We’re here in Lexington, Kentucky, yet again for the ASPCA Maclay Final, where 222 of the country’s top junior riders aspire to win one of the most elusive equitation titles.

You can find information including a course map and order of go here.

We’ll try and post every 10 riders or so, with updates on how the course is riding, who has done well, who hasn’t, etc. Please don’t expect an account of every rider’s trip, but we’ll try to keep you up-to-date! Scroll down to see the most recent posting.

Disclaimer: We’re providing this as a service to those who are interested, and we’re just recording our observations. We’re not judges, just reporters who have watched the Maclay Finals in their entirety for the past several years. You may not agree with our notes, and that’s fine—we’re not putting them out there as the authoritative word, but as information for those interested. That said, read on!

The Results

1. Augusta Iwasaki (Izar)
2. Luke Jensen (Jamaica)
3. Tessa Downey (HH Moonshine)
4. Carlee McCutcheon (Chacco Star)
5. Isabella David (Castlefield Spartacus)
6. Ellie Aronson (Conthacco)
7. Addison Reed (Janus Union)
8. Stella Wasserman (Caracas 89)
9. Alexander Alston (Ferry Van Den Hoogeweg)
10. Kate Egan (Ypaja Kashmir)

Reserve: Baylee McKeever (Salvatore)

Round 1

Riders 1-10

Amira Kettaneh, who has picked up placings in several equitation finals this year, is the morning’s trailblazer. Her horse is a bit weak off the ground to the 5a-b one-stride, but she lays down a really nice first round to start the day.

Amelia Allaire is slow jumping into 5a-b and knocks a few blocks down. She gets a little lost after 10 and unfortunately has to cross her path to circle back to the final line.

Stephanie Grace Fernandez picks up a bold gallop to the first line but overrides the out. Her horse is sticky off the ground to 6a-b and they have a runout at 8, which comes up quick off the turn after the ASPCA wall.

Eleanor Rudnicki chooses the forward six strides from 2 to 3. We’ll see riders having to decide between the forward ride and staying out for the seven today. She has the blocks down at 5a and her horse gets wiggly out of 6a-b. These two make a lovely pair and have an otherwise smooth round.

Caroline Robelen starts off foot-perfect but gets a bit deep to the ASPCA wall and has to keep her horse focused to the next two fences. She gets it done.

McKenzie Clayton chooses the forward ride from 2 to 3 and nails the rest of the course. She gallops down the last line in a bold six strides.

Maggie Bresch has a lovely first fence but overrides the out of the line. She really has to gallop from 5a-b to 6a-b and gets a little tight in the bending line from 9 to 10 – the out of this line is coming up quick for riders.

Caitlyn Gidley’s horse has such a great expression! She’s having a great round and was just a bit conservative from 7 to 8, getting there in seven strides instead of six.

Ella Witt gets tight at the wall from 2 to 3. She really has to ride to get the six strides from 7 to 8 but makes it work. Unfortunately, her horse falls off his lead rolling back from fence 10 to 11.

Schuyler Dayner has had some great results this year in the equitation. She nails that bending line from 2 to 3 and has a really smooth round, just toppling the rail at 10. Her horse looks super adjustable!

Riders 11-20

Isabella Griffin has a swap at 2 and her horse loses form over that big square oxer. She has to gallop down the three-stride from 8 to 9, which means she has to fight to get the tight five to 10. She gets it done!

Reese Merna chooses to stay out for seven strides from 2 to 3. Her horse knocks off a few blocks at 5a, even though she found it right out of stride. He gets wiggly at 8 – an airy, skinny vertical – but she finishes the course very nicely.

Kingsley Dey takes the conservative route from 2 to 3 but does so smoothly. She’s tight into 5a and again into the last line toward the in-gate. The rest of her round was lovely.

Eleese Shillingford has to ride forward to 5a-b, which makes that tight one-stride get even tighter. She’s having a great round, riding right to the base of 10 to fit in those five strides. Lots of cheers!

Emma Covarrubias strikes up nice pace. Her horse looks like he’s studying the fences pretty hard. They have a couple of rough jumps at 5a and 7, but finish up well.

Parker Peacock has a lovely first line and chooses to add up in eight strides to the third fence. She has to ride forward to the ASPCA wall out of that tight turn, and everything else comes right out of stride.

Cate Jeschke’s horse swaps at the third fence and they lose their rhythm a bit to 4 and 5a. She gets back on the pace and rides the rest of the course well.

Lilly Goldstein is having a stellar start to her round. Oh no, her horse spooks and stops at fence 8 … twice, resulting in elimination. That’s been a difficult jump for horses to sight in on.

Elizabeth Cram’s horse looks like he has a huge stride, covering ground and getting down the lines very easily. It means they get a bit tight out of the five strides to 10, but they absolutely walk down the last line where others have had to gallop.

Ella Difazio’s horse swaps and loses form at fence 2 and never gets back on his lead to 3. They recover well, just finding the tight spots to fences 8 through 10.

Riders 21-30

Eve Westfall’s horse jumps in fantastic form, and they lay down a great trip! Lots of cheers for this pair.

Kate Mills’ big, flashy chestnut is just eating up the lines. They lose pace around the corner to 7 but execute the rest of the course nicely. He earns big pats.

Sophia Gremley rides with very natural feel, getting her horse to all the right spots and making it look easy. They’re tight out of the bending line from 9 to 10 but overall have a smooth round.

Camilla Jerng’s horse is stunning! She’s super handy around the corner to the ASPCA wall but, unfortunately, her horse wants nothing to do with that airy vertical after. They’re excused.

James Leone’s horse comes out the turn to the first line, spins, and heads the other direction. Unfortunately, that’s the end of their day.

Isabelle Collister chooses the forward six strides to 3 and makes the bending track from 5a-b to 6a-b look effortless. She has to fight to get the five strides to 10 and finishes well.

Emma Borders is a scratch.

Naomi Wegner is a little slow to the first fence and also gets tight to the hogsback at 4. The second half of their round is smoother.

Siena MacDonald has a nice bold ride to the first line. Her horse gets quick in a few spots, including in that tight bending line to 10, but they finish nicely to lots of cheers.

Emma Hall’s horse falls of his lead to the first fence. They put in an extra stride at 5a and never really regain their momentum. She chooses to circle before fence 8 to regroup.

