ASPCA Maclay Final

It’s been a long time coming, but Zazou Hoffman has finally won the major equitation final she’s been working toward so long.

Round 1 of the ASPCA Maclay Finals resulted in 30 riders being called back to flat in front of judges Billy Moroney and Jack Towell, and 24 continuing on from there to Round 2. There are familiar names at the top of the list and some missing.            

Samantha Harrison is on top—the judges put her on top after Round 1 and kept her there after the flat phase. Harrison, of La Canada, Calif., trains with Karen Healey.

The course walk is at 6:00 a.m., with the first horse in the ring at 6:30 for the first round. They flat after the first round and then take a break while two jumper classes go. The second round will probably start around 4 p.m. and finish by 6:30 p.m.

1    AMBER HENTER       

2    CAROLINE INGALLS       

3    ANNA KLUGER       

4    ALEXA ANTHONY       

They work on fine-tuning every skill in the fall before the equitation finals begin.

The leaves are turning, the weather is cooling, and stirrups are coming off saddles. That’s right, it’s fall equitation finals time, and riders across the country are putting in extra lesson hours and saddle time to prepare for their assault on the big classes.

But how does one prepare a junior rider for that time-honored cauldron of stress and excitement that is equitation finals season?

Wearing six pairs of socks, she qualifies for the ASPCA Maclay National Finals.

Lauren Sogard had a little last-minute equipment failure, but that didn’t stop her from prevailing over 64 competitors in the Region 4 Midwest Maclay Regional, held Sept. 19 at the Kentucky National in Lexington.

ASPCA MACLAY NATIONAL FINALS

Region 1 (Northeast)
    1.    Zazou Hoffman
    2.    Taylor Harris
    3.    Kelly Tropin
    4.    Nicole Pizzi
    5.    Michael Hughes
    6.    Olivia Jack
    7.    Alexandra Arute
    8.    Emily D’Alessandro

Jessica Springsteen’s trainer Stacia Madden had a feeling that her student would have a lucky day leading into the APSCA Maclay Final today, Nov. 1. “I have a real big thing about karma,” said Madden, of Beacon Hill. “When they were doing the draw, and John said ‘pick a good one,’ the next number they pulled was Jessie’s.”

So Madden wasn’t entirely surprised when her student bested 149 riders to capture the ASPCA Maclay Championship. Springsteen, 16, edged out Victoria Birdsall, and Zazou Hoffman finished third.