The Park Equine Kentucky Classique, held August 31 to September 2, 2018 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. is a staple on many eventers' calendars. Serving as the host of the Area VIII Championships, hundreds of horses converge in the Bluegrass to vie for top-placings and year-end honors. New this year will be the addition of the USEA Classic Series Beginner Novice and Novice Three-Day divisions.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer the classic options in both Beginner Novice and Novice divisions,” said organizer Mary Fike, owner of KY Events, which puts on the Park Equine Kentucky Classique. Fike is also President of the Mid-South Eventing and Dressage Association.
“We expect these additions to be popular and fill quickly as we have been hearing for years that our competitors are missing the roads and tracks and steeplechase phases of competition,” she said.
Entries for the Park Equine Kentucky Classique will open on July 17 and close on August 14; it is the Area VIII Championships for Preliminary, Intermediate, Training, Novice, and Beginner Novice levels. Additional divisions will be offered for Advanced Intermediate, Intermediate, Preliminary, Training, Novice, and Beginner Novice, as well as a Starter Test.
In 2019, the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park for the first time since their inception in 2004. Managed by Fike and Equestrian Events Inc., organizer of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, the national championship show will be hosted during the traditional Park Equine Kentucky Classique competition weekend. Kentucky Classique will resume scheduled competition in 2021, when the AEC changes venue.
About KY Events
KY Events is host of Spring Bay Horse Trials, Park Equine Kentucky Classique, and the Hagyard MidSouth Team Challenge. Managed by Mary Fike of Harrington Mill Farm in Shelbyville, KY Events prides itself on the safety, enjoyment, and level of competition it provides to each competitor. Click here to learn more.
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.