Riders 31-40

Blake Rowan has a nice first three fences, then gets tight to 4. Her horse stutters off the ground at 5b and has a rail at 10, with no major faults otherwise.

Elizabeth Gray rides boldly into the first line, then finds the tight spots at the next three fences. She executes the rest of the course well, taking down the rail at 10.

Mackenzie Greer gets off to a great start. She’s a hair tight to 5a and her horse knocks a few blocks off the wall. They also have a rail at 10.

Katelyn Coveney is laying down a slick round. Her horse gets sticky off the ground at fence 8 and eats up the five strides to 10. The rest of the jumps come up nicely.

Molly Segars has to fight to fit in an extra stride from 2 to 3. She nails 5a-b to 6a-b, then gets closer to a few other fences than she’d probably like.

Elianna Kirson has a beautiful first four fences. Her horse knocks a block off 6b, but it doesn’t faze them, and the rest of the round is lovely.

Alexander Alston is hunting around this course with great pace and feel. He has a swap to the final vertical, but I think we’ll be seeing them again!

Sophie Whidden finds the first four fences right out of stride. She has a few changes of pace later in the course, having to gallop to the ASPCA wall and really collect to fit in the five strides to 10.

Campbell L. Hudkins is having a decent round until the vertical at 8, which her horse decides to bypass. They circle around and jump it without issue.

Riders 41-50

Shelby Davis’ horse spooks hard at one of the fences as soon as they enter the ring. He’s clearly impressed by the jumps and environment and has a refusal at 8. Shelby is very composed and patient getting him around the rest of the course.

Sinead Fennelly gets tight to the hogsback at fence 4 but executes the rest of the course nicely. Her horse falls off his lead in the last line, so she adds up in seven strides.

Hanna Dolan fits seven strides between fences 2 and 3 perfectly. She’s having a fantastic round. Her horse jumps the vertical at 8 ever so awkwardly, and they’re a little slow jumping into the last line, but overall put in a solid trip.

Carly Roberts keeps a nice pace but doesn’t find all the fences out of stride. Her horse has a late lead change after jump 10.

Kate Hagerty just had a lovely round! Her only obvious flaw was while galloping down the bending line from 5b and 6a, when her horse fell of his lead and swapped.

Ruby Ransco is having a consistent trip until the ASPCA wall, which gets tight. She answers all the other questions and executes the bending lines well.

Haley Edwardson’s horse gets a bit lost in the first line, then they find their rhythm. The round is going well until fence 8, when they’re excused after two refusals.

Alida Treuting’s round is very smooth, and her horse is jumping in great form. Expect to see this pair on the standby.

Alexa Elle Lignelli is a hair slow to the first jump but quickly gets on the pace and lays down a nice trip. She makes those bending lines look easy.

Sophie Hendriksen’s horse faces the first jump and says, “Nope.” She keeps her patience and gives him a pat, but a second refusal ends their day.

Kenna Labeau finds the first fence underpaced, then gets on a good rhythm. She gets stuck in the turn rolling back to the ASPCA wall, but the rest of the round is lovely.

Riders 51-60

Caroline Nadalin’s horse looks like he might be a bit strong this morning. She has to fight to fit five strides in the bending line to 10 and has a rail there.

Gigi Phillips strikes up a nice gallop to the first line. That sets the tone for the rest of her round, as all the fences are right out of stride. She’s one of the only riders I’ve seen take a wider track from fence 9 to 10 so those five strides don’t come up quite so quick.

Mackenzie Fitch’s horse takes issue with the first fence, but she circles and clears it on the second try. They have another runout at fence 8, the narrow vertical, which unfortunately ends their day.

Rylynn Conway finds a bold and forward track. Trying to fit those five strides between 9 and 10 interrupts what was otherwise a nice, flowing round.

Gable Gering is a hair slow to fences 3 and 4, then makes 5a-b to 6a-b look easy. She finishes on a strong note to lots of applause.

Isabella Mullan takes a few fences to get on a rhythm and finds the base of 3, 4, and 5a. The second half of the course was lovely.

Francesca Guidi has to half-halt around the rollback turn the ASPCA wall to make the distance work but gets it done. The rest of the round is very smooth. She has to ask for a lead change in the bending line from 9 to 10, but it likely worked to her benefit, because the five strides were spot on.

Cassidy Exner has a respectable round marred by a couple of rails – at troublesome fences 8 and 10 – where she got a bit closer to base of the jumps than she might have liked.

Frankie Nicklaus is tight to fences 4 and 5a, which results in the blocks coming down at the latter. They find a few other tight spots and have a rail at 10, then gallop down the last line effortlessly.

Ansley Wright overrides the out of the first line, and her horse loses form. She had no major flaws, just didn’t have as smooth a trip as some of the earlier riders.

First Standby

24 riders have made the first standby, in this order:

19 – Elizabeth Cram
37 – Alexander Alston
47 – Alida Treuting
48 – Alexa Elle Lignelli
10 – Schuyler Dayner
36 – Elianna Kirson
57 – Francesca Guidi
6 – McKenzie Clayton
21 – Eve Westfall
14 – Eleese Shillingford
12 – Reese Merna
1 – Amira Kettaneh
44 – Kate Hagerty
55 – Gable Gering
23 – Sophia Gremley
42 – Hanna Dolan
52 – Gigi Phillips
29 – Siena MacDonald
45 – Ruby Ransco
11 – Isabella Griffin
50 – Kenna LaBeau
7- Maggie Bresch
32 – Elizabeth Gray
22 – Kate Mills

 

Riders 61-70

Grace Loughlin hunts down to the first fence. She gets tight to the hogsback at 4, and her horse shifts hard right at 6b. She executes the five strides to 10 nicely, but her horse ticks the rail. They fit seven down the last line instead of galloping for six.

Samantha Takacs has an impressive ride to the first five fences, fitting everything right in stride. Her horse gets a bit hurried and scoots across 5b, but overall it’s a lovely round.

Kaitlyn Kiely’s track is well-planned and flowing. If I had to pick on anything, she slowed jumping into 5a-b, and her horse rubbed a block on that wall. The crowd loved it!

Elizabeth Kennedy’s horse has an awkward jump at 3 and had to stretch to clear that skinny wall and gate. She had no other major errors and finished with a nice, flowing gallop down the last line.

