Additional $20,000 DIHP Young Hunter Championship Added to Desert Circuit Schedule
Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) is adding a second $20,000 DIHP Young Hunter Championship to its schedule to take place Friday, March 17, 2023, as part of the final week of Desert Circuit.
Following a classic two-round format, the $20,000 DIHP Young Hunter Championship invites horses aged 7 and under who have competed in two over-fences classes in their respective Young Hunter classes during Desert Circuit 2023.
Nick Haness and True That, owned by Rainie Rose, were the champions of the first iteration of this championship, run during Desert Holiday in December of 2022. With the first championship having concluded the USEF calendar year, the second iteration will conclude the DIHP season, giving hunter riders and owners an additional goal to strive for.
“True That qualified to do the [first] Young Hunter Championship which is very exciting because we’ve never had a young hunter championship for this much prize money,” Haness remarked. “We were really excited to gear up for that week and bring our best young horses to showcase the future that’s so bright for young horses on the West Coast.”
“The desert is a great place for young horses,” Haness, of Temecula, CA, continued. “It’s a great opportunity to bring horses either from Europe or who are just young and still learning. To have a class designated just for them allows them to be on a level playing field which is awesome. The [young horse classes] are fair and let the horses develop, increasing each year in height. A final like this is a great opportunity for horses to continue to grow so this was a really exciting and nice final.”
“We believe this facility is a perfect place to foster young hunter talent, and we see this championship fitting in well with a hunter’s progression in the sport,” commented Steve Hankin, President and CEO of DIHP. “Providing more hunter prize money has always been a goal for us, and with this class and more throughout the circuit, we are providing more hunter opportunity and prize money than we ever have before.”
Also taking place week nine of Desert Circuit is WCHR competition, plus the second of two $100,000 WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectaculars in the Grand Prix Arena.
Read more:
News – Desert International Horse Park (deserthorsepark.com)
