Lexington, Ky. – Some of the country’s best adult amateur saddle seat equitation riders will compete for the title of 2020 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final champion on Wednesday, July 8, during the historic Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show. Hailing from as far as New Orleans, La., competitors have arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park to demonstrate their skill for the judging panel of Cindy Mugnier (Belchertown, Mass.), Jimmy Robertson (Simpsonville, Ky.), and Tim Roesink (Hebron, Ohio).
Last year, Gabriella Costantini was crowned champion by an impressive unanimous decision from the panel of judges.
How to Watch
USEF Network will stream the competition live from Rolex Arena on Wednesday, July 8. The Final is the last class of the morning session. The morning session is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Follow USEF Network on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates from the competition.
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