Lexington, Ky. – Top adult amateur saddle seat equitation riders from around the country will compete for the title of 2021 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final champion on Wednesday, July 14, at the historic Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show. Paul Boone (Concord, N.C.), Kristen Cater (Dunbarton, N.H.), and Anne Judd (Lutz, Fla.) will serve as judges for the Final, hosted at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. Last year, Kaeley Arterburn was crowned champion aboard her American Saddlebred mare, ^CH(EQ)La Zingara. Watch Arterburn’s winning individual pattern here.

How to Watch

USEF Network will stream the Final live from Rolex Arena on Wednesday, July 14. The Final is the last class to be held during the morning session.

History of the USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final

The American Horse Shows Association (AHSA) equitation medal was established in 1937 by the fourth President of the AHSA, Adrian Van Sinderen, as part of his strategy to connect horse people across the United States. The original Van Sinderen Trophy was awarded to the junior equitation rider who accumulated the most points in AHSA Medal classes in a given competition year, with saddle seat, hunt seat, and stock seat riders vying for the same trophy and often competing against each another in the same classes. In 1948, the classes were divided out so that riders were only competing against other riders in their chosen discipline.

The tradition of the medal program was extended to the adult amateur exhibitor with the USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final. The Final was created for adult amateur riders to continue to participate in the discipline of equitation beyond their junior years. Since its inception in 2001, the USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final has been held during the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show.

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Learn more about saddle seat equitation and all of US Equestrian’s 29 recognized breeds and disciplines in this Learning Center video.

Photo by Howard Schatzberg