The Kentucky Spring Horse Shows began on Wednesday, May 8, 2013,  and one of the highlight events was the kick-off of the 2013 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby Series. The Hallway Feeds Series consists of seven national hunter derby events to be held during the 2013 show series at the Kentucky Horse Park. Following the final event, cash prizes totaling $15,000 will be awarded to the series’ leading riders

The Kentucky Spring Horse Show featured the lead off event on Saturday evening with the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby. The top riders from across the nation gathered to compete over a challenging course and vie for the winning title and valuable points towards the $15,000 Leading Rider Awards. At the end of the night it was Shawn Casady and Stars Go Blue who led the victory gallop, giving Casady the lead in the standings. Jennifer Hannan who placed second with As Always, and Havens Schatt, who picked up the third place award with Kindle, follows Casady closely in the rankings. The Kentucky Spring Classic, May 15-19, 2013, will host the second event in the series on Saturday, May 18, in the Stonelea Arena.

It took precise riding and a talented mount to be at the top of the standings during today’s $75,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix at the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows. Richard Jeffery’s challenging track yielded only two clear rounds, but set the stage for a speedy jump-off between Meagan Nusz and Reed Kessler. Nusz had all the answers aboard Dynamo to capture the top honors. The duo clocked in just fractions ahead of Kessler, who was also double clear over the short course with Mika to place second. 

The first round course for this week’s highlight event bested all but two of the 40 competitors that gathered at the Rolex Stadium. Two of the most challenging areas proved to be a vertical-oxer double combination bending line to an open water, that was followed by another oxer, as well as a triple bar-vertical-oxer triple combination to a steady vertical. Meagan Nusz was the second rider on course and the first to advance to the jump-off with Dynamo, owned by Amalaya Investments of Houston, TX. 

Five days of top-rated hunter competition came to a close today as the Kentucky Spring Horse Show awarded its final hunter championships in the Junior and Children’s Hunter divisions. Leaving the Kentucky Horse Park with the championship tricolor in the Children’s Hunter 14 and Under division was rider Jane Brooks and her mount Lifeline.

Brooks, a Cincinnati, OH native, always enjoys making the relatively short trip from home to horse show at the Kentucky Horse Park and this weekend was no exception – and with good reason. Brooks and Lifeline came in to the day with a first and third place finish over yesterday’s Children’s Hunter 14 and Under courses, and they earned a score of 84 and the blue ribbon over today’s first course before being awarded the division championship honors.

Based at the Kentucky Horse Park, the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows are pleased to highlight the efforts of Thoroughbred horses competing in the show ring. This year, the show features the Take2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program for retired racehorses. The 2013 Hagyard Challenge Series will also once again feature a high point Thoroughbred Award with a $10,000 prize.

The Take2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program for retired racehorses offers awards and prize money in hunter and jumper classes restricted to Thoroughbreds. The Kentucky Spring Horse Shows feature the $1,500 Take2 Thoroughbred Hunter division and the $1,000 Take2 Thoroughbred Jumper division. It is open to Thoroughbreds only that have either their Jockey Club certificate of registration, a lip tattoo, or a letter from the Jockey Club verifying the horses identity.  For more information and the complete 2013 schedule please visit www.take2tbreds.com.