Upper Marlboro, MD – July 10, 2014 – The Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS) is pleased to announce revisions to this year’s Future Hunter qualifications in an effort to align with current USEF regulations. The nation’s premier horse show for developing young hunters, CCHS returns for its 21st competition running September 27 – October 5, 2014, at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD.
Per revised rules for qualification under the USEF’s Pre-Green Incentive Program, CCHS Future Hunter (Pre-Green) divisions will only be open to horses that are eligible to compete as a pre-green hunter. See below for complete specs.
Most of the Future Hunter sections that have been run in previous years will again be featured, including sections for horses five years of age and under, horses six years of age and over, colts and geldings and mares, and the 3’3” division.
All horses competing in the Future Hunter divisions will have the opportunity to qualify for the coveted North American Future Hunter Championship. The championship class is open to the top six in each of the Future Hunter sections and will offer an increased purse of $25,000 this year. Many consider this class one of the most exciting events of the season as it showcases some of the most promising young horses in the country.
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Horse show manager Oliver Kennedy loves the tradition of the class, which has produced many of the nations top hunters over the years. Last year, 192 young horses vied for a spot to compete at CCHS, and 150 were accepted to show in the competitive divisions. The competition gets even tougher as the best horses attempt to earn a spot in the championship class.
“Traditionally, the horses that do well in the Future Hunters are always the next successful first year horses or green conformation horses the following year,” Kennedy noted. “It has been a proving ground for young talent for 20 years now, since we started our horse show. The best young horses in the country are there, and when they go inside the arena and compete in the championship, it is probably one of the best classes of the entire horse show. To watch these young horses make the transition from the outdoor ring to the coliseum for the first time in their championship class, it is amazing how well they go when they walk in. The talent and the quality of the horses is outrageous.”
“A lot of people bring their best young horses there and a lot of them get sold,” Kennedy added. “Horses like Gray Slipper, Dream Date and Sambalino were Future Hunter winners that went on to win grand hunter championships at the biggest horse shows in the country. If you have a really good horse and you want to show it off, you bring it to Capital Challenge.”
In addition to Future Hunter changes, the Capital Challenge Horse Show is pleased to announce the addition of a Junior Hunter 3’3” division, providing even more opportunities for the up-and-coming young riders in the country to showcase their top horses. The division will run on the final weekend of competition, Saturday, October 4, and Sunday, October 5.