Kaitlyn Sheerahamed’s horse looks a bit strong, and she’s fighting to contain his stride. They get deep to 10 because of it.

Sydney Callagy is consistently finding the base of the jumps. While she doesn’t have any major mistakes, her round is not as smooth as she’d probably like.

Isabel Rudaz has one of the nicest tracks from 4 to 5a that I’ve seen. A lot of riders are getting to that one-stride slow and tight, but she stays out in her turn and gallops up to it right in stride. She should be pleased with her round.

Madison Hill gets down the first line very easily. Her horse has a huge stride, and she’s working hard to get him collected in the tighter lines. They take down a block at 5b and find the deep options to the ASPCA wall and fence 10.

Dylan Bazaar’s horse clips the front rail of the oxer at fence 2, and it falls. They execute all the challenging questions on course very well, just getting a hair tight at the ASPCA wall.

Lauren Reid rides with great feel. Her horse doesn’t land the left lead after fence 2, and they have a rough change before the wall at 3. She nails that bending line from 9 to 10.

Riders 71-80

Sydney Raidy’s horse gives the first fence a hard look and jumps it awkwardly. They’re still on track for a nice round until the lead change between fences 7 and 8 sends her horse wide, causing them to chip at the narrow vertical. She gets tight to 10 as well.

Kate Neily has no major faults on course, though some fences could have been smoother and more consistent.

Sophia Bruny’s horse gets weak and airy over the big square oxer at fence 2. Unfortunately, they have one refusal at fence 8, before finishing nicely.

Xavier Gomez makes easy work of Bobby Murphy’s course. He tries to land the left lead after 10 and ends up settling for a late lead change. That’s too bad, because the jumps and track were lovely. (You can learn more about Xavier here.)

Emily Dehoff changes her mind at the last minute to 5a, chipping in and taking a block down at 5b. She stays composed, and the rest of her round is consistent.

Chloe Fares finds the first three fences right out of stride, then gets a hair tight to 4. She’s on track for a nice round until the vertical at 8 – it looks like her horse just didn’t know where he was going and refused.

Blythe Goguen’s horse fights her a bit to fit in a stride at fence 3, but they get it done. The rest of the round is very well-executed.

Jackie Stary could have gotten down the first line a little sooner to help her horse jump out over that big square oxer, but it’s still a nice ride. Her horse gets a bit lost in the turn to 8. They catch a long one there, then finish the rest of the course nicely.

Katelyn Vandenburg is finding the base of the jumps throughout the first half of the course. Her horse swaps at 5a, then picks up a refusal at 8. They clear it on the second go-around.

Signe Dixon nails the first line with a bold ride away from the in-gate. She’s having a great round until a chip at the ASPCA wall. That’s too bad – the rest of the course rode nicely for her.

Riders 81-90

Mckayla Brombach has a superb round. She looked like she had a plan, stuck to it, and made smart decisions in the bending lines to find everything right out of stride.

Naomi Dachis’ horse swaps to the first fence – he might have peaked at it for a second. The rest of her round is solid and consistent.

Elizabeth Lile’s horse is squirrely to the first fence, but she rides he well to prevent a run-out. He’s studying the fences pretty hard, so the round is not as smooth as she’d like.

Luke Jensen, fresh off his USEF Medal Finals win, is in the ring, and you can hear a pin drop. The first four fences are lovely, though he gets a little slow jumping into 5a-b. That last line down toward the in-gate was flawless! (You can learn about his horse Jamaica here.)

Kyra Jones gallops down the first line, then runs into trouble with the lead change off the left turn to 3. The jump itself is long and weak. From there, she finds a rhythm and finishes the course nicely.

Joe Craver’s horse studies the first jump, and they end up deep there. The ASPCA wall comes up longer than they’d like, and 8 gets very tight.

Alexa Leong gets down the first line easily, but her horse still jumps it well. While she gets a hair tight to a few other fences, her round overall was quite nice.

Madison Ramsey’s first four fences flow right out of stride. Her horse hits a block atop 5a, which appears to startle him. He gets quick out of both one-strides and takes down the hedge at 6b.

Madison Nadolenco looks perfectly in tune with her tall, flashy chestnut. Their round is incredibly smooth and deserving of lots of cheers!

Makenzie Damus has to gallop to get the six strides from 2 to 3 and finds the flier. Her horse never seems to relax back into a consistent rhythm after that, though they log no major mistakes.

Riders 91-100

Grace Shipman is having a very smooth trip. She gets a hair tight to 5a, and her horse ticks the top of the wall, but it stays up. The rest of her round is consistent, and I’d expect to see her on the standby.

Augusta Iwasaki stays patient from 2 to 3 to fit in seven strides, though her horse has a hard rub. She’s also very deliberate in taking the wide track from 9 to 10 so those five strides flow perfectly. That was a nice round.

Lily Longano’s horse enters the ring on the muscle and never really settles. They get deep to fences 4, 8, and 11, but she keeps her composure throughout the round.

Kyla Sullivan has a hard rub at fence 3 and finds the base of the hogsback at 4. Then she and her horse get on a rhythm and execute the rest of the round very well.

Madyson Diaz is riding a slick round. Her horse gets a bit flat and takes a block down at 5b, but the rest of the round flows nicely.

Taylor Landstrom lays down a very nice round with no major errors.

Madison Frankel chooses to do the quiet seven strides from 2 to 3, but it works out perfectly. She gets her horse to all the right spots, and he’s jumping beautifully.

Audrey Roberts pulls to a tight distance at 4 and doesn’t get back on her rhythm to 5a, which her horse jumps awkwardly. A miscommunication leads to a run-out at 8, but she circles back and finishes well.

Kayla Wilson is finding everything right out of stride. While 5a-b gets snug, he horse jumps out great. The ASPCA wall and oxer at 11 were a bit deeper than she would have liked, but it’s a respectable round.

Ava Swords finds the first fence off the pace, then gets right on a rhythm. Her horse never sighted on fence 8, so they have an unfortunate drive-by. They clear it on the second attempt.

Riders 101-110

Marina Boudreau finds 5b and 6b left of center, then her horse chips to the ASPCA wall at 7. She can’t recover and parts ways with her horse. Fortunately, she’s up on her feet and walking out of the ring.

