2022 Platinum Performance/USHJA Hunter Championship Week Kicks Off Five Days of Top Hunter Competition

Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 15, 2022—The 2022 Platinum Performance/USHJA Hunter Championship Week kicks off this week at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky with more than $572,000 in prize money up for grabs in the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships and Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship.

Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships

The 2022 Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships will see over 180 horses compete for more than $314,000 in prize money over three days of competition. Competition will feature two Championships, one for horses competing at 3'0"/3'3" fence heights and one for horses competing at 3'6"/3'9" fence heights. The 3'0"/3'3" Championship will feature three rounds of competition, beginning at approximately 8:45 a.m. ET on Tuesday, August 16, and Wednesday, August 17. The 30 horses with the highest cumulative scores from the first two rounds will then advance to the Championship Round on Thursday, August 18, where they will start with a clean slate. On Thursday, the 3'6"/3'9" Championship will feature two rounds of competition, a Classic Hunter Round and the Championship Round, with the top 30 horses with the highest scores after the first round advancing to the Championship Round.

Both Championships will also include additional prize money for horse-and-rider combinations piloted by Tier II Riders. Tier II Riders are those 31st or below on the Green Hunter Incentive Program rider money won three-year earnings list. This prize money is paid out across the top 10 placing horses ridden by Tier II riders in each section, based on scores prior to the Championship round, providing exhibitors more opportunities to win.

Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships

The Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship will take to the Rolex Stadium on Friday, August 19, with 76 horse-and-rider combinations competing in the Classic Hunter Round over a course featuring traditional International Hunter Derby-style fences. The week will culminate on Saturday, August 20, under the lights of the Rolex Stadium with the Handy Hunter Round. More than $258,000 in prize money will be available for Derby competitors this year, plus the $10,000 Derby Challenge.

In the Handy Hunter Round, riders will be grouped into two tiers based on the amount of total money earned over the last three years in International Hunter Derbies as of December 1, 2021. Tier I riders are those ranked 1-40 on the three-year earnings list, and Tier II riders are those ranked below 40th. Horse-and-rider combinations, regardless of tier, placing in the top 20 of the Classic Hunter round will be eligible for 80 percent prize money and compete in Section A of the Handy round. The top 20 Tier II horse-and-rider combinations, including those who qualified for Section A, will be eligible for 20 percent of the prize money; those not in Section A will compete in Section B of the Handy.

For those not able to watch the competition in person, wall-to-wall live streaming coverage presented by Windsor Stables will be available at no additional cost to members at ushja.org and ClipMyHorse.TV. Coverage begins on Tuesday, August 16, at 8:40 a.m. ET with the Opening Ceremonies of the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships, followed by the first horse on course at approximately 8:45 a.m. ET.

Follow additional coverage from the week on USHJA's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The USHJA thanks the sponsors who helped to make these championships possible including Title Sponsor Platinum Performance; Official Sponsors CWD, Exhibitor's, Nutrena, Parlanti International and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital and Pharmacy. Thanks also go to Official Broadcast Provider ClipMyHorse.TV and Livestream Sponsor Windsor Stables; Supporting Sponsors RingSide Pro, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and Human Touch; Award Sponsors Essex Classics, The Clothes Horse and Boy O Boy Bridleworks; and Bonus Award Donors Oakwell Farms, DS Holdings, LLC, Colleen McQuay and Patrick Rodes.

For more information about the live stream or to view the complete schedule, orders of go and online results for the 2022 Platinum Performance/USHJA Hunter Championship Week, visit ushja.org/competition/hunter-week-championships.

Photos: Terisé Cole/USHJA