Kentucky Summer Horse Shows To Run Concurrently with FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships at Kentucky Horse Park

Lexington, KY – June 18, 2009 -The Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, scheduled for the weeks of July 22-26 and July 29-August 2, 2009, will be held at the picturesque Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Produced by Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, these two weeks of hunter/jumper competition are an exciting stop for exhibitors on the equestrian show circuit. The first week of competition, the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, will run concurrently with the North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC), a separate event that is organized by the United States Equestrian Federation.

Hugh Kincannon, manager of the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, stated, “We are looking forward to sharing the Kentucky Horse Park with the Young Riders competition. I have always felt that this was a natural combination of events. The facility improvements at the park will allow the schedule for each competition to work seamlessly. We are really pleased to be associated with an international competition with the stature of the NAJYRC.”

The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders, ages 14-21. Riders attend from the United States, Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Islands. Young equestrians compete in the equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage, eventing, and reining, and this competition follows Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) Rules.

The show jumping and dressage will be held in the new main outdoor stadium, which was recently resurfaced with state-of-the-art footing by the German company OTTO Sport- und Reitplatz GmbH. Reining will take place in the newly built indoor arena, and the cross country phase for eventing will be held throughout the horse park. The NAJYRC features the best young riders from across the country and complements the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, which will feature some of the very best hunter and jumper competitors in the nation.

Joanie Morris of the United States Equestrian Federation commented, “I think running concurrently at such a fantastic venue is a great opportunity for both events. I hope that younger riders at Kentucky Summer will put NAJYRC on their list of goals after witnessing an international team competition first-hand.”

Morris added, “Having NAJYRC at the Kentucky Horse Park will benefit the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows by bringing riders and trainers to Kentucky that might not have been to these shows in previous years. Hugh Kincannon and Bobby Murphy have been extraordinarily helpful and supportive of NAJYRC – and I hope this relationship will continue to build momentum and enthusiasm for both the NAJYRC program and Kentucky Horse Shows.”

The Kentucky Summer Horse Shows feature two $40,000 grand prix classes, as well as two $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classics. These classics are part of the Hagyard Challenge Series, a summer-long competition that includes seven grand prix events. With $215,000 in total prize money, the series is a unique and exciting feature that is only offered at the Kentucky Horse Park. The leading rider of the entire series will win a $50,000 Leading Rider Bonus at the conclusion of the final class, the Kentucky National Horse Show’s $50,000 CSI-W Lexington Grand Prix.

The Kentucky Summer Classic is a World Championship Hunter Rider Event, and new divisions have been added to this year’s schedule for exhibitors. These include: 3’3″ Pre-Green Hunters, 3’3″ Amateur-Owner Hunters, Baby Green Hunters, Intermediate Children’s Hunters, Intermediate Adult Hunters, Low Children’s Jumpers, and Low Adult Jumpers.

To learn more about the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows or the Hagyard Challenge Series, please go to www.kentuckyhorseshows.com .

To find out more about the FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships, please go to www.youngriders.org

Photo Caption: The new main outdoor stadium. Photo courtesy of Kentucky Horse Shows LLC. Photograph may be used only in relation to this PMG press release.

2009 KENTUCKY SUMMER HORSE SHOWS FAST FACTS

Events: Kentucky Summer Horse Show – July 22-26, 2009 Kentucky Summer Classic – July 29-August 2, 2009

What: Two of the nation’s premier hunter/jumper competitions. Both weeks have a USEF 5* Jumper Rating and feature two grand prix competitions. The Kentucky Summer Horse Shows offer two $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classics, which are part of the Hagyard Challenge Series. Competitions at the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows are also qualifying events for the Washington International Horse Show Championships and the North American League finals.

Where: Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Home to the United States Equestrian Federation.

When: KENTUCKY SUMMER HORSE SHOW – July 22-26, 2009 $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix

KENTUCKY SUMMER CLASSIC – July 29-August 2, 2009 $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic $40,000 Kentucky Classic Grand Prix Sponsored by Air 51 and Audi of Lexington

Hours: 8am – 5pm daily

Parking: Horse Show Exhibitors may purchase a weekly parking pass at the main Horse Park entrance for $5.00.

Directions: The Kentucky Horse Park is located 8 miles northeast of Lexington, Kentucky at Exit 120 on Interstate 75.

Information: Before Show – (859) 233-0492, Email: [email protected] During Show – Telephone: (859) 254-3343, Fax: (859) 231-6097 Stabling – Email Tom Blankenship at [email protected] Stable office – Before July 20: (317) 443-5853, After July 20: (859) 255-0605 Prize List Advertising – Email Cindy Bozan at [email protected] Vendors – Email Cindy Bozan at [email protected] Shownet – www.shownet.biz

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Ring Dimensions/Specs: The Stonelea Ring, Walnut Ring, Stonelea/Murphy Schooling Ring, and the Main Outdoor Stadium have new footing consisting of fine sand and synthetic fibre on pvc mats. The Murphy, Claiborne, Annex, and Indoor rings’ footing consists of a sand cushion on limestone base. The dimensions of the competition areas are as follows:

Stonelea: 140’x 280′, Murphy: 135’x 280′, Stonelea and Murphy Schooling: 110’x 400′ Walnut: 300’x 370′, Claiborne: 140’x 270′, Annex 130’x 250′, Indoor: 145’x 285′ Main Outdoor Stadium: 360′ x 384′

Shopping: Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

Hotels: HOLIDAY INN GEORGETOWN – 502-570-0220 – Approximately 6 miles HOLIDAY INN NORTH – 859 – 233-0512 – Approximately 4 miles FOUR POINTS SHERATON – 859-259-1311 – Approximately 4 miles LA QUINTA – 859-231-7551 – Approximately 4 miles KNIGHTS INN – 859-231-0232 – Approximately 4 miles EMBASSY SUITES – 859-455-5000 – Approximately 4 miles MARRIOT GRIFFIN GATE – 859-231-5100 – Approximately 4 miles RESIDENCE INN – 859-231-6191 – Approximately 5 miles COURTYARD BY MARRIOT – 859-253-4646 – Approximately 5 miles RAMADA INN – 859-299-1261 – Approximately 6 miles RED ROOF INN – 859-293-2626 – Approximately 6 miles HAMPTON INN – 502-867-4888 – Approximately 6 miles SUPER EIGHT – 502-863-4888 – Approximately 6 miles MICROTEL INN & SUITES – 502-868-8000 – Approximately 6 miles

Management: Kentucky Horse Shows, LLC P. O. Box 11428 Lexington, KY 40575-1428 859-233-0492 (phone) 859-233-0495 (fax) email: [email protected] website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Media Contact: Phelps Media Group, Inc. 12230 Forest Hill Blvd. Suite 214 Wellington, FL 33414 561-753-3389 (phone) 561-753-3386 (fax) [email protected] www.phelpsmediagroup.com