Pennsylvania National

If you told Maggie Jayne yesterday that Francesca would claim the regular conformation title at the Pennsylvania National in Harrisburg, Pa., she never would have believed you. The lovely mare won the model, but over fences they were having trouble getting in sync.

“Usually I do her first, then Madeline [Thatcher] does her in the juniors after me,” said Jayne. “She was so quiet in the first class I had a huge chip. Then in the next class I overdid it and almost did five strides in a six.” 

Val had a junior hunter showing early in the week at Harrisburg, so there was no time for a lesson before Calvin began the five-hour trip on Thursday.  My mom and I followed a few hours later and arrived at the Farm Show Complex in the late afternoon.  I immediately got tacked up and rode in the schooling ring.
   

Even though Douglas Wheeler could have made it to the Pennsylvania National Horse Show to watch his Lone Star vie for the regular working hunter title, he opted out.

“Douglas can get a little superstitious,” said Hunt Tosh with a laugh. “He couldn’t come to Capital Challenge [Md.], and when his horse went perfectly there he was scared to come here.  So he stayed at home and watched it on the Internet.”

Meg Mitchell doesn’t have as many opportunities as most of her peers to prep for the Pennsylvania National. Since she started working with Jeff and Keeley Gogul, she usually only gets to ride at shows, because she and her mounts live in different states.

But that didn’t stop the Nashville, Tenn., native from rising to the top of the $10,000 NAL Children’s Hunter Final, today, Oct. 12, in Harrisburg, Pa., aboard her Oksana.

Jessica Springsteen knows that there's more than one way to win an equitation class.

Last year at the ASPCA Maclay Championship she proved she can keep her composure and top a class when she’s called back on top. And at this year’s Pessoa/USEF Medal Final today, Oct. 11, she showed she can win one from behind, too.

THE FINAL RESULTS

1st - Jessica Springsteen (trainers Stacia Madden, Max Amaya, Krista Freundlich and Beezie Madden)

2nd - Zazou Hoffman (trainers Missy Clark and John Brennan)

3rd - Tina DiLandri (trainers Andre Dignelli, Patricia Griffith, Kirsten Coe and Karen Healey)

4th - Samantha Schaefer (trainers Andre Dignelli, Patricia Griffith, Kirsten Coe and Kim Stewart)

5th - Jennifer Waxman (trainers Ken and Emily Smith)

6th - Catherine Pasmore (Andre Dignelli, Patricia Griffith and Kirsten Coe)