Save the Date for the Fifth Annual Kid Jump Grand Prix
Each year, the junior riders that flock to Lexington, KY, for the USEF Pony Finals prepare to compete not only in the saddle—but also on foot.
A Grand Prix event is not quite outlined in the prize list for the annual championship—the first championship for many young riders—but the Dalman Jump Co. Kid Prix, hosted in partnership with US Equestrian, has become a popular "extracurricular" competition on the lawn adjacent to the Rolex Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.
There, Dalman Jump Co. Founder Javan Dalman sets a miniaturized puissance course consisting of his smallest-scale designs: kid jumps. The jumps will increase in height with each round held in a "knockout" style format, and the winner will be the individual that clears the tallest height, earning his or her own Kid Jump to take home.
The Fifth Annual Kid Prix is scheduled for Friday, August 8 at 1:30pm ET. Should rain affect competition at the event, the Prix would happen the previous day, Thursday, August 7.
"The Kid Prix has become a highlight of our year. I love watching the enthusiasm of these young equestrians," Dalman said. "They work all year to be at USEF Pony Finals, and the pressure can be a lot. At the Kid Prix, they can release some of that stress, have fun, and envision themselves down the road, riding in their first Grand Prix."
Visitors to the Horse Park can also put their imagination to work by participating in Dalman Jump Co.'s "Design a Jump" contest. Launched at the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event in April, the contest challenges participants to exercise their creativity by mapping out their own design for a Grand Prix jump. A panel of judges from Dalman Jump Co. and US Equestrian will select their favorite design for a second opportunity to win a Kid Jump.
The Design a Jump content will run from Wednesday, August 6 through Friday, August 8, with submissions closing at 12pm ET.
"The Design a Jump contest was a rousing success at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event," Dalman said. "I love seeing our sport's future artists, course builders, and jump designers come through our booth."
All attendees at USEF Pony Finals are invited to visit the Dalman Jump Co. booth, located on the lawn between the Walnut Arena and the Rolex Arena, to meet Javan and learn more about jump design and the products offered by the company, including Kid Jumps.
Dalman Jump Co.'s kid jumps are made with the same attention to detail as their full-scale horse show jumps and are fully customizable. For more information, visit DalmanJumpCo.com.