 18 months, during the inaugural year of the USHJA International Hunter Derby, this effort has been wildly successful with the help of our sponsors and show managers as well as the owners, riders, trainers, and of course, the equine athletes.
August 21 will mark the first day of the Finals, where 75 horses will compete over a course featuring Hunter Derby-style fences, including height and handy options. This qualifying round will determine the top 25 to be invited back to compete head to head on Day Two. Day Two will challenge the riders to navigate a classic Hunter Derby course in order to make the cut to the top 12. The top 12 will return to compete over a handy hunter course for a chance to claim the prestigious title of the 2009 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals Champion.
Chairman of the High-Performance Hunter Committee, Ron Danta, invites all members to join in the excitement. "Being a part of this event has been an honor. It's truly amazing to see what horsemen and women of this industry can do when they come together to meet a common goal. We have been successful in developing a program that has brought the lost art of tradition and horsemanship back to the show ring. I could not be more excited to have the culmination of the efforts of so many dedicated people be upon us. I hope everyone takes pride in this event as it is truly history in the making for our sport. If you can't be there in person, be sure to watch this event online—you won't want to miss this."
For more information on the Finals, please contact Melanie Fransen at [email protected]. For media passes, please contact Whitney Allen at [email protected].
USHJA Announces Free, Live Streaming Coverage of the 2009 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals
The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) is proud to announce that the $100,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals will be broadcast live online, free of charge in partnership with EquestrianLife.com. USHJA has selected EquestrianLife.com as its official media partner for the inaugural International Hunter Derby Finals to be held August 21-22, 2009, in the new outdoor stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.
EquestrianLife.com will provide a live streaming broadcast and expert commentary of the event to web viewers worldwide via an exclusive International Hunter Derby Finals page on EquestrianLife.com at www.equestrianlife.com/derby. Viewers can also link to the live coverage from www.ushja.org.
Live coverage will begin at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, August 21, and will include all 75 competitors. On Saturday, August 22, coverage of the final championship rounds will begin at 4:00 p.m. ET. There will be expert live commentary of the event, offering insights on the riders, horses and the competition as it happens. Viewers will feel like they are at the ringside watching some of the top hunter horses and riders in the world.