Hunter Jumper Classes

Coming to the Kentucky Horse Park next month is a wonderful new opportunity for ‘retired’ race horses to strut their stuff out in public. Organized by the Thoroughbred Horse Show Association, this fun new event will showcase the versatility of this amazing breed in a variety of classes.

The Thoroughbred Horse Show Association was created to develop horse shows exclusively for Thoroughbreds that are registered with The Jockey Club. These shows are designed to showcase Thoroughbreds in their second careers.

The Classes

The first scheduled show is for April 14 and 15th, with a second due to take place October 6 and 7. While there will be an emphasis on Hunter Jumper classes, there are also two class categories that will reach out and appeal to a broad base of thoroughbred horse lovers:
In Hand Showmanship and Suitability

The TB "in hand"

Competitors will be judged on how well he or she exhibits the horse to its best  advantage, with additional scoring for the grooming and presentation of both horse and  handler. The horse’s soundness, muscling, and balance count and the ability of the handler  to control the horses body and mind are taken into consideration. In Showmanship the  handler stands on the horses opposite side of the judge to give the judge a clear view of the  horse. For conformation classes, horses will be judged on correctness, balance, and  conformation and the handler remains on near side.
Introduction to Competitive Trail Riding Obstacle
Horse and riders will have a start time and will be sent out on the course in groups of 3 or 4.  Riders may choose their group. The course will be 6 to 8 miles, around the Kentucky Horse  Park with 6 obstacles and may include crossing water, walking over a log, backing up,  passing through hay bales, and side passing.

The Fun Goes On

Competitors are not required to be members of the association, but they must enter Thoroughbreds using the horse’s registered name with The Jockey Club. With this information, a list of horses competing in our shows and affiliated shows will be made available to association members. As a result, owners, breeders, trainers, rescue organizations, and fans will be able to follow the second careers of horses they admired at the racetrack. More info on all the classes available here.

About The Show Creators

Jan Roehl has worked with Thoroughbreds and has been involved in horse shows for most of her life. She spent 20 years competing in combined training and several years working on the racetrack. She has extensive experience working with riders with disabilities as well as creating shows. Call or email her for more information on this wonderfully worthwhile series! jan@tbhorseshow.org, (859) 421-8710.

John Prather has a resume chock full of equine and equestrian event experience as well. In 2010, John was the main stadium manager at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. His duties included planning, security, traffic control, trade fair, and patron logistics. He was the point of contact for the 700 volunteers working in the stadium and oversaw the scheduling and management for the event. He can be reached at john@tbhorseshow.org or (859) 421-8710.

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