December 8, 2020 – TUCSON, Ariz. – Apex Equisport is pleased to present its prize list for the upcoming Arizona Winter Circuit. The prize list details a completely revamped program for the season, with a new team, shortened season, and redesigned schedule.
The new team consists of Jay Mullen, as show manager, Paul Jewell, as technical coordinator, and Valerie Beyer, as show office manager.
The season will start on February 10th and run four consecutive weeks.
“We spent a lot of time this summer looking at ways we can help elevate and strengthen the circuit in Arizona,” noted Steve Hankin, Managing Partner of Apex Equisport. “We recognize the significance these shows have to the local community and are dedicated to bettering the overall rider and horse experience. We’re positive this team will help us accomplish this.”
The 2021 Arizona Winter circuit will now run with a USEF National Hunter Rating ‘A’ and every week will feature:
$2,500 Welcome Stake 1.30m
$4,000 Speed Derby 1.25m
$1,000 Non-Pro Speed Derby 1.0m/1.10m
$500 CPHA West Coast Green Hunter Incentive 3’/3’3”
$2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Open
$15,000 Grand Prix
“I’m grateful to the team at Apex Equisport for bringing me on to the Arizona team,” noted Mullen. “ We’ve put together a fantastic team with Paul and Valerie and we’re looking forward to producing a wonderful four weeks.”
Jay Mullen: Show Manager
Jay Mullen and his wife, Fifi Schmidt, have owned and operated Birchwood Farms, a sales, training, and showing facility in Hopkinton, Massachusetts for the past thirty years. Jay currently holds a large R judges card in Hunter, Hunter Seat Equitation, and Jumpers. He has judged extensively across the United States.
Jay has managed the Saratoga Spring Horse Show and the Norfolk Hunt Horse Show. Jay is the assistant manager at the Eastern States Exposition Horse Show. The Big E hosts the Zone 1 HOTY, the 105 year-old saddle horse show as well as the $50,000 Big E showdown six horse hitch class. He has been the technical coordinator at the New England Equitation Finals for the past twenty years, as well as serving as the assistant night production manager at the Washington International Horse Show.
Jay is the current vice chair of Zone 1 and serves on the USHJA Zone council as well as the President of the Boston area PHA.
Paul Jewell: Technical Coordinator/Advisor
Paul Jewell, originally from Colchester, England, is a USEF “R” judge and renowned course designer. Jewell has an impressive resume, setting and designing courses for Madison Square Garden, the Devon Horse Show, the Hampton Classic, Oregon High Desert Classics, and more. He strategically approaches course design, asking with each course how he can help make the horse and rider better than when they started.
Valerie Beyer: Show Office Manager
Valerie Beyer grew up working on a hunter/jumper farm and now has over 20 years of experience in the horse show industry, both in and out of the office. She has traveled the East coast working numerous horse shows such as Devon, Capital Challenge and Washington International Horse Show, and is now looking forward to bringing her famous cordiality to the Arizona Winter Circuit and meeting new faces
For more information, visit www.arizonawintercircuit.com, or contact Jay Mullen at jay@deserthorsepark.com or (617) 513-2289.