Hannah Famulak gets a hair close to a few fences, but never changes pace. She moves up to the long one at the ASPCA wall, then her horse has an unlucky rail at 10.

Zoe Brown establishes a nice pace early. Fences 3 and 4 are a little snug, but she and her horse maintain great form. The rest of the round is very smooth.

Annalise Manoog doesn’t quite get up the bending six strides from 2 to 3, so she chips in seven. She’ll be disappointed, as the remainder of the course rode well.

Emma Rupinski gets tight to the first fence, then picks up the pace and finishes on a strong note.

Isabelle Ehman is super handy to the first five fences, which come up right out of stride off some tight turns. Her horse lands a bit shallow from 5b, but she gallops on lays down a very nice round.

Sofia Cady gallops down the first line and has a swap at the square oxer. Fences 3 and 4 are lovely, but 5a comes up way too quick. The rest of the trip is smooth and consistent.

Olivia Soucie looks like she’s getting the six from 2 to 3 right out of stride, but her horse hangs a leg and takes down the top of the wall. She never fully regains her rhythm, getting quick from 9 to 10 and deep to 11.

Annabele Whitehead finds the deep spot to the first four jumps. Her horse must be impressed with these fences, because he’s jumping them very high and losing his form at times. She rides the track well, finding a few more tight distances toward the end of the course.

Reilly Gogul has a flowing, forward pace. Unexpectedly, her horse runs out at 5a, so she has to circle and regroup. He spooks at fence 8, resulting in a second refusal and elimination.

Riders 111-120

Emily Jurnovoy is slow and weak to fences 3, 4, and 7. She executes the six strides from the ASPCA wall to the airy vertical well, then turns way too wide from 9 to 10, recovering just in time to avoid a refusal.

Katherine Lebaron’s track around this course is smooth and effortless. Like many riders today, she has a rail at 10. Horses are having a hard time keeping that upright vertical in the cups if the five strides come up too fast.

Caroline Signorino starts strong, then slows down to the base of 5a. Her horse jumps the ASPCA wall awkwardly after finding the tight spot there, then gets a little lost going to fence 8 but jumps it well. He appeared to swap at 9, then fit the five strides to 10 in perfectly.

Cassidy Rein has the front rail down at fence 2. She adds one more stride than she would have liked at 5a and has to hustle to get down to 6a-6b.

Katrina Shulda is consistently finding the deep spot today. She has the wall at 3 and the blocks at 5a down, and her horse has to stretch to clear the b element before galloping down to 6a-b.

Stella Patenaude has to slow down to fit an extra stride in before 3 and 5a. It takes her a few fences to find her rhythm, after which she finishes the second half of the course well.

Georgia Schmidt is riding as well as anyone until the ASPCA wall at fence 7, which comes up very deep. Fences 10 and 11 do as well, and she has rails at both.

Sarah Gretz cruises around the first three fences, then gets deep to 4 and taps a block at 5a. The five strides from 9 to 10 looked like it was coming up quick, but she made it work nicely.

Taylor Orlowski’s pace is just a bit inconsistent, having to move up noticeably to 3 and 5a but slowing to the base of 4 and 7. She has no major mistakes; however, the judges are looking for smooth and consistent.

Makena Bloebaum is having a lovely trip until that pesky narrow vertical at 8. Her horse dives right, and she has to circle to regroup and finish the course.

Second Standby

The updated standby after 120 riders have gone.

84 – Luke Jensen
19 – Elizabeth Cram
89 – Madison Nadolenco
94 – Kyla Sullivan
37 – Alexander Alston
97 – Madison Frankel
92 – Augusta Iwasaki
106 – Isabelle Ehman
47 – Alida Treuting
48 – Alexa Elle Lignelli
10 – Schuyler Dayner
63 – Kaitlyn Kiely
36 – Elianna Kirson
57 -Francesca Guidi
6 – McKenzie Clayton
77 – Blythe Goguen
21 – Eve Westfall
14 – Eleese Shillingford
107 – Sofia Cady
12 – Reese Merna
67 – Isabel Rudaz
87 – Alexa Leong
1 -Amira Kettaneh
81 – McKayla Brombach

Riders 121-130

Stella Buckingham kicks us off after the second drag. She cruises around the course, hardly ever changing pace. She makes it look easy, and I imagine she’ll be added to the standby.

Grace Sappington opts for the more bending seven strides from 2 to 3, and her super-adjustable horse fits it in perfectly. She has a couple of snug distances later on course but makes them look smooth and intentional.

Skylar Wireman is putting on a clinic for us. Her horse stumbles before fence 10 but still jumps well, so I doubt the judges will mark that against her. Big cheers for this pair.

Kat Fuqua gets a tad snug jumping out of the first line. She moves up boldly to 5a, but it makes the long bending five to 6a-b work nicely. The rest of the course is smooth.

Mia Frigon is a little tight to 3. The one-stride at 5a-b is picture perfect, then she really gallops down the bending line to 6a-b. The rest of her round is well-done.

Stella Wasserman is finding everything right out of stride. She moves up to get the six strides from 7 to 8, but her pace everywhere else is very smooth and consistent.

Ellie Dupuis rides with such natural feel. She’s having a foot-perfect trip until fence 8, where her horse ducks hard to the right and they pick up a refusal. He jumps it on the second attempt, but that narrow vertical off a hard right turn continues to catch horses off-guard.

Avery Glynn just laid down a fantastic trip. The bending five-stride from 9 to 10 got a hair snug, but she covered it up well.

Emma Callanan’s horse is jumping these fences very high and hard but settles as the round progresses. As a result, however, she gets tight out of 6a-b.

Charlotte Clivio has a lovely trip until 5b, where her horse glances off the side of the wall (it has no standards) instead of jumping it. She continues on course rather than reattempting the combination, resulting in her disqualification.

Riders 131-140

Chloe Hazen puts in a solid effort on course. She seemed surprised to find herself with room to spare in the tight five strides from 9 to 10. Her horse had to stretch there and took down the rail. She was snug to 11 and jumped out of the last line nicely.

Olivia Sweetnam’s first few jumps are slightly under pace, resulting in weak jumping efforts from her horse. Once she establishes a rhythm, the fences even out.

