Lexington, KY—-March 16, 2016—-The United States Hunter Jumper Association has developed a Tier II Rider Bonus for the 2016 Pre-Green Incentive Championship. Based on the successful model used in the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, the tiered approach will pay out $10,000 to Tier II riders on top of any Championship winnings or the existing Bonus Awards for horses. 

“We’re very excited to offer additional prize money to Tier II competitors at the Pre-Green Incentive Championship,” said Colleen McQuay, chair of the Pre-Green Incentive Task Force. “Each year we see such great competitors from across the country come to compete at the Championship, and great competition deserves to be rewarded and recognized. The Tier II component allows us to do just that.”

Tier I riders are those riders ranked 30th or above on the Lifetime Rider Money Won List as of December 1, 2015, while Tier II riders are those riders who stand 31st or below on that list. The top 10 Tier II riders prior to the Championship round, based on the first and second rounds, will be awarded ribbons and prize money as follows: 1st place – 30 percent, 2nd place – 20 percent, 3rd place – 13.5 percent, 4th place – 9 percent, 5th place – 7.5 percent, 6th place – 6 percent, 7th place – 5 percent, 8th place – 4 percent, 9th place – 3 percent, and 10th place – 2 percent. Tier I riders are listed on the USHJA website.

Each horse’s total score will be determined by adding together their score from the first and second rounds of the Championship. A horse that does not compete in either the first or second rounds will receive a score of zero for the round in which the horse did not compete. A rider may earn multiple placings in the Tier II top 10 as each total score is based on each individual horse’s total score and not the cumulative scores of all horses ridden by any one rider.

Any horse enrolled in the program that has competed in a minimum of two USHJA Pre-Green Stake classes at competitions starting between December 1, 2014, and July 27, 2016, is eligible for the 2016 Championship. Enrollment is open for the program with the next enrollment fee increase on June 2. Since the Pre-Green Incentive Program began, competitors have won more than $1.2 million in prize money through the series and Championship.

The Championship will be held again at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, August 16-18, 2016. Championship prize money topped $230,000 in 2015, and once again 65 percent of annual enrollment fees and 50 percent of the entry fees make up the total prize money. USHJA offers a Premium Entry Option of $3,000 for horses that for various reason were not able to qualify through the standard process. These funds as well as their enrollment fee are used to calculate the total prize money for the Championship. The more horses that enter, the higher the total prize money becomes. Additionally, Bonus Awards will be available again for high-score 4- and 5-year-olds, Sallie B. Wheeler/US National Hunter Breeding Championship alumnus, American Quarter Horse, American-bred horse, and Thoroughbreds.

For more information about the Pre-Green Incentive Program and Championship, visit www.ushja.org/PGIP.