Mario Deslauriers Opens Early Lead in Hagyard Challenge Series
Equestrian News Release

Lexington, KY - May 15, 2009 - Mario Deslauriers is the current leader of the 2009 Hagyard Challege Series following a fourth and fifth place finish in Thursday's $30,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Deslauriers finished fourth with Ardeche Van De Zelm, and fifth with Vicomte D. During the series' first event, held March 7, Deslauriers finished in second place riding Vicomte D.

Last year's winner of the $50,000 Leading Rider Award, Kent Farrington, is currently following Deslauriers' lead. Farrington was the winner of last week's event and finished in 11th place yesterday.

Top Hungarian rider Henri Kovacs has taken the Kentucky Spring Horse Show Series by storm, and after winning yesterday's event with Sassicaia II he is currently ranked third in the standings, following very closely behind Farrington.

The Hagyard Challenge Series is a summer-long series of seven show jumping events at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Offering $215,000 in prize money, the series will award its leading rider with a $50,000 bonus after the final event, held at the Kentucky National Indoor Horse Show in September.

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is the proud sponsor of the Hagyard Challenge Series, and the $50,000 Leading Rider Bonus is made possible through the gracious efforts of the Holiday Inn Georgetown Hotel, Dean, Dorton, & Ford, Fifth Third Bank, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Hagyard Pharmacy, Kathleen Sullivan, CIMA®, Turf Town Properties, and Audi of Lexington.

For more information on the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows please go to http://www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.

To learn more about the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, please go to http://www.hagyard.com.

2009 HAGYARD CHALLENGE SERIES STANDINGS

RIDER NAME SPRING I SPRING II

1 MARIO DESLAURIERS 170 180

2 KENT FARRINGTON 250 20

3 HENRI KOVACS 250

4 REBECCA JOHANSON HOFMAN 170

5 BEEZIE MADDEN 100 65

6 MARGIE ENGLE 130

6 LJUBOV KOCHETOVA 130

8 PABLO BARRIOS 120

9 ELIZA SHUFORD 80

10 CARA RAETHER 65

11 DEBBIE STEPHENS 50

11 MICHAEL MORRISSEY 50

13 JAMES BENEDETTO 40

13 PETER LEONE 40

15 KEEAN WHITE 30

15 CHRISTINE MCCREA 30

17 CHARLIE JAYNE 20

18 TODD MINIKUS 10



Photo Credit: Mario Deslauriers is the current leader in the Hagyard Challenge Series after earning top placings with Vicomte D during the first two $30,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic events. Photo By: Rebecca Walton Photograph may be used only in relation to this PMG press release.