Lexington, Ky. – Some of the country’s best young hunter prospects will be on display this week on both coasts to compete in the 2017 Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championship. Judges Christina Schlusemeyer of Wellington, Fla., and Meg Schulman of Littleton, Colo., will travel to both coasts to assess the entrants.

On Wednesday, August 23, young horses on the West Coast will meet at the Showpark Summer Classic in Del Mar, Calif. The championship then moves to the East Coast to the Virginia Young Horse Festival in Lexington, Va., on Saturday, August 26.

Champion and Reserve Champion Best Young Horses will be named for the East and West phases, as well as the Overall Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion titles. In addition to competing for the national championship titles, there are six classes in each phase: Yearling Colt/Gelding, Yearling Filly, Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding, Two-Year-Old Filly, Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding, and Three-Year-Old Filly. The top two horses in each of those classes will move on to the Best Young Horse Championship Class for a chance at both the Regional and National Grand Champion titles.

The Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championship has grown to include performance classes on both coasts to further develop young hunter prospects and handlers alike. In addition to an Amateur Handler class, there are Three- and Four-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle classes, and a Three-Year-Old Hunter Hack class. New in 2017 is a Four-Year-Old Conformation Over Fences class.

Find out more information on the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championship at usef.org/hunterbreeding.