Lexington, Ky. - The future stars of U.S. show jumping will be tested when they meet for the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals. The Finals will take place on both coasts with the West edition taking place September 21- 23 at Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Two weeks later, the East edition will be held October 6-8 at the United States Equestrian Team Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, N.J.
The Finals have a reputation for cultivating elite show jumpers. Numerous top U.S. trainers and competitors have won the Finals before blossoming on the national and international stage. Looking to follow in these footsteps, each of this year’s Talent Search Finalists earned his/her spot at the Finals by posting fantastic results in Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search qualifying competitions throughout the year.
Top professionals will serve as the judges and course designers for the 2017 Finals. Andre Dignelli of Katonah, N.Y., and Patricia Griffith of New York, N.Y., will judge the West Coast, while Jimmy Torano of Wellington, Fla., and McLain Ward of Brewster, N.Y., will cover the East Coast. Both Dignelli and Ward are past winners of the East Coast Finals, having won in 1985 and 1990, respectively. The judges will put the field through an intense four-phase competition designed to prepare the up-and-coming show jumping talent for the demands of international competition.
The first day of competition hosts Phases I and II. In Phase I, judges will look for the rider’s ability to effectively prepare his/her horse on the flat. During Phase II, competitors will apply the skills from the flat to a gymnastics course. Phases III and IV will take place on the second and final day of competition. The riders will compete over a jumper-style course in Phase III, followed by Phase IV, the ride-off, in which the top four riders with the best three-phase cumulative scores will compete over a jumper course with his/her own horse and with the other riders’ horses.
At the end of the competition, special trophies will be awarded. On the West Coast, the champion will receive the Denali Trophy, the best horse will be given the Gulliver Trophy, and the champion’s trainer will earn the Leading Trainer Award. On the East Coast, the French Leave Memorial Perpetual Trophy will be awarded to the champion, the Grappa Trophy will go to the best horse, and the Leading Trainer Award will be given to the champion’s trainer.
The USEF Network will live stream all four phases of the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals - East beginning Saturday, October 7, at 8:00 a.m. ET. Check out US Equestrian on Instagram for behind-the-scenes coverage for TJ O'Mara, last year's Finals - East Champion.
Find out more information about the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals.