The 2010 Walking Horse Trainers’ Association Riders’ Cup program is approaching the final weekend of the 2010 show season and culminates with the Delta Fall Classic in Tunica, Miss., a triple-point show. The competition in Tunica promises to be intense as final positions in the rankings will be decided during the weekend.
Jimmy McConnell has amassed 40,750 points this year and carries a safe 4,770 point lead into the weekend over Charlie Green. This will be the first time McConnell has won the Riders' Cup. McConnell's previous best finish was third in 2009. Green finished second in 2009 and has a 5,320 over Tim Smith. Rounding out the top five are Knox Blackburn and Joe Cotten.
The standings are sure to look different after the weekend as first place awards 600 points this weekend in the triple-point format. In sixth place is John Allan Callaway followed by Edgar Abernathy, Dick Peebles, Bill Cantrell and Paul Livingston. Currently, Chad Williams is on the outside looking in at the top 10 but is only 700 points out of the tenth spot.
Previous winners of the Riders’ Cup include Link Webb (2005), Joel Weaver (2006, 2007, 2008) and Justin Harris (2009). Go to www.walkinghorsereport.com to view complete standings and past results.