Lexington, Ky. – July 21, 2020 – The Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and Hagyard Equine Medical Institute are pleased to confirm they will be moving forward with the “Hagyard Challenge Series” in 2020. Although the spring shows typically included in the Series were canceled due to COVID-19, Hagyard is committed to “going the distance” in hosting the remaining events in the 2020 Hagyard Challenge Series.
They will be held at the following events:
- Kentucky Summer Horse Show – Thursday, July 23rd
- Kentucky Summer Classic – Thursday, July 30th
- Bluegrass Festival Horse Show – Friday, August 14th
- KHJA Horse Show – Saturday, August 22nd
- Kentucky National Horse Show/The Betsy Gala – Sunday, September 20th
With fewer events in the Series, the “Leading Rider Award” for 2020 will be reduced from $50,000 to $25,000. “The award money is tied to our sponsors,” said Elise Jackson, Tour Experience & Event Coordinator for Hagyard. “Since there were fewer events in the series, and considering restrictions USEF has placed on sponsor attendance, it seemed necessary to reduce the Award for 2020.”
Brian Moggre, winner of the 2019 Hagyard Leading Rider Award, with MTM Los Angeles
With the late start to the show season, Hagyard has also announced a slight change to the method of tabulating points to determine the Leading Rider of the Series. Previously, riders that rode multiple horses earned points based on the placings of each horse they rode in each class. While they can still enter multiple horses, only the points earned from their highest placed horse in each class in the series will count for the Leading Rider Award point tally.
Due to the restrictions and limitations to the 2020 show season COVID-19 has had on the industry, this may provide a more diverse and interesting twist to see which rider will be able to go the distance and come out on top in the Series. Each event in the Series will be available to view via live stream through Kentucky Horse Shows, LLC’s website. Details will follow on how you can view and participate in the excitement safely from a distance as the event approaches.
Hagyard Equine Medical Institute has hosted the Challenge Series since 2006. The Series is held each spring and summer at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The rider who accumulates the most points in the Series is presented the Leading Rider Award during the Kentucky National Horse Show in September. The Series typically feature a FEI CSI2* and a CSI3*, making riders eligible to earn points toward international show-jumping rankings.
Hagyard announced that the theme for the 2020 event would be Going the Distance. “The word ‘distance’ has been such a prominent part of our life this year, we wanted to put a more positive spin on it,” Jackson explained. “We feel like this theme truly embodies what we want to do with this event, and the Hagyard brand itself. We have worked with the Kentucky Horse Park to go the extra mile this year and find ways to put on the event in spite of some challenges. But that’s what we do for our customers every day, so it’s really inherent in who we are as an organization.”
With more than 50 veterinarians and 142 years behind it, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is the oldest and one of the largest private equine veterinary practices in the world. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, the facility, located across the street from the Kentucky Horse Park, boasts superior ambulatory services, the world-renowned Davidson Surgery Center, McGee Medicine and Fertility Centers, Hagyard Laboratory, Hagyard Sports Medicine & Podiatry Center, and hyperbaric medicine facilities. For more information, visit hagyard.com.
For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com. To request a prize list, please e-mail prizelist@kentuckyhorseshows.com.