The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association has opened entries for the Marshall & Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships at The Las Vegas National CSI4*-W, November 15-21, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The USHJA invites members across the country to enter for a chance to qualify for the Championships through points and classes in their zone, through their USHJA Affiliate organization or through the USHJA Outreach program.

Members interested in attending must pre-enter and pay the $50 pre-entry fee by September 27, 2021, in order to be eligible for qualifying. Learn more.

The following changes address combining language for Low Hunter sections effective September 1, 2021, for the remainder of the 2021 competition year. These changes will be incorporated into 2022 Zone Specifications for the 2022 competition year beginning December 1, 2021.

Low Adults: Combining/Dividing Sections: The Low Adult Amateur Hunter and Low Children’s Hunter sections may be combined if there are fewer than four (4) entries in either section.

Low Children’s: Combining/Dividing Sections: The Low Children’s Hunter section and the Low Adult Amateur Hunter sections may be combined if there are fewer than four (4) entries in either section.

Congratulations to members who competed in the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships at The Kentucky Horse Park!

Hunt Tosh and Cannon Creek, owned by The Wheeler Family, earned the 2021 Champion title. Samantha Schaefer and Caristo, owned by R & R Hunter Horses, finished second, and Liza Boyd and Rebekah Warren’s Cassico took home third.

Topping Section B was Leana Romond with her own Uptown.

Read more about the Handy Round and all of the award winners.

Congratulations to all of our members who competed in the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships!

Hunt Tosh aboard Twain, owned by Ceil Wheeler, earned the 3'0"/3'3" Championship title, Scott Stewart was Reserve Champion on Dr. Betsee Parker's Ackergill Castle. Victoria Colvin rounded out the top three riding Karen Bruce's Mastermind.

Chris Payne (Cincinnati, Ohio) won the 3'6"/3'9" Championship on Reign, owned by Stillwater Farm LLC. Hunt Tosh earned second place aboard Salute, owned by Douglas Wheeler, and Shawn Casady on Cassario 8, owned by Ashland Farms, took third place.

Riders from Zones 5 and 6 went head-to-head at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival V in Traverse City, Michigan, for the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships and Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships. Chefs d’Equipe Lisa Goldman-Smolen, Shana Winkle and Elanie Schott helped guide the teams to medal wins.

The 2021 USHJA Zone Horse of the Year and Equitation Championships are underway.

The following championships and other special classes are set for Zone 1:

Congratulations to our members who competed at the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships, presented by USHJA in Traverse City, Michigan.

The Zones 5/6 team earned bronze in the Junior Team Competition!

Congratulations to our members who competed in the USEF Pony Finals, presented by Honor Hill Farms in Lexington, Kentucky!

Congratulations to members who competed in the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF/USHJA Hunter Breeding National Championships - East Coast, presented by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oare in memory of Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler.

Champions

Stay tuned for additional coverage after the West Coast Championships. Photo: SAS Equine Photography

USHJA learned that fellow equestrians Detroit Horse Power a 501(c)(3) were looking for horse-related items as awards for their Endurance and Hunter pace event that took place August 6-8, 2021, at Kensington Metropark in Milford, Michigan.

USHJA sent an assortment of items as a gesture of support, goodwill, and good sportsmanship for the equestrian community-building organization.

Detroit Horse Power offers year-round equestrian and youth programming in the Detroit metro area. Detroit Horse Power teaches area youth to care for and ride horses while developing critical skills to set them up for future success.

To learn more about this organization, click here.

Congratulations to members who participated in the Kym K. Smith/USHJA Young Hunter Pony Championships.

Overall Grand Champion – Wynnbrook Polar Vortex (Clovercroft Polarized x Splash of Hope) a 2014 Welsh Cross gelding owned/ridden by Grace Dupree, trained by Colleen Kelly, bred by Kristina Morris.

Division Champions

The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the $25,000 Hamel Family Scholarship for Further Education as Jessica Dencker, Alexa McVoy and Charisse Potter.

Alexa McVoy, 20, of Allendale Michigan, is studying social work at Grand Valley State University with the goal of becoming an equine-assisted psychotherapist.

"Receiving this scholarship has greatly reduced the financial burden of my family, given me peace of mind, and will allow me to continue to pursue my educational dreams," said McVoy. "Thanks to the generous financial support I can graduate with a degree in Social Work that will help me leave a lasting mark on my community through non-profit work." Read more.