The 2018 USHJA Zones 7 & 8 Children’s and Adult Amateur Hunter Championships, presented by SmartPak, kick off today at The Colorado Horse Park in Parker, Colorado.

The Championships feature two days of team and individual competition and provide riders with a unique competitive team experience as well as an opportunity to earn Zone Horse of the Year championship points in their respective Children’s or Adult Amateur Hunter section. The USHJA congratulates the Zone 7 & 8 Children’s and Adult Amateur Hunter Championships competitors:

ZONE 7 ADULT AMATEURS
Amy Coretz, Tulsa, Okla.
Anna Corley, Austin, Texas
Laura L. Sisson, Shreveport, La.
Grace Slaff, Edmond, Okla.

ZONE 8 ADULT AMATEURS
Betsy Checchia, Tucson, Ariz.
Kristen Davison, Layton, Utah
Lisa Hooper, Albuquerque, N.M.
Anna Lawrence, Englewood, Colo.
Jenna Reid, Kamas, Utah

ZONE 7 CHILDREN
Mackenzie Hamilton, Bowie, Texas
Sydney Murdoch, Frisco, Texas
Anna Pemble, Overland Park, Kan.
Mary Elizabeth Smith, Shreveport, La.

ZONE 8 CHILDREN
Alison Bradley, Albuquerque, N.M.
Audrey Bruening, Parker, Colo.
Reagan Gallagher, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Brianna Morales, Tucson, Ariz.
Olivia Rardin, Gilbert, Ariz.
Annie Veenstra, Santa Fe, N.M.

Matt Cyphert (Zone 7), Patricia Jellerson (Zone 7), and Jenny Paisley (Zone 8) will act as chefs d’equipe for the team competition portion of the Championships.

The Championships will begin today at 4 p.m. with an Official Jog, followed by a riders meeting and exhibitor party. Team competition will be held on Wednesday, June 27, and riders will compete in three phases: an under saddle, and two classic hunter style courses. The team with the highest overall score is Team Champion. The second day of competition, Thursday, June 28, is open only to horse and rider combinations ranked 40th or above from the team competition, as well as any alternates who did not compete in the team phase. The individual competition also consists of three phases, including an under saddle, a classic hunter derby style course and a handy hunter course. The horse-and-rider combination with the highest overall score from all three phases of the second day of competition will be crowned Individual Champion.

In addition to competing for the Championship title in their sections, riders will take home great prizes. All riders will receive polo shirts and tote bags from the Championships presenting sponsor SmartPak. Medals and ribbons are awarded to the top three teams, and the Individual Championships are pinned through 8th place. The Team Champions in either section will also receive an embroidered cooler, and Individual Champions will receive an embroidered cooler, Charles Owen Helmet, CWD halter, Professional’s Choice Pro Performance Schooling Boots, Essex Classics Riding Shirt, FITS Riding breeches and a pair of Parlanti paddock boots.

The week of competition at the Colorado Horse Park during Summer in the Rockies IV will also feature the USHJA Zones 7 & 8 Jumper Team Championships for Children’s and Adult Amateur (1.10/1.15m), 1.20/1.25m Junior and Amateur, and 1.30/1.35m Junior and Amateur jumper riders.

The Championships format changed from regions to zones this year, similar to the format for the USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships. The Zones 7 & 8 Championships are the second of five Children’s and Adult Amateur Hunter Championships to be held in the 2018 competition year. The Zones 5 & 6 Championships will follow July 18-22, at HITS Balmoral in Crete, Ill., during Showplace Summertime III. For a complete list of Championship dates and for more information on the USHJA Children’s and Adult Amateur Hunter Championships, presented by SmartPak, visit ushja.org/ChAAHunter. Qualifying is still open for Zones 1, 2, 9 and 10.

About SmartPak
Presenting sponsor of the Championships SmartPak Equine was founded by riders and horse owners for riders and horse owners in 1999 with the purpose of simplifying the administration of nutritional supplements to horses. Their patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system has been adopted by thousands of barns and horse owners across the country, who value knowing that their supplements will be fed correctly. In addition to the SmartPak supplement system, they offer a broad line of horse health, show apparel, tack, and canine supplies sold online and through their catalogs. More information is available at www.smartpakequine.com.