March Zone 4 Update
Thank you for being a Zone 4 member! National Championships with Zone qualifying, educational opportunities and more! Catch up on the latest sport news, and see what is coming up in our zone!  
AON/USHJA National Championships Are Set to Return
After an exceptional inaugural year, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased that the AON/USHJA National Championships are set to return to The Las Vegas National, CSI4*-W, November 12-17, 2019, pending approval by US Equestrian. With competition offered from 2-foot Hunters to 1.40m Jumpers, horse-and-rider combinations qualify through their Affiliate or Zones, making this unique Championship a destination for competitors nationwide.
 
Find Your Path: Team and Individual Jumper Competition from 1.10m to 1.45m
NEW 1.40/1.45m Platinum Jumper Championships for Pros, Juniors and Amateurs
Applications are now open for the inaugural USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships. The championships offer individual and team competitions for professional, junior, and amateur riders competing at the 1.40/1.45m level. In addition to the individual and team competitions, riders can qualify for the 2020 USHJA Platinum Masters Training Session with top national and international industry experts.
 
USHJA Zones 3 & 4 Platinum Jumper Championships
Tryon Summer
Mill Spring, N.C.
July 10-14, 2019
 
Qualifying: July 9, 2018-May 26, 2019
Apply by: May 26, 2019
1.10/1.15m, 1.20/1.25m, and 1.30/1.35m USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships for Juniors and Amateurs
Applications are now open for the USHJA Zones 3 & 4 Jumper Team Championships!
 
The Championships will be held at Tryon Summer, Mill Spring, N.C., July 10-14, 2019 !
 
The qualifying period is July 9, 2018-May 26, 2019 . Apply by May 26 to have your points count toward qualifying this year!
 
Support Your Zone by Becoming a Zone Chef d'Equipe! 
We are accepting applications for Zone chefs d'equipe for 2019 team championships. The exciting and rewarding role of chef d'equipe assists in the development of equestrian athletes through several zone team championships held throughout the competition year! Apply to be chef d'equipe for one or all the championships. Just get your application in by April 8, 2019!  
Zone 4 Handy Hunter Challenge Classes Are Underway!
The USHJA Zone 4 Hunter Committee has created this program to provide Handy Hunter Challenges, which test skills riders and their horses might use during an enjoyable day of foxhunting combining the elements of flat and over-fences classes. They are offered at a variety of shows across our zone, and we have two Championships at the end of the year!

USHJA Hunter Breeding Educational Clinic for All!
‘R’ Hunter Breeding Judge Oliver Brown will hold an educational Hunter breeding clinic open to anyone who is interested in Hunter breeding or looking for tips on winning their next model class. It will be an interactive session open to auditing or participation by anyone.

Get the details:
Virginia Horse Center
487 Maury River Rd 
Lexington, VA
April 26, 2019, at 2 p.m.

Participants: $60 per person
Auditing: $20 per person

Click here to download your registration form. For more information, contact: Melanie Mader at mmader@ushja.org
Jeff Cook Clinic Returns to Alabama!
For the 10th year, Blackjack Farms will host clinician Jeff Cook for a two-day clinic on April 27-28, 2019.

For more information and to register, click here or contact J Michael Halbleib, (205) 283-3082.
Did someone say Hunter TEAMS?
Applications are now open for the USHJA Children's and Adult Amateur Hunter Championships, presented by SmartPak!

The Championships for Zone 4 will be September 12-15 at Aiken Fall Festival II in Aiken, South Carolina.

The qualifying period is April 22, 2018 - July 13, 2019. Apply by July 13 to have your points count toward qualifying this year!

Apply today for the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program
Applications are now open for the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund /USHJA Emerging Athletes Program, and we will have one available in our Zone this year!
 
Fox Lea Farm in Venice, Florida, will offer a session with Clinician Kip Rosenthal and Stable Manager Anne Thornbury, June 12-16.

The session will offer a 3-foot section that is open to ALL AGES!
 
Don't miss grant and scholarship deadlines!  
Applications are open for grants and scholarships that benefit USHJA members.
 
The USHJA Foundation Hamel Family Scholarship offers up to $25,000 in higher education scholarship funds. Apply by May 15. 

The USHJA Zone 4 Committee offers a Clinic Host Grant to offset the cost of hosting a clinic.  Apply by October 1.
Are you up for the challenge? Over $22,000 in grants and prizes!
The USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge awards over $6,000 in grants and prizes with another $16,000 in prizes available through the 30-day HQC Stable Challenge! Don't miss your chance to put your horsemanship knowledge to the test!
 
The HQC is an online quiz that tests participants' knowledge about horse anatomy, horse care and health, riding theory, stable management, and more horsemanship topics. Open to USHJA members (at any paid membership level) 21 and younger as of Dec. 1, 2018, the quiz offers participants a chance to qualify for the in-person HQC Nationals.
 
The program is free and runs from February 1 to September 1. 
QUICK QUIZ: Try Your Horsemanship Knowledge
Select the false statement. Proper hoof conformation is:
Large and strong hoof
Wide, well-developed heels
Prominent bars
Small frog that does not touch the ground
Concave or arched sole
Walls absent of cracks and rings
Our Affiliates, Your Stories. We want to hear from you!
We are proud to have five Affiliate Organizations in our Zone:

If you're part of one of these Affiliates, we want to hear your story! Tell us what you love about this sport.
Heads Up: Zone Specifications Comment Period Opening April 15
We will be publish the 2020 Zone Specifications and open the member comment period on April 15 for 30 days. This is a time for all members to weigh in on how certain sections are run in our area, and the USHJA Zone Committee looks forward to receiving input from members. Members will be able to submit their comments to zones@ushja.org from April 15-May 15.
 
Be on the lookout for the 2020 Zone Specifications, so you can submit comments.
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Other important USHJA news:
Important dates and deadlines
April:

May:

June:
Check the calendar for upcoming Outreach Competitions
Official USHJA Sponsors
USHJA Sponsors & Partners
Photos: Megan Lacy, Tricia Booker, Rachel Sowinski, EqSol, USHJA Archives, Jump Media
United States Hunter Jumper Association | (859) 225-6700 | ushja.org