Kick off to the 2021 Hagyard Rider Challenge

CONTACT:
Lindsay O’Hara, Tour Experience & Event Coordinator FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hagyard Equine Medical Institute May 12, 2021
lohara@hagyard.com

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute Announces
2021 “Hagyard Rider Challenge”

Sponsored by Central Kentucky Ag Credit and Audi of Lexington, the event series will offer awards for both professional and amateur riders

Lexington, KY: Hagyard Equine Medical Institute announced it is putting a new spin on a traditional event with the introduction of the Hagyard Rider Challenge in 2021. Formerly known as the Hagyard Challenge Series, the 2021 version of the event will combine a number of the traditions of the previous series with some new elements.

The 2021 Hagyard Rider Challenge will include the following events:

•  $137,000 Hagyard Lexington Grand Prix CSI3* Saturday May 15th at the Kentucky Spring Horse show
•  $137,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3* presented by Hagyard Saturday May 22nd at the Kentucky Spring Classic
• $50,000 Hagyard Grand Prix Saturday August 7th at the Kentucky Summer Classic
•  $50,000 The Betsy Grand Prix presented by Hagyard – Date TBD at the Kentucky National Horse Show/The Betsy Gala

Traditionally, points have been tracked with the leading rider receiving a cash prize at the end of the series of events. That tradition will continue in 2021. However, 2021 will see amateur riders celebrated as well, with both a leading professional and leading amateur rider receiving a cash award.

“Rewarding amateur riders is something we’ve talked about for several years,” said Dr. Kevin Pfiester at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. “With so much disruption to events in 2020, we thought this year would be a good time to move ahead with that idea.”

“As much as people want to return to the events they loved, we felt like it was also important to open our eyes to something new this year as well, “Pfiester continued. “The series name and logo change lets people know there’s something new going on here. The amateur prize change lets them know we’re looking for ways to keep the event fresh.”

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute has hosted the Challenge series since 2006.The events are held each spring and summer at the Kentucky Horse Park directly across from Hagyard’s Campus in Lexington. The professional and amateur rider who accumulate the most points in the Series will be presented the Leading Rider Award during the Kentucky National Horse Show in September. The Series typically feature a CSI** and a CSI***, making riders eligible to earn points toward international show-jumping rankings.

“Our support of this Series demonstrates our commitment to the sport horse jumping industry,” added Kelly M. Fleming, CFO. “We are more than an equine medical care group with an amazing history in the thoroughbred industry. Many of our veterinarians and staff also participate in events like these. So we take the equine industry seriously, but we also take it personally. We don’t just care for the horses – we root for them as if they were our own.

About Hagyard Equine Medical Institute: With more than 50 veterinarians and 145 years behind it, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is the oldest and one of the largest private equine veterinary practices in the world. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, the facility, located across the street from the Kentucky Horse Park, boasts superior ambulatory services, the world-renowned Davidson Surgery Center, McGee Medicine and Fertility Centers, Hagyard Laboratory, Hagyard Sports Medicine & Podiatry Center, and hyperbaric medicine facilities.