Lexington, KY-July 16, 2014-The United States Hunter Jumper Association, along with TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program Inc., is pleased to announce a new bonus incentive to be awarded to the top placing Thoroughbreds in the 2014 USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Championship on August 12-14 in Lexington, KY.

 

The TAKE2 Thoroughbred Bonus Award will provide $1,500 to the top two Thoroughbreds with the highest cumulative scores from the first and second rounds of the Pre-Green Incentive Championship. The horse with the highest cumulative score will receive $1,000 and the horse with the second highest cumulative score will receive $500. Only horses that were declared as Thoroughbreds upon enrollment in the Pre-Green Incentive Program will be eligible to receive this bonus award.  

 

"TAKE2 is excited about our partnership with the United States Hunter Jumper Association," said Rick Violette, President of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and founder of TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program. "We are pleased to promote the Thoroughbred horse in the Pre-Green Championship and their versatility from the race track to the country's premier horse show arenas." 

 

The TAKE2 Thoroughbred Bonus Award will be presented on August 14 during the Opening Ceremonies, prior to the Pre-Green Incentive Championship Round, and is one of five additional bonus awards to be given during this year's Championship.

 

The Pre-Green Incentive Program debuted in December 2012, and has garnered praise from members across the country for its encouragement of the development of young horses. The Pre-Green Incentive Program is open to horses of any age that are eligible to compete as a pre-green hunter under USEF rules. Horses must be enrolled in the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program to participate in the Pre-Green Stake classes and to be eligible for the Pre-Green Championship. In 2013, prize money for the Pre-Green Incentive Championship topped $157,000 with 65 percent of Pre-Green Incentive Program enrollment fees and 50 percent of Championship entry fees contributing to the purse.

 

About TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program Inc.
The TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program Inc. is committed to promoting and developing second careers for racehorses when they have retired from the track. Launched in 2012 by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), in collaboration with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB), TAKE2 funds prize money and awards in hunter and jumper classes restricted to Thoroughbreds that are eligible to be registered with The Jockey Club. The program was offered at Premier horse shows in New York, New Jersey (where it was sponsored by New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association) and Texas (where it was co-sponsored by The Paddock Foundation) in 2012. In its second year, it was expanded to include more than 50 horse shows in 10 of the 12 USHJA zones across 18 states. TAKE2 highlights the success of Thoroughbreds as show horses. The goal is to create a market for retired racehorses, ensuring secure futures beyond the racetrack.

 

Exhibitors, please complete the registration form and remit to USHJA no later than August 1, 2014 to be eligible for the TAKE2 Thoroughbred Bonus Award during the 2014 Pre-Green Incentive Championships. The registration form for the TAKE2 Thoroughbred Bonus Award can be found on the Pre-Green Championships webpage.

Lexington, KY 40511

P: 859.225.6700