2024 USHJA Outreach Festivals Conclude with Exciting Plans for 2025

Lexington, Ky.—Dec. 16, 2024—Held for the third year, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to have offered 13 USHJA Outreach Festivals across nine Zones in 2024. The Outreach Festivals were held in Zones 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 throughout June to November, bringing the excitement and thrill of a championship-level competition closer to home for many USHJA members.

"It's especially enjoyable doing the Outreach shows because not only do you get the same experience as the A-rated shows, the pressure is not as much," expressed Adult Amateur Outreach competitor Janny Verhoeven of Somerset, New Jersey. "I would say it is more of a more family-friendly environment where everyone comes to have a good time, do their best, and ride to the best of their ability and their horses ability."

To compete in an Outreach Festival, riders must be a USHJA member and have competed in one Outreach Series competition to qualify. An Outreach Series is a collaboration of 10 or more Outreach Competitions hosted by two or more managers. This year, each Festival was offered with at least three Series shows for members to qualify and competition ranged from walk trot Hunters to 1.20m Jumpers.

The following Outreach Festivals were offered this year with more than 1,300 competitors.

Zone 1: July 2-7 at Fieldstone Show Park in Halifax, Massachusetts, during the NHHJA Summer Festival
Zone 2 North: August 8-10 at Southbound Saratoga in Stillwater, New York, during Saratoga Summer Special
Zone 2 South: August 14-18 at Princeton Show Jumping in Princeton, New Jersey, during Princeton August Classic
Zone 2 West: September 28-29 at Swan Lake Stables in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, during Swan Lake November
Zone 4: November 2-3 at Fox Lea Farm in Venice, Florida, during November USHJA Outreach Open H/J
Zone 5 East: October 3-6 at Brave Horse Equestrian Center in Johnstown, Ohio, during Brave Horse Fall
Zones 5 and 6: September 12-15 at Ledges Sporting Horses in Roscoe, Illinois, during IHJA "B" Medal Finals
Zone 7: June 7-9 at Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas, during the DHJSC Summer Festival
Zone 8: October 16-20 at Westworld of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, during Arizona Fall I
Zone 9: September 5-8 at Washington State Horse Park in Cle Elum, Washington, during Cascade Finals
Zone 10 North: October 11-13 at Brookside Show Park in Elk Grove, California, during Brookside Fall Finale & Outreach Festival
Zone 10 South: October 25-27 at Huntington Central Park Equestrian in Huntington Beach, California, during Huntington Beach Spooktacular
Zone 12: September 1-2 at Chamberlain Equestrian Center in Anchorage, Alaska, during Zone 12 Outreach Festival

"I love [Outreach Festivals] because it's really about the goals within the student," said trainer Katie Benson of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. "It's not that you are against everyone else because so much of the program allows you to develop your skills, whether it be through different divisions, Hunters, Jumpers, Equitation, a little higher, or lower height. It focuses on your goals within yourself. You get awards with Outreach depending on what you are working on, while being a competition with a winner and rankings."

The USHJA Outreach Program was been established to engage and connect Hunter and Jumper riders, trainers and horse owners with the USHJA by providing the opportunity to earn national recognition in classes from walk trot to 3'0" in Hunter and Equitation sections and .60m-1.20m in Jumper sections at rated and local shows. Any rider may compete in Outreach Hunter, Jumper and Equitation classes, but riders wishing to earn points and national recognition must be a USHJA free Outreach member or any other USHJA member category. At the conclusion of September, the highest pointed Gold level Outreach member in each Zone will earn the Golden Backstage Pass to participate in the USHJA National Championship's Affiliate sections.

The USHJA Outreach Festivals are set to return in 2025 with an exciting schedule with even more being offered spread across the Zones. The following Festivals will be offered:

Zone 1: July 2-6 at Fieldstone Show Park in Halifax, Mass., during NHHJA Summer Festival
Zone 2 South: July 30-August 2 at Princeton Show Jumping in Princeton, N.J., during The Princeton Classic Finale
Zone 2 North: August 7-10 at White Hollow Farm in Stillwater, N.Y., during Saratoga Summer Special
Zone 2 West: September 27-28 at Swan Lake Stables in Littlestown, Penn., during Swan Lake September
Zone 4: November 22-24 at Fox Lea Farm in Venice, Fla., during Fox Lea November
Zone 5 East: October 2-5 at Brave Horse Equestrian Park in Johnstown, Ohio, during Brave Horses X
Zone 5 and 6: September 11-14 at Ledges Sporting Horses in Roscoe, Ill., during Showplace B Medal Finals
Zone 7: June 6-8 at Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas, during DHJSC Summer Festival
Zone 7: October 2-5 at Texas Rose Horse Park in Tyler, Texas, during Texas Rose Autumn Festival
Zone 7: November 5-9 at National Equestrian Center of St. Louis in St. Louis, Mo., during Archway Fall Classic
Zone 8: October 15-18 at WestWorld of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz., during Arizona Fall I
Zone 9: October 8-12 at Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, Wash., during WSHJA October Outreach
Zone 10 North: August 1-3 at Santa Cruz Fairgrounds in Watsonville, Calif., during Ocean Breeze Outreach Festival
Zone 10 South: August 29-31 at Hansen Dam Horse Park in Lake View Terrace, Calif., during Gold Coast Labor Day

The USHJA would like to thank Official Sponsors CWD, Nutrena, and Parlanti for their support.

For more information about the USHJA Outreach program, visit ushja.org/outreach. Learn more about the USHJA Outreach Festivals and Series at ushja.org/outreachfestival.

Photos: Lia Sim Photography, Andrew Ryback Photography, Viola Mitchell Photography