Kentucky Horse Shows

International show jumping competition at the Kentucky Spring Classic returned to the picturesque Rolex Arena on a Thursday evening.

After picture-perfect rides in the hunter arena at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show (KSHS), Christopher Payne emerged with not one, but two championship ribbons in the Stonelea ring on Thursday morning. Payne piloted two Still Water Farm LLC entries, Gratitude and Reign, to take multiple top-three placings in the combined Green Hunter and High Performance Conformation Hunter division as well as the Green 3’6” Hunter division, respectively. Payne put the cherry on top by claiming the Hagyard Grand Professional Hunter Champion, presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, on Imagine after beating a competitive pack of 34 entries to take home top honors in the Green 3’0” Hunter division.

On Thursday evening, the nation’s top athletes gathered at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Rolex Stadium in hopes of securing the win in the $25,000 Kentucky Summer Classic Grand Prix during the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. Saving the best for last, Brazil’s Celso Ariani and Ukulman De La Nutria topped an eight-horse jump-off by almost three seconds as the final pair in the ring. Daisy Farish and RMF Retro placed second, while Kaitlin Campbell and Dandy rounded out the top three.

The Leading Rider title for the 2019 Hagyard Challenge Series is still up for grabs, but young rider Brian Moggre still retains a solid lead after winning the $36,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic CSI3* during the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, the first event in the series.