Davis Gets It Done In Prix Des States

“When you get here, you have to go all out,” Lucy Davis said simply. And go all out she did tonight, Oct. 9, in Harrisburg, Pa. Davis, the lead-off rider for the Zone 10 team in the USEF Prix Des States Team Junior Jumper Championship, conquered in a nerve-wracking jump-off to clinch the gold medal for her fellow Californians—Karl Cook, Paris Sellon and Saer Coulter.

Davis’ jump-off round almost ended as quickly as it began. After she and True Love landed over the first oxer, the game little chestnut stumbled badly, almost going to his knees. “I went to turn, and his legs just started going everywhere,” Davis said. “I heard people yelling ‘Come on!’ and I said ‘Come on Lovey, let’s go.’ I’d lost my stirrup, but I just kept kicking and going.”

Davis and True Love zipped around the rest of the course and stopped the timers clean in 33.40 seconds. She was fast, but did her stumble leave the door open for Victoria Birdsall, who was jumping off for the mixed team of Zones 1 and 8?

No, the door was pretty firmly closed. Birdsall gave it her all on her feisty little chestnut gelding, Jerremy, but even as the top plank of the last jump fell to the ground, the clock flashed the time of 37.00 seconds. Davis had been cleaner and faster.

Putting The Pressure On

Zones 10 and 2 have a time-honored tradition of battling it out for the Prix Des States title, but this year, it was a combined team from Zones 1 and 8 that gave the West Coasters a run for their money. Northeasters Zachary Libes, of Wilton, Conn., and Birdsall, of Topsfield, Mass., joined forces with Kelsey Thatcher of South Jordan, Utah, and Navona Gallegos of Santa Fe, N.M.

The Zone 1/8 team actually led the way after Round 1, with only 4 faults to their name after Thatcher and Birdsall posted clear rounds. Zone 10 stalked them in second, with 8 faults. As the second round wore on, nerves ran high and breaths were held. Libes led off the Zone 1/8 effort with an inspired clear round on the 18-year-old Landdame, much improving his ride from his eight-fault Round 1. And Davis began Zone 10’s effort with a clear round as well.

Zone 1/8 ran into trouble, though, as Gallegos picked up 8 faults, and Thatcher couldn’t repeat her clear round. Sellon had jumped clean for Zone 10 on the adorable Chalan, and Coulter had added just 4 faults to their score with a rail at the planks. Cook, the anchor rider for Zone 10, would have clinched the win with a clear round, but just a whisper of a toe hitting the top plank of a vertical was enough to bring it down. Zone 10 would finish on a 12-fault score.

As Birdsall stood at the ingate as the Zone 1/8 anchor rider, the tension was palpable. A clear round would tie it—any mistake would give the gold to Zone 10. Birdsall and Jerremy rose to the occasion, jumping their second clear round to force the jump-off. It was the only double-clear performance of the night.

It’s Toffolon’s Day In The Ponies…

After the morning's action in the junior hunters the afternoon was devoted to the first two classes of the pony hunters. And Allison Toffolon had a spectacular day. Toffolon, on Braveheart, and Sidney Schulman, on Centerfield, each won a class of the large ponies. Braveheart and Toffolon also picked up a fourth place, so they lead the championship race at the moment.