Sport Horse Nationals Heads to The Horse Capital of the World

The breed's premier sport horses will gather for the ninth annual Sport Horse National Arabian & Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (Sport Horse Nationals) at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., Sept. 28 – Oct. 2, 2011. Unique from AHA's other national shows, Sport Horse Nationals offers only classes from sport horse divisions including hunter/jumper, dressage, carriage pleasure driving, sport horse under saddle and in-hand classes. The youngest of all the AHA nationals shows, Sport Horse Nationals is known for its amateur friendly atmosphere coupled with bar-raising competition. With 500 horses expected, three arenas will run simultaneously beginning at 8 a.m. each day.

New this year is the A/HA/AA 14.2 & Under Working Hunter Exhibition, spotlighting the new division of working hunter horses measuring 14.2 hands or smaller. There are no qualification points and no entry fee required for the exhibition, but exhibitors must enter in the Show Office on an Official Entry Form. Other must-see classes include Saturday evening's Carriage Pleasure Driving – Gamblers Choice and Sport Horse In-Hand Supreme which serves as an all-star-like competition with all the in-hand champions in the same ring so one can be named supreme.

Exhibitors, spectators and visitors to the show will have the chance to visit The International Museum of the Horse's newest wing, the Al-Marah Arabian Horse Galleries, which officially opened in June of 2010, and shop at the Sport Horse Nationals Shopping Expo on the concourse of the Covered Arena. The always popular Barn Parties, on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. lets exhibitors host spectators and each other to a spread of food, drink, and fun.

Visit www.ArabianHorses.org/SHN during the show for daily updates and for more information.