Lexington, KY – Tom McCutcheon, Craig Schmersal, Tim McQuay and Shawn Flarida, the four riders who won the team Gold Medal for the United States at the 2010 Reining World Championships, head an impressive list of entries in the second annual Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, April 27-28 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.
The Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup (AKRC) is held during the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, which runs April 26-29. The AKRC features the $100,000 Concour de Reining International, the only Three Star Reining competition currently scheduled in the United States for 2012, along with the popular $25,000 World Championship Freestyle Reining.
Competing along with the four World Champions will be four-time Grammy Award winner and country music legend Lyle Lovett, as well as Lisa Coulter, Canada’s top ranked Reining rider, Shane Brown, winner of last year’s $25,000 World Freestyle Championship, and local star Lyndsey Jordan of Georgetown, Kentucky, a two-time National Reining Horse World Champion.
“The line-up of riders in this year’s Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup features the best our sport has to offer,” said Brad Ettleman, AKRC show manager. “Friday’s CRI3* will feature Reining’s highest level of competition and the Freestyle on Saturday, like last year, is guaranteed to be a show that people will talk about all year long!”
The full list of entries includes:
o Shane Brown
o Lisa Coulter
o Rocky Dare
o Trevor Dare
o Shawn Flarida
o Polly Hilliard
o Drake Johnson
o Heather Johnson
o Lyndsey Jordan
o Kim Krupper
o Pete Kyle
o Lyle Lovett
o Mandy McCutcheon
o Tom McCutecheon
o Tim McQuay
o Randy Paul
o Marco Riccota
o S am Schaffhauser
o Craig Schmersal
o Sam Smith
o Laura Sumrall
o Robert N. Thompson
o Jose Vasquez
o Stacey Westfall
Lovett’s participation adds to a musical theme for the weekend. Much like the Freestyle performances in figure skating, the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup’s $25,000 World Championship Freestyle features top Reiners riding choreographed programs set to music. Additionally, the famed Country music group Exile will perform as part of a free two-hour concert on Saturday, April 28 from 3:30–5:30 pm. The show will be free to anyone holding a ticket to either the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event’s Cross-Country competition, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm, or the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup’s World Freestyle Championship, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup tickets are just $18 per person for Friday’s $100,000 CRI3* with Lyle Lovett and $25 per person for Saturday’s World Championship Freestyle. Tickets may be ordered on line or by phone and will be held at the Will Call window for pick-up at the event. Hospitality options, including the use of luxury suites in the Alltech Arena for both nights of competition, are also available.
Further information on the 2012 Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, including the chance to purchase tickets, is available on line at www.KentuckyReining.com.
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