Christian Dominguez chips to the first jump – hate when that happens! And it’s too bad because he stays composed and lays down a really nice round.

Callista Smith cuts the turn slightly from 4 to 5, causing 5a to come up quickly and resulting in a rail. Her horse shifts and swaps at 6a, gives 8 a hard look but jumps it well, and they finish up nicely.

Victoria Rotsaert impresses with a forward ride to the first line. Her horse gets a little quick from 5a-b to 6a-b. She jumps into the last line with less pace than she carried throughout the rest of the course and has to gallop to get those six strides toward home.

Tessa Downey was very deliberate in doing the direct six from 2 to 3. It worked out perfectly. She lost a little pace around the turn to 5a, but the one-stride was right there, and the rest of her round was flawless.

Frankie Falise steps on the gas a bit too hard up the first line, and her horse can’t fit a fifth stride in. They pick up a refusal there, then finish the round with a few other minor errors.

Baylee McKeever looks like she thought about galloping for the direct six between 2 and 3, then settled for the more conservative seven. They get snug to 10, but everything else is picture perfect.

Claire Simic has a few noticeable changes in pace throughout the course, most notably from 2 to 3. She has the rail down at 10, but no major errors.

Cassie Warren works hard to fit seven strides between 2 and 3, and her horse knocks down the top of the wall. The round is going smoothly, with a big acceleration to 8 and a tight distance to 10.

Riders 141-150

Jake Endicott and his horse paint a lovely picture. He’s finding some tight distances, particularly at 3, 4, and 5a, but his horse jumps them right out of stride without losing pace. The remainder of the course flows exceptionally well.

Cody Rego’s horse jumps the out of the first line awkwardly, rubbing the oxer hard. He’s riding beautifully though. The lead change from the ASPCA wall to the scary vertical is a hair late and, in fixing it, he chips out of the bending line. The rest of his round was solid.

Grace Rabb is struggling to keep her horse calm and controlled. They have a rail at 4 and two runouts at 5b, resulting in an elimination.

Josselyn Mersereau is having a fantastic round. She jumps boldly over the ASPCA wall, then really has to reel her horse back in for the six strides to 8. They get it done, however, earning lots of cheers.

Brooke Tegtmeyer’s horse pats the ground at 3, but once they get on a rhythm, the jumps start coming up right out of stride. They also have a rail at 10.

Alexandra Ryden’s horse is studying the jumps hard but putting in some impressive jumping efforts as a result! She’s sticking with him, though, and logs no real errors on course.

Maddie Tosh nails the handy track around the first four fences. She gets tight to 5a and has the front rail down at 6a, but finishes up nicely.

Natalie Wasson has a notable change of pace galloping forward to 3. Then her horse does a doubletake at 4, patting the ground. He spooks again at 8, picking up a refusal there. But she circles back and finishes her round.

Emma Arnhols is riding well, really having to gallop to get down some of the lines – particularly 5b to 6a and 8 to 9 – but not making any obvious mistakes. The vertical at 10 comes up a bit snug.

Gabby Stouffer has a decent trip, but it’s not as consistent as some of the others we’ve seen. She has a late lead change from 7 to 8 and her horse loses focus for a second, pulling the rail there at 8.

Riders 151-160

Helena Timpany is finding all the jumps well. Her horse throws in a few swaps before fences, and they get quite deep to 10. He seemed to be fighting her to that skinny vertical.

Gabrielle Young’s horse has a monstrous stride, and she almost leaves out a stride in the first line. She tones it down for the remainder of the round. They knock a block down at 5b and have a few snug distances.

Julia Brown slows down to the base of 3 and is also a bit tight to 4. The bending line from 5a-b to 6a-b across the middle is lovely, then she finds the deep spot to the ASPCA wall. No major mistakes, just a few inconsistencies.

Nicolette Perry is tight to 1 as well as 3, when her horse falls off his lead through the turn. A block comes off 5a, and a deep distance to 8 causes her to add up in four strides to 9. At least that made the bending five to fence 10 easy!

Grace Defoe has no major errors but isn’t as smooth as the riders on the standby. Rails fall at 5a and 10. She caught 8 on an angle, but her horse didn’t bat an eye and jumped out of the line to 9 well.

Caroline Muth knocks down the brush at 6b, though it didn’t seem like anything was wrong with her ride there. She gets deep to 10, then gallops down the last line nicely.

Alie Hunter jumps down the first line well, then loses her rhythm, finding the deep spot at 4, 5a, and 7. Her horse pats the ground at 8 and has a rail there, then finishes the course without issue.

Abigail Gordon had as really nice round. She changed her pace coming out of the corner to a few of the single fences, but they all worked out in stride.

Sarah Rabb is a little snug to 3 and really hustles down the bending six-stride from 5a-b to 6a-b. Her horse takes a hard look at 8, but she rides aggressively and clears it. They pick up a rail at 10.

Logan Thomas gallops up the first line and maintains that pace to get the forward six strides to fence 3. Fence 10 is a bit tight, but the round overall was consistent and well-executed.

Riders 161-170

Emma Blumenkrantz might not have carried enough pace to the first jump and has a rail there. Fence 4 is underpaced, as well, but she finds her rhythm throughout the rest of the course. Fence 10 comes down because the five got too snug.

Caroline Mirts’ first three jumps are gorgeous. She gets deep to 4 and 5a, then answers the hardest questions (fences 7 through 10, based on what we’ve seen) well.

Julia Lautz and her horse don’t seem to be on the same page today. They’re having trouble establishing a rhythm to the jumps and have a runout at 8. She keeps her cool and gives him pats through the out-gate.

Lillie Parr and her horse make a lovely pair. They’re a bit conservative to 4 and override the bending line to 10. She should be pleased with her round, though.

Carlee McCutcheon looks laser-focused. She’s giving this horse a great ride, and if anything’s not going according to plan, she’s covered it up well! Huge cheers after that round.

Kenley Koch gallops nicely up the first line, then misjudges the bending six to 3, adding a stride there and pulling a rail. They take out a block at 5b but have no other major errors on course.

Raine Whitman’s first trip to the Maclay is a positive one. She lays down a smooth round with particularly handy turns to 7 and from 10 to 11. She should be pleased.

Mila Anderson’s horse has a big stride, and she’s having to fight hard to fit in the strides. The jumps are just coming up quicker than she’d like.

