Find a Western Point of View at Fiesta in the Park
2005 Adequan®/United States Equestrian Federation Open Reining
Championship

     Fiesta in the Park kicks off Wednesday, August 24. Cowboy hats and jeans will be a preferred mode of dress as the first-ever event brings world-class reining competition to the historic Kentucky Horse Park.  Often called the "Dressage of the Western World" reining horses work a prescribed set of maneuvers that includes signature sliding stops and lightning-fast spins.
     The Fiesta, which runs through Sunday, combines the best of hunter/jumper events with reining as the Park is also hosting the Kentucky Hunter & Jumper Association Show. The reining week of competition is headlined by the 2005 Adequan® United States Equestrian Federation Open Reining Championship on August 27. With $75,000 added, not only are some of the best riders in the nation competing for the coveted USEF Championship title, they are also working toward qualifying to compete at the FEI World Reining Masters Finals, which take place in September in Manerbio, Italy.
     Riders competing in the USEF at Fiesta include National Reining Horse Association All Time Leading Rider, Tim McQuay, along with other Million Dollar Earners, Bill Horn, Dell Hendricks and the Midwest's own Shawn Flarida, from Springfield, Ohio. The horses represented in the USEF competition include American Quarter Horse Association World Champions, NRHA Futurity Champions, National Reining Breeders Classic Champions, NRHA World Champions and 2004 FEI World Reining Masters competitors. This caliber of reining competition normally takes place in Texas or Oklahoma, but the Fiesta brings reining's greatest horses and riders to the bluegrass state, the horse capitol of the world.
     Horses and riders from across the United States will also compete in the Fiesta Maturity for 4-Year-Olds where the winner will receive a year's use of a Featherlite Horse Trailer from Kentucky Lake Trailer Sales. Plus, throughout the week there is a full slate of National Reining Horse Association, American Quarter Horse Association and American Paint Horse Association-approved reining classes.
     Friday night, August 26, promises fun, with a special Celebrity Hunter Reining, as some of the English riding world's top names try their luck on a reining horse. Then the excitement of the bridle-less reining provides a great buildup to the top horses and riders in the Open Class. And the fun is not just for the grown-ups. The Adequan®/USEF Youth Reining Championship sponsored by Markel Insurance and Hagyard, Davidson, McGee will showcase the most talented youngsters in the country on Sunday, August 28! With a coliseum full of vendors, selling everything from western tack to clothing to jewelry, the Fiesta offers an array of first-rate shopping opportunities, as well.
For information on the Fiesta in the Park, contact Pro Management at
580-759-2572 or visit www.fiestainthepark.com.