Shane Sweetnam took the lead in the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series during the $10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake at the KHJA Horse Show. (Shawn McMillen Photography)
Consisting of seven grand prix classes to be held during the 2012 show series at the Kentucky Horse Park, the Hagyard Challenge Series, sponsored by the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, offers a $50,000 Leading Rider Award. The rider accumulating the most points throughout the series will be presented with the bonus during the $50,000 World Cup Qualifier at the Kentucky National Horse Show in September 2012.
On Friday, August 24, 2012, Sweetnam piloted Solerina to the first place finish in the $10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake, and also picked up the first place award with his other mount Amaretto D'Arco during the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Bluegrass Festival. After Friday night's win, Sweetnam now holds the lead with 830 points.
Campbell holds the second place position with 590 points. Kessler has fallen into the third place position, her Kentucky Spring Series rankings holding resilient for three of the Hagyard Lexington Grand Prix events. Beezie Madden and Ashlee Bond are currently tied for the fourth place spot in the rankings, each with 290 points.
Madden won the $50,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic with Simon during the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, while Bond and Cadett 7 led the way during the Kentucky Spring Classic's $32,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Rebecca Conway has now moved into the sixth place position after her most recent second place finish aboard Twister.
Friday night was one of two remaining Hagyard Lexington Classic Grand Prix events, which are held during the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, the Kentucky Summer Classic, the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show and the KHJA Horse Show. The Series concludes with the $50,000 World Cup Qualifier during the Kentucky National Horse Show. Following that exciting competition, the winner for the $50,000 Leading Rider will be announced and presented with the prize by the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. The 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series will also feature a high point Thoroughbred Award. Following the final event, a $10,000 prize will be presented to the high point Thoroughbred participating in the Series.
Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is one of the oldest and largest equine veterinary practices in the world. Founded in 1876, the institute offers a staff with qualifications unparalleled by any single non-university veterinary group in the equine industry, and Hagyard veterinarians have dedicated themselves to the health and well being of the horse for more than 130 years.
The facility at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute offers 13 Digital Radiology systems, 1.5 Tesla Siemens Open MRI, Nuclear Scintigraphy, an on-site laboratory, an on-site pharmacy, full surgical services, 24-hour ambulance and emergency services, and Hyperbaric Medicine. The institute has practiced veterinary medicine for more than 133 years and is currently composed of over 60 experienced veterinarians, with 12 board certifications in specialty areas of Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care, and Theriogenology.
For more information about the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute please visit http://hagyard.com.
Several generous sponsors have helped make this exciting series event happen. These gracious supporters include: presenting sponsor Pfizer Animal Health, Audi of Lexington, Dean Dorton Allen Ford, Hagyard Flex-tra HA, Johnson Horse Transport, J.P. Morgan, Hallway Feeds, MWI Veterinary Supply, Powell-Walton-Milward, Kirk Horse Insurance, LLC, and Stoll Keenon Ogden.
For more information about Kentucky Horse Shows, LLC, in 2012, please go to www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
Hagyard Challenge Series Leading Rider Standings:
PLACE TOTAL RIDER
1 830 SHANE SWEETNAM
2 590 KAITLIN CAMPBELL
3 350 REED KESSLER
4 290 ASHLEE BOND
290 BEEZIE MADDEN
6 270 REBECCA CONWAY
7 250 PAIGE JOHNSON
8 220 FEDERICO SZTYRLE
9 210 HARDIN TOWELL
10 190 MARGIE ENGLE
11 180 MEGAN NUSZ
12 160 KRISTEN VANDERVEEN