Lucinda Exner has a brilliant ride up the first line but misses the lead changes bending left back to fence 3. Her horse never quite catches up behind and puts on the brakes before the jump. They part ways but, fortunately, she lands on her feet.

Kate Egan is on the slow side to 5a, so her horse has to stretch to get the out. Otherwise, this pair has a very smooth and consistent trip. Their cheering squad liked it!

Riders 171-180

Ellie Aronson Well that was nice. She could have left a bit more room jumping into 5a-b and at fence 10, but we’re splitting hairs at this point.

Tessa P. Brown’s equitation is lovely. Some fences are coming up tighter than others, but her pace and form were unwavering.

Emily Clee is having a nice trip, choosing the forward distances over the conservative ride. She doesn’t stay out wide enough in the bending line from 9 to 10, however, and gets very deep, knocking a rail.

Caroline Olsen nails the forward bending six from 2 to 3. She gets stuck at 5a, and her horse has to power out of the combination. He’s a little wiggly to 8, but she keeps him on task.

Jessica Carney gets snug to 5a and 7. Her horse almost does a drive-by at 8, but some corrective steering keep him on track, and they finish the course with no other major errors.

Victoria Zahorik moves up boldly to 4, then has to settle back down for 5a-b. Fence 8 comes up way too quick, and the pair also has a rail at 10. She otherwise rode a smooth track.

Devyn Borden is consistently finding the base of the jump today. Her horse pats the ground at 5a, and they never get on a flowing rhythm. She rode the ASPCA wall to the three-stride to fence 10 well.

Jordan Gibbs doesn’t get off to the start she wanted. A miscommunication sent her horse sliding in fence 3. They regroup and finish the course beautifully.

Sofia Moskowitz has a lovely, flowing round, and she’s giving her horse a nice forward ride. She overcooks the turn in the bending line from 9 to 10 slightly, but her horse still jumps out in five strides.

Audrey Carmody doesn’t quite get down the first line, and her horse has a refusal at fence 2. They add a stride from fence 8 to 9, but she rode the rest of the course really well.

Third Standby

After 180 of 222 horses have gone, the standby is as follows:

165 – Carlee McCutcheon
84 – Luke Jensen
171 – Ellie Aronson
126 – Stella Wasserman
170 – Kate Egan
19 – Elizabeth Cram
89 – Madison Nadolenco
136 – Tessa Downey
94 – Kyla Sullivan
128 – Avery Glynn
37 – Alexander Alston
141 – Jake Endicott
97 – Madison Frankel
138 – Baylee McKeever
92 – Augusta Iwasaki
106 – Isabelle Ehman
47 – Alida Treuting
48 – Alexa Elle Lignelli
121 – Stella Buckingham
10 – Schuyler Dayner
122 – Grace Sappington
63 – Kaitlyn Kiely
172 – Tessa P. Brown
36 – Elianna Kirson

Riders 181-190

Vivian Golden’s horse is giving all the fences a hard look. He balks at 4, counting as a refusal. That dreaded green vertical at fence 8 ends their day, unfortunately.

Paige Walkenbach gets down the first line a touch early, but she’s riding a forward track and sticking with her plan. It’s a lovely round.

Maggie Killeen starts out strongly. She catches the flier to 5a and really has to gallop to get down to 6a, as well. The rollback to the ASPCA wall then comes up a little tight, but the rest of her round is smooth.

Kendall Dean has a very effective ride with just a few rubs. She gets snug to 10, but the rail stays up.

Alexis Hurchalla has a nice ride that she should be proud of. She’s tight out of the bending five to fence 10, as well, and her horse takes down the rail. She gallops boldly down the last line.

Ariana Marnell is finding the forward ride to all the fences. It’s working in her favor, and her horse is jumping up to her nicely. He spooks off the ground at 8 – not sure how that looked from the judges’ angle.

Elizabeth Akey rides the first three jumps aggressively, then settles into a smoother rhythm. She has one of the better tracks we’ve seen from 9 to 10. Lots of cheers!

Mimi Colette Frei’s first few fences could have been smoother – it looks like she changes her mind a few times. She takes an extra-wide track from the ASPCA wall to fence 8 to get her lead change, and her horse ends up stopping at 8. They finish well.

Lillian Reynolds has to ride defensively, as her horse is clearly studying and backing off the jumps. But she gets him over everything without issue – even the green vertical at 8!

Taylor Cawley looks very poised in the tack. She’s slow to fence 4, pulls off a smooth and handy turn to 7, but has a bobble at 8. Her horse skipped off the ground to jump it.

Riders 191-200

Anna Donovan’s first four fences are very smooth. She gets a little stuck at 5a, then just barely taps the top rail of 8 and it falls. The rest of the course is nice.

Bella Primavera has a very respectable round. She’s a hair tight to a few fences, but maintains a smooth rhythm throughout. Lots of necks pats and cheers.

Charley Stowell’s horse slides to the base of 4. Not sure if he spooked at it or misjudged the distance. They clear it on the second approach but pick up another refusal at 5b that ends their day.

Natalia Onisko finds the deep option to several singles. She catches fence 8 at an angle, which has proven to be several horses’ undoing, including hers. She’s excused after jumping the same fence twice.

Emerson Maier has to ride aggressively from the get-go, as her horse is spooking hard at all the jumps. He ultimately runs out at 8, but she gets him across it on the second attempt. Good work.

Hugh Turner is snug to 1 and again to 3 – he doesn’t quite gallop up in six there and has to steady for seven. He establishes a better rhythm throughout the course.

Hannah Loraine has an early end to her round. She has stops at both fence 1 and 2, but she gives her horse a pat and calmly trots out of the ring.

Sally Ives rides the first line great, then her horse pats the ground at fence 3 when she doesn’t quite ride up for six strides. That’s a shame because the rest of her trip is very smooth.

Reynolds Cole gives her horse a nice, confident ride. They find some inconsistent distances here and there but no major errors.

Isabella David clucks to get her horse over the big square oxer at fence 2, then the pair settle into a nice rhythm, hitting all the jumps right out of stride.

Riders 201-210

Nicole Golia has a respectable ride. Her horse takes down the blocks at both 5a and b, and they find some less-than-ideal distances but nothing major.

