Enrollment of horses for the new USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program will open on Thursday, November 15. The program, created by the Open Hunter Task Force, will officially launch on December 1.

The goal of the Pre Green Incentive Program is to provide an incentive based series of events to aid in developing Pre-Green Hunters for the competition ring. The program consists of Pre-Green Stake classes and a championship to be held in conjunction with the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship. The Pre-Green Hunter Championship will offer a guaranteed minimum $25,000 purse (read Shelby French’s blog post ” http://www.ushja.org/ShelbysBlog/FrenchSpeak_post.aspx?id=131 Pre-Green Riders-Break Out Your Calculators” to find out how the minimum can quickly grow).

“I am so excited to have a place that provides special classes, prize money and a final for my young horses. It gives owners and professionals a new focus to produce the future champions that are needed for all the other options we now have for hunters. The Open Hunter Task Force had a real vision as to where the sport needs to go and worked hard to provide this program. Now we can have a young horse and take it all the way from the Pre Green program to the International Hunter Derby.” Louise Serio, Vice-Chair of the Open Hunter Task Force said.

The Pre-Green Incentive is open to horses of any age that are eligible to compete as Pre-Green Hunters under Federation rules. Horses must be enrolled in the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program and pay the annual enrollment fee to participate in the Pre-Green Stake classes and to be eligible for the Pre-Green Championship. Program specifications can be found on the USHJA http://www.ushja.org/programs/pregreen/pg_home.aspx website.

Several professionals are already making their list of horses to enroll. “I am extremely excited about the new Pre-Green Incentive program. I feel it gives trainers and owners a year end goal to strive for and a means to help defray some of the costs of competing young hunters.” Daniel Geitner of DFG Stables in Aiken, SC said.

The program will offer rider recognition based on overall total money won, as well as, money won program tracking lists which will honor horses by age and sex, as well as the top Thoroughbred and American bred horses.

http://www.ushja.org/programs/pregreen/PG_Enrollment.aspx Enrollment of horses is available online. Horses that are enrolled during a competition will have an enrollment date of the first day of the competition.

The Pre-Green Stake classes can be offered at any USEF AA, A, B or C-rated hunter competition. Stake classes can be offered at both 3′ and 3’3″. Horses will be required to compete at their respective height and may be ridden by professionals, juniors or amateurs.

“The Pre-Green Hunter Incentive program is designed to encourage the development of young hunters by funding a Championship through the enrollment program and also providing a larger purse for Pre-Green horses at the shows that hold the Pre-Green Incentive Stake classes. We applaud the Open Hunter Task Force members for getting behind this program and supporting the Championship purse with personal contributions.” said Shelby French, USHJA CEO.

For more information on the http://www.ushja.org/programs/pregreen/pg_home.aspx USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program and how to http://www.ushja.org/programs/pregreen/PG_Enrollment.aspx enroll your Pre-Green horse, please visit the USHJA web site or contact Kelley Mallery at 859-225-6717.