The specifications for the 2026 USEF Junior Hunter National Championships were released Sept. 30, and the changes have opened up the qualifying criteria for the championships.
As part of the new criteria, a horse competing at either 3’6″ or 3’3″ can qualify if it competes in and completes all offered classes of their junior hunter division at five USEF-licensed competitions during the qualifying period of May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026.
As with previous years, horses can qualify by winning one champion or reserve champion in a premier, national or regional show during the qualifying period or by being ranked in the top 10 on the USHJA Zone Horse of the Year Channel I or Channel II ranking list based on results from competitions from Dec. 1, 2025-April 30, 2026.
Other notable changes include restricting riders competing in 3’3″ sections from competing at 1.30 m or above during the qualifying period and until the conclusion of the championship and increasing the time frame the horse must be on the showgrounds prior to the start of its division from 12 hours to 24 hours.
The 2026 USEF Junior Hunter National Championships–East will take place June 17-21, 2026, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and the 2026 USEF Junior Hunter National Championships–West will take place July 23-26, 2026, at HITS Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, California.
See full specifications here.