Emily Ainslie changes her mind from whoa to go at both 4 and 5a. She rides aggressively to fence 8 but her horse doesn’t hesitate. They finish with a smooth hand gallop down the last line.

Aedan Mooney steadies to fence 3, finds 5a-b right out of stride, and then overrides the line to 6a-b slightly. Her track from fence 7 onward is lovely.

Mae Mannis seems a bit underpaced, choosing the conservative ride throughout the first part of the course. Her execution from the ASPCA wall to fence 10, however, is spot-on.

Alivia Davidson is tight jumping out of the first line, then rides up to 3 nicely. She rode up to a long spot that wasn’t quite there at 5a, and her horse stopped. They get back on track but, unfortunately, have a second refusal at 8 and are excused.

Samyukta Natarajan has difficulty finding a good rhythm to the jumps. She picked up two refusals at fence 8 and has to call it a day.

Peyton Rathbun’s horse swaps off its lead from 2 to 3, then gets tight to 4 and 6a. She finds a nice pace after that, with just a waiting ride to 11 before galloping down the last line toward home.

Kaitlyn Roman’s horse is stunning, but he seems a bit fired up. She makes him wait to several jumps, which interferes with their rhythm. The second half of the course is smoother.

Sterling Malnik has a truly lovely feel on this horse. He has a rail at 10, but otherwise their round is fantastic.

Skylar Gurtis adds one more than she’d like at 4, then topples the blocks at 5a and the brush at 6b. A direct track from 9 to 10 sets her up for a tight distance, but their last line is lovely.

Riders 210-222

Addison Reed just laid down a near-flawless trip. She cut her corner to fence 1 and might have ended up a hair deep there, but that’s being pretty picky.

Agnes Hahn has to steady up the first line and in 5a-b – her horse has such a ground-covering stride. She’s smart to stay wide from 9 to 10 so as to fit in the five strides there.

Nicole McMillion opts for the more conservative seven strides from 2 to 3. Everything else is riding nicely for her, and the last line is incredibly smooth.

Logan Peacock is a scratch.

Campbell Brown is snug jumping out of the first line, then rides nicely up to fence 3 in six strides. Fence 5a comes up quick, then she flows down to 6a-b and around the rest of the course, just getting tight to 10.

Clayton Farrell has a nice first three jumps, then gets very tight to 4. The ASPCA wall to the forward three-stride from 8 to 9 to the tight bending five worked out perfectly.

Aphrodite Papandreou has a super slick ride through the first half of the course. She really gallops down to 6a-b and again up the three-stride to fence 9. As we’ve seen throughout the day, fence 10 got a little tight.

Lauren Thomas is a hair tight to fence 1, then takes a wide track after 2 that causes fence 3 to get long. She has a few other inconsistent distances throughout but no major faults.

Gabrielle Sokolow is riding this course very well. Her horse gets close to the ASPCA wall and the vertical at 10, pulling the rail there. But she should be pleased with her ride.

Ella Delgado is a Maclay Finals first-timer. She overrides the first line and takes a few jumps to regroup and find her rhythm again. Her horse pats the ground at 8 and 10 and gallops down the last line easily.

Lily Van Elliot is having a smooth round until her horse skips off the ground at 5a. The rest of her trip is otherwise fine.

Bianca Salituri is a little long and weak to 3, finds 4 and 5a-b right out of stride, and rides her horse aggressively to 8. The five strides from 9 to 10 weren’t happening, so she just opts to do four.

Final Standby

165 – Carlee McCutcheon
84 – Luke Jensen
171 – Ellie Aronson
126 – Stella Wasserman
170 – Kate Egan
19 – Elizabeth Cram
89 – Madison Nadolenco
136 – Tessa Downey
211 – Addison Reed
94 – Kyla Sullivan
128 – Avery Glynn
37 – Alexander Alston
141 – Jake Endicott
97 – Madison Frankel
182 – Paige Walkenbach
138 – Baylee McKeever
200 – Isabella David
92 – Augusta Iwasaki
209 – Sterling Malnik
106 – Isabelle Ehman
47 – Alida Treutling
48 – Alexa Elle Lignelli
192 – Bella Primavera
121 – Stella Buckingham

The Flat

 The flat phase began with the rising trot, followed by the sitting trot. The judges asked the riders to walk, then canter on the counter lead. On the judges’ side of the ring, the riders had to demonstrate a flying change of lead to the correct lead. They then demonstrated a lengthening of stride. Riders walked, reversed direction, and dropped their stirrups. The judges asked for a rising trot, sitting trot, and walk. The riders then picked up the canter on the counter lead. On the judges’ side of the ring, the riders had to demonstrate a flying change of lead to the correct lead. Again, they demonstrated a lengthening of stride, then walked.

Second Round Course

Riders have been asked to execute a courtesy circle prior to starting their round. The first line is a reverse of the final line. They will jump the Maclay vertical and canter six strides to the triple bar at Fence 2. They then roll back right to the green vertical at Fence 3, four strides to an oxer on the long side. They then have a long bend right to the ASPCA log pile (Fence 5), now set on a diagonal.

Next is a righthand turn to a brush vertical set off a short turn. They’ll proceed in a bending seven strides to a brush oxer (Fence 7). Next they turn left to the skinny swooped brick vertical rolling back right to the brush hogsback, just as they did in Round 1.

Their next line (10ABC) should be another challenge, which features the colorful Gucci boxes and an airy, wingless oxer across the diagonal. They’ll jump over a box, one stride to the oxer, two strides out over another box. Riders will ride a lefthand bending line to a racetrack post vertical at 11, before finishing over a vertical heading away from the in-gate at 12.

Second Round Order of Go (Reverse Order of Preference)

89 – Madison Nadolenco
192 – Bella Primavera
121 – Stella Buckingham
48 – Alexa Elle Lignelli
47 – Alida Treutling
106 – Isabelle Ehman
209 – Sterling Malnik
92 – Augusta Iwasaki
182 – Paige Walkenbach
138 – Baylee McKeever
141 – Jake Endicott
200 – Isabella David
97 – Madison Frankel
19 – Elizabeth Cram
94 – Kyla Sullivan
128 – Avery Glynn
211 – Addison Reed
37 – Alexander Alston
126 – Stella Wasserman
170 – Kate Egan
136 – Tessa Downey
171 – Ellie Aronson
84 – Luke Jensen
165 – Carlee McCutcheon

 

Madison Nadolenco gallops up the first line in six strides, has a lovely rollback to the bending four. She’s right there in seven strides up the bending brush line. The Gucci combination to the racetrack vertical gets tight in five strides. She finishes up a lovely round with the single vertical.

