Lexington, KY – May 16, 2018 – The 2018 rendition of the National Horse Show will feature world-class hunter and jumper competition including the $250,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup of Lexington and the Cismont Manor $50,000 Hunter Classic sponsored by The Wheeler Family. Professional riders in each discipline will also have the opportunity to compete for Leading Rider Bonus’s as well as the chance to take home an Audi from longtime sponsor, Audi of Lexington.
The National Horse Show has long been recognized as the premier indoor horse show event on the East Coast circuit. This year will be no exception!
With $810,000 in prize money offered, the National Horse Show has been designated a CSI4*-W event by the FEI where International Open Jumpers will compete for almost half a million dollars in prize money. New to the FEI level jumping competition in 2018 will be an additional $10,000 Leading International Jumper Rider Bonus. The rider that accumulates the most points in FEI competition will receive a cash bonus as well as a one-year lease of a luxury car from Audi of Lexington. This award will be generously donated by Samuel A. B. Boone, a longtime supporter of the prestigious event.
Professional Hunter riders will not be excluded from the increased prize money. In addition to the existing total purse of $195,000, 2018 will mark the inaugural year for the Cismont Manor $50,000 Hunter Classic sponsored by The Wheeler Family. The winner of this class will take home a sizable cash prize as well as their own one-year lease of an Audi courtesy of Audi of Lexington.
The top hunter riders accumulating the highest number of points in the Green Hunter (3’6″ and 3’9″), Green Conformation Hunter, High Performance Conformation Hunter, and High Performance Hunter will be also vying for the new Leading Hunter Rider Bonus. The top three riders will split the $10,000 cash prize that is unique to the National Horse Show, voted Horse Show of the Year for six consecutive years by the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.
The increased prize money is just one of the many ways that National Horse Show is working to elevate their presence among the best horse shows in the United States. Scheduled for October 27 – November 4 this year’s event will offer the first ever weekend of equitation championships that includes the Hamel Foundation NHS 3’3” Eq. Championship, the Taylor Harris Insurance Services NHS 3′ Adult Equitation Championships, the NHS KHJA Eq. Championships, as well as, a day of age group equitation classes for young athletes all competitors.
To learn more about the National Horse Show, click here.