Lexington, KY— We’ve all been to a competition – at least once – that just seemed to sparkle. Good organization, exceptional management, and a little extra “umph!” circulating through the barns. What does a competition like this get you? Well, a devoted following, for starters. But this, year, it got two USEF competitions a little something extra. Enough pizza, lava cakes, ice cream and toppings to fill an entire pick-up truck to overflowing. It marked a festive end to the 2009 My Favorite USEF Breed Competition Contest, and top honors went to the Missouri State Fair Horse Show in Sedalia, MO, and the IALHA Region I Championship in Burbank, CA.

The contest was created last year, providing a competitive outlet for riders to rally in support of their favorite breed competitions across the country. The top vote earners for each of eleven breeds were recognized as individual winners, earning a plaque, and bragging rights to go with it. These “favorite” competitions were then entered into a drawing to determine Grand and Reserve Prizes.

The Missouri State Fair Horse Show, voted best amongst the competitions featuring Shetlands, was drawn as the Grand Prize winner, and was awarded a pizza party for the competitors at this year’s show, featuring about 600 slices of pizza, 200 lava cakes and cold beverages.

“I enjoy being able to show the Shetlands with the saddle horses and Hackneys,” said one competitor who voted for the show. “It also brings in a good audience. The show staff is great as well.”

Photos and video from the show can be viewed on the USEF’s Club Equestrian page at
http://www.clubequestrian.com/coverage/missouristfair2010.aspx

The IALHA Region I Championship, voted best amongst the Andalusian/Lusitano shows, also had the luck of the draw on its side, and was awarded the Reserve Prize – and partied in style with an estimated 15 gallons of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream, complete with hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, cherries, nuts, and plenty more.

“The Region I Championship is so well organized. It’s the friendliest show I’ve ever been to in my life,” shared a happy competitor. “This is the nicest group of people you could want to spend the week with.”

The other nine winning breed competitions for 2009 were:

• AHAF Annual Thanksgiving in Tampa, FL (Arabian)
• Ponies on the Hudson in Saugerties, NY (Connemara)
• Baroque Horse Classic in Elkhorn, WI (Friesian)
• Midwest Charity in Springfield, IL (Hackney)
• Massachusetts Morgan in West Springfield, MA (Morgan)
• NSHR National Championship Finals in Springfield, IL (National Show Horse)
• Four Beat Jubilee in Gainesville, GA (Paso Fino)
• Syracuse Invitational in Syracuse, NY (Saddlebred)
• Penn Marydel Welsh Pony in Bel Air, Maryland (Welsh)

There’s still plenty of time to cast your votes in the 2010 USEF My Favorite Breed Competition Contest. Eleven competitions will be recognized (one per breed category), receiving a plaque as well as a mention in the USEF’s Week in Review e-newsletter. From these competitions, two will be selected from a random drawing to win the Grand and Reserve prizes. The Grand Prize winner will receive a pizza party for their exhibitors at the 2011 competition; the Reserve winner will receive an ice cream party for the exhibitors at the 2011 competition. In order to be eligible to claim their prize, the competitions must remain USEF-licensed for 2011.

All USEF members in good standing who have participated in a USEF-licensed breed competition as a competitor, trainer or owner, are encouraged to vote and share their feedback with the USEF.

The contest is now underway and voting ends December 1, 2010. To cast your vote during this competition season, visit: https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/FavoriteBreed/default.aspx.

For more information, please contact Lori Nelson, Assistant Executive Director, National Affiliates, at (859) 225-6957 or via e-mail at [email protected].