Bella Primavera’s first line is smooth – riders have to show off a nice hand gallop away from the in-gate. She takes the inside turn to fence 3, and everything else is coming up right out of stride. The five after the Gucci combination is tight, but she displays a bold gallop to the last fence, lands and takes an inside turn back to the out-gate.

Stella Buckingham also chooses the inside rollback turn to fence 3. She has to gallop up the bending brush line. Her rollbacks afterward are smooth, and she’s the first to really fit in that five stride after the combination. Her gallop to the final fence is fabulous!

Alexa Elle Lignelli almost doesn’t make it up the first line but gets there. She makes sure to get down the bending seven brush! Her rollbacks are spot-on, and she has a super smooth finish with no mistakes.

Alida Treutling opts for the inside turn to fence 3, though her horse is a bit sticky off the ground there. Her lead change after fence 8 is a couple strides late, and the hogsback comes up tight off the rollback. The rest of her trip is lovely.

Isabelle Ehman’s first line is perfection. Her horse clips the front rail of the oxer at 4, but she finds all the jumps right out of stride. She commits to a long distance galloping up to the last fence and gets it done.

Sterling Malnik’s inside turn to 3 was a bit rough – I think her horse sighted in on the hogsback instead. She gets deep to the brush at 6 and knocks part of the wall over. The Gucci combination is smooth, but she gets weak and long to the last vertical.

Augusta Iwasaki establishes a great pace and really flows around this course. Her turns are very handy. She just gets a little tight to 10a and 11. Lots of cheers after her strong trip.

Paige Walkenbach makes the rollback to the bending four from 3 to 4 work, but it’s not as smooth as some of the others. She’s just a touch slow to 6 and 9, then nails the final five elements.

Baylee McKeever’s horse lands cross-cantering from 2, but she fixes it before the rollback to 3. Her entire trip was stunning.

Jake Endicott gets snug to 3 and 4 and has a rail at the latter. His horse shifts left at six, jumps the next three fences beautifully, then skips off the ground to 10a. They recover to make it through the combination safely.

Isabella David has one of the tidiest turns back to fence 3 we’ve seen. Her bending lines and rollbacks are fantastic. She should be very pleased with that ride.

Madison Frankel is super handy with her turn back to 3 but gets a little off the pace because of it. Everything else right out of stride, though she doesn’t gallop to the last fence like other riders have.

Elizabeth Cram’s horse swaps cantering up the first line. She gets a hair tight to 9, then finds the last five jumps beautifully. Lots of pats heading out the gate.

Kyla Sullivan gets up the first line easily and has a smooth rollback to 3 and 4. The Gucci triple comes up nicely, but her horse knocks a block down and stumbles in the first element. They make it through the combination just fine and finish smoothly.

Avery Glynn finds fence 3 off the tight turn just perfectly. She’s a hair snug to 8 but doesn’t lose momentum and tackles the Gucci combination beautifully. That was a nice trip.

Addison Reed opts for the inside track to 3, then takes her time in the corners throughout the rest of the course. The Gucci combination gets a little long and weak, but overall it’s a great round.

Alexander Alston strikes up a fabulous gallop to the first line. Fence 3 comes up right out of stride off that tight turn. He’s a little slow into the combination and has to ride out, then the long gallop to the vertical is excellent.

Stella Wasserman’s round is nearly foot-perfect. She has a hard rub at the hogsback, then cruises through the combination and stays wide to get the five strides to 11. Her last fence is lovely.

Kate Egan flows effortlessly around this second track. She’s a hair slow to the hogsback at 9, then moves up noticeably to the Gucci combination but makes it work. The final two fences are right out of stride.

Tessa Downey’s horse stumbles in the tight turn back to 3, but she stays composed, finds the fence, and rides the rest of the course beautifully.

Ellie Aronson does a great job holding the lead in the bending four-stride from 3 to 4. The jumps are coming up perfectly for this pair, and you can’t find much to fault.

Luke Jensen nails the turn back to 3 but does not hold the lead in the bending four that follows. His ride to the hogsback and the combination are superb. These two just float around the course.

Carlee McCutcheon is riding so smoothly. She half-halts to find the perfect spot to fence 8, but otherwise you can hardly see any of her aids. The rest of the course is lovely.

There will be additional testing for five riders in reverse order of preference: Isabella David, Augusta Iwasaki, Luke Jensen, Carlee McCutcheon, Tessa Downey

 

The Test

Hand gallop directly to 2

Canter 9

Walk

Demonstrate turn on the haunches and reverse

Counter canter fence 8 from opposite direction

Canter fence 12 in the opposite direction

Canter fence 7

Canter fence 1 in the opposite direction

Exit the ring at a walk

Isabella David’s hand gallop starts off strong, then she slows to the base of the jump. She opts for a very handy approach to the counter canter fence but breaks to the trot a few strides before the jump. The rest of the fences are well-executed.

Augusta Iwasaki has a great hand gallop, deliberate halt, and accurate turn on the haunches (it should be performed at the walk). She takes a wider turn to 8 and holds the lead perfectly. The last three fences are lovely.

Luke Jensen never quite establishes a hand gallop and is slow to fence 9. His turn on the haunches isn’t as clean as the previous riders’ but he holds the counter lead nicely. The last few jumps are handy but a bit underpaced.

Carlee McCutcheon could have asked for a bit more gallop to the first fence. Fence 9 was perfect, she loses a little momentum in the turn on the haunches, but holds the counter lead and completes the rest of the course nicely. She has to fight to hold the lead to fence 12 when her horse lands on the left lead.

Tessa Downey starts her gallop, then loses it and finds a slower distance to the oxer. Her halt, turn on the haunches, and counter canter are very smooth. She too has to hold the left lead to fence 12, and her last three jumps are lovely.

The Chronicle is on site at the National all week to bring you photos, stories and more. You can find full results from the show here, and don’t forget to read full analysis and coverage from the horse show in the Nov. 21 issue of the magazine.