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The $30,000 Nutrena Grand Prix of Minnesota is the featured event of the Minnesota Harvest Horse Show, the longest running, indoor, hunter/jumper horse show in the United States. Riders included the best and brightest of local equestrians, world-class competitors and Olympians in the electrifying sport of Grand Prix Jumping.

For the spectator, equestrian show jumping is a nail-biting, thrilling sport. A course designer uses artistry and years of horsemanship experience to build a challenging test of height, width, speed and accuracy. The crowd is pin-drop silent as each horse and rider team negotiates the course. If more than one rider completes a clear round without knocking down a jump or earning time penalties, an exciting jump-off against time determines the winner. The equestrian sports are the only Olympic sports where men and women compete against each other. Since 1992’s Grand Prix of Minnesota, the women lead the men in wins by eleven to six.

Eight riders went clear after the first round of this year’s challenging $30,000 Nutrena Grand Prix of Minnesota course, designed by Peter Holmes. In the jump-off round, Scott Lenkart and Impulsive, owned by MacMillan Sport Horse, sailed clear through the obstacles with so much speed, you could hear the crowd gasp. His risky ride paid off when none of the other clear-rounders could come close to Scott’s time. This is the eleventh Grand Prix win of the 2007-2008 show season for Impulsive. Karen Cudmore, a member of the Canadian Olympic team and Heartland Farm’s Southern Pride, winners of the event in 2006, came in second. One of the crowd’s favorites, Nick Novak and his 18 year old Malone came in third.  Nick and Malone have been a show jumping team for an impressive eleven years.

This year’s Minnesota Harvest Horse Show was especially festive and fun with the support of committed sponsors, including the country’s leading equine, livestock and pet food companies, Minnesota-based Nutrena, a division of Cargill and Purina Mills. Purina Mills sponsored the Friday night $10,000 Purina Junior /Amateur Owner Jumper Classic, won by Alex Parrish and Kadorijke. Punch Pizza’s co-owner and former co-owner of Caribou Coffee, John Puckett, supported his favorite sport by sponsoring the $2,500 Punch Pizza Children’s/Adult Amateur Jumper Classic won by Courtney Dickinson on It’s Twix. Kim Barone and The Real Delia, owned by Katie Sweeney, won an audience favorite, the spectacular $3,000 American National Family of Companies Minnesota Harvest Hunter Classic.

The Minnesota Harvest Horse Show benefits We Can Ride, Inc., which provides therapeutic horseback riding and driving to children and adults living with disabilities. Horseback riding is recognized as a uniquely beneficial form of physical therapy that is impossible to duplicate in a clinical setting. Along with the physical benefits, horseback riding and carriage driving gives individuals a sense of accomplishment and increases self esteem. The special bond that develops with the horse boosts confidence and self-worth.

The Minnesota Harvest Horse Show is managed by Midstates Horse Shows, LLC. In 2009 the show returns to the Minnesota State Fair Coliseum from October 6 – 11.

Contact: Carrie Wirth  612.209.0310 cwirth@minnesotaharvesthorseshow.com

Join us in 2009 for the Minnesota Harvest Horse Show October 6th through the 11th.