December 23, 1997

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) has announced the Grand Prix show jumping competitions which will serve as 1998 USET Regional Show Jumping Championships. This marks the fifth year that the USET has held Regional Show Jumping Championships, which are limited to one per American Horse Shows Association (AHSA) Zone.

The 1998 Regional Show Jumping Championship schedule opens on May 3 with the $30,000 Music City Grand Prix at the Nashville Classic in Nashville, TN (Zone 4). Other events include the $50,000 Oaks Classic Grand Prix on May 31 at The Oaks Classic in San Juan Capistrano, CA (Zone 10); the $35,000 Ox Ridge Grand Prix on June 14 at the Ox Ridge Charity Horse Show in Darien, CT (Zone 1); and the $35,000 Grand Prix of Pittsburgh on June 28 at the Hartwood Show Jumping Festival in Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 2). In addition, the $30,000 Cavalier Classic will be held on July 12 at HITS Culpeper II in Culpeper, VA (Zone 3), and the $50,000 Denver Classic will be held on July 18 at the Colorado Summer Classic in Denver, CO (Zone 8).

The Oaks Classic and the Colorado Summer Classic Championships share the distinction of being Regional Championships for the fifth year in a row. The Ox Ridge and Music City events are in their fourth year as Regional Championship sites, and the Hartwood Show Jumping Festival joins them for the third time.

The USET created the Regional Show Jumping Championships to provide promising horses and riders the opportunity to compete on a regional level under Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) rules, and to help the USET to identify high-caliber horse and rider teams capable of representing the United States in international competitions such as Pan American and Olympic Games. In addition to a share of the prize money, the top U.S. finisher at each event will be named USET Regional Champion and be awarded a special trophy. USET ribbons will be awarded to the top 12 U.S. finishers.

To be eligible to host a Regional Show Jumping Championship, a horse show must have been held for at least two years, must have a Grand Prix purse of at least $25,000 and must submit an application. The dates of the events must fall outside the Volvo Show Jumping World Cup season, which runs from September through April. All Championships are conducted under FEI rules.

For more information on the USET Regional Show Jumping Championships, please call (908) 234-1251.