Zayna Rizvi Receives Show Jumping Hall of Fame “Style of Riding” Award at Hampton Classic Horse Show

Rizvi, who trains with John Brennan and Missy Clark of North Run, earned several top placings during the 45th annual Hampton Classic, including taking first and third in the $10,000 Lugano Diamonds Junior/Amateur/Amateur-Owner Show Jumping Derby 1.40m Welcome Stake. She rode Peacock Ridge LLC’s Excellent and North Run Inc.’s Quivive S Z to times of 55.196 and 57.077 seconds, respectively.<p><br></p>“On my first horse (Quivive S Z), I went pretty fast,” Rizvi said after the class. “Then Alexa (Lignelli) went and was even faster, so I was a little nervous. I didn’t know if I could beat her time. My second horse (Excellent) has a massive stride, and he loves to go, which definitely helped me out. It was so much fun out there, and I think the course worked really well for us.”

Rizvi was the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month in July and has had a successful 2021 show season leading up to the Hampton Classic. She and her Hampton Classic Welcome Stake winner, Excellent, earned double gold medals in the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Championship (NAYC) $10,000 Junior Individual Championship and the Junior Team Competition with Zone 4 earlier in the summer. They also soared to victory in the $20,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake at Tryon International in May against top riders such as Gavin Harley (IRL) and Schuyler Riley (USA).

“Sometimes I definitely get nervous because a lot of the riders (I’m competing against) have done this multiple times, and I’m just kind of starting with the bigger classes,” Rizvi said after her win in Tryon. “But I trust my horses so much, and I know they’re always going to have my back.”

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Style of Riding Award has been presented to an impressive list of riders who have gone on to have highly successful careers. Previous winners include: Aimee Aron (2004), Brianne Goutal (2005), Julie Welles (2006), Beacon Hill Partners (2007), Victoria Birdsall (2008), Michael Hughes (2009), Karen Polle (2010), Samantha Schaefer (2011), Meg O’Mara (2012), Katherine Strauss (2013), Lucy Deslauriers (2014), Sophie Simpson (2015 & 2016), Coco Fath (2017), Tanner Korotkin (2018), and Ned Cunniffe (2019).

Located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., the Show Jumping Hall of Fame was organized in 1987 to promote the sport of show jumping and to immortalize the legends of the men, women and horses who have made great contributions to the sport. Plaques honoring those who have been honored with induction into the Hall of Fame can be seen at the Horse Park’s Rolex Stadium. Mementos and artifacts from the sport’s history are on display as part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame collection at the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Wheeler Museum at the Horse Park.

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame conducts the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series to provide an opportunity for amateur-owner and junior riders to compete at higher levels. The Series hosts separate divisions for amateur-owners and juniors in two Conferences – East and West – and follows Grand Prix rules and specifications. The Series serves as a proving ground for many who aspire to represent the United States in international competition. This year’s West Conference Year-End Final will be held at the Blenheim International Jumping Festival, September 22-26, at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The East Conference Final will be held at the National Horse Show, October 29-November 7, in Lexington, Ky.

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series is sponsored by Blenheim EquiSports, the Hampton Classic Horse Show, Kentucky Horse Park, the National Horse Show Association of America, and United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA).