The competition schedule for the 2011 Jump Canada Young Horse Series has been announced.

The Jump Canada Young Horse Series, featuring age categories for Four, Five, Six and Seven and Eight-Year-Olds, is divided into three regions – Eastern, Central, and Western.  The final competition in each of the three regions will count for double points to qualify for the National Finals, to be held this year at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, September 21-25, in Palgrave, ON.

Following the conclusion of competition in each of the three regions, the top four scores for each horse will be added together to determine the Regional Champion in each age category.  In addition, the top Canadian-bred horse in each age category in each region, as well as at the National Finals, will be recognized with a special cooler and ribbon.

Recognizing that many horse owners from the Western division will not be able to attend the National Finals in Ontario, a total of $20,000 in prize money will be offered during the final Western division event, the Rocky Mountain Classic III to be held at Anderson Ranch in Calgary, AB, from September 1-4.

“This will be the 14th season for the Jump Canada Young Horse Series, and the excitement and enthusiasm for the program is stronger than ever,” said Alan Chesler, Chair of the Jump Canada Young Horse Committee.  “It is a program that benefits everyone from the owners and breeders to the riders and the horses themselves.  We are looking forward to having strong participation from Western Canada this year, building up to an extremely competitive National Final.”

The schedule for the 2011 Jump Canada Young Horse Series is as follows:

Eastern Qualifiers
Concours hippique de St. Lazare, QC, May 25-29
Concours hippique du Parc Printemps, QC – June 1-5
Beaulieu’s Summer Classic II, QC, June 29 to July 3
Jumping Internationale de Blainville- Week 1, QC, July 6-10
International Bromont Week 2, QC, July 27-31
Final Regional Qualifier – Le Concours Hippique de Parc Été, Blainville, QC, August 10-14
(This competition will count for double points)

Central Qualifiers
Summer Classic, ON, June 15-19
CornerStone Horse Show, ON, June 22-26
Summerfest Show, ON, July 14-17
National Open, Ottawa, ON, August 10-14
Canadian Country Classic Week 1, Halton Place, ON, August 24-28
Final Regional Qualifier – Canadian Country Classic Week 3
(This competition will count for double points)

Western Qualifiers
Bow Valley Classic II, AB, May 19-22
Thunderbird Show Park Canadian Premiere, BC, May 25-29
Heart of the Continent Horse Show, MB, August 4-7
Thunderbird Show Park Summer Classic, BC, August 17-21
Rocky Mountain Classic II, AB, August 25-28
Final Regional Qualifier – Rocky Mountain Classic III, Calgary, AB, September 1-4
(This competition will count for double points)

National Final
Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, Palgrave, ON, September 22-26
(5, 6, and 7/ 8 year old classes only)

The purpose of the Jump Canada Young Horse Series is to encourage the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior show jumping prospects.  Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development.  This careful development allows the horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competition with confidence.  The Jump Canada Young Horse Series also gives prospective buyers for the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competition setting.

The Jump Canada Young Horse Series is now administered directly through Jump Canada and the Equine Canada offices.  To register on-line, please visit: www.equiman.com/JumpCanadaYoungHorseSeries/