Oct. 29—Washington D.C.

It might have taken him five years, but tonight at the Washington International Horse Show, Chase Boggio finally won the WIHS Equitation Classic.

Boggio came into the third and final round of the WIHS Classic sitting in third place after the hunter and jumper phases. In the third round, the “ride-off,” the top 10 riders are invited back and switch horses to jump the same jumper round they did on their own horses earlier in the day. The bottom five switched amongst each other, and the top five did likewise. For the ride-off, Boggio got a mount he was familiar with: Calito 7. 

“I got very lucky,” Boggio said. “I honestly think it was fate today that I got Calito, who I leased for the finals last year. He’s an amazing horse, and it only took me three jumps to get to know him again.”

Boggio received an 87.833 for his third round, the second best behind Meg O’Mara, who scored an 89.00. Hayley Barnhill, who placed second overall, was third best in the ride-off behind O’Mara and Boggio, on Boggio’s horse Massimo, with an 86.33. 

“I was really happy with Chase’s horse; he was so good,” Barnhill said. “He’s really big; he’s a big-strided horse. We moved up a spot [from the jumper round].”

Massimo and Boggio were solid throughout the first two rounds. They placed sixth in the first round, then moved up to second overall after a big score of 89.00 in the jumper phase.

For Barnhill and Boggio, it was the last year they were eligible to ride in the WIHS Equitation Classic, and they made it count in a big way.

“There were riding styles we liked in the two of them that were just a little more polished,” said judge Steve Wall. “Riding these three rounds, it’s a big test of horsemanship. I’ve seen these two throughout the years as they’ve grown up, and they’ve always been near the top, and it was their day today.” 

The leader from the jumper phase, Elizabeth Benson, took a turn on Sarah Milliren’s horse, Vancouver, for the ride-off. She posted a strong score of 81.66 but fell to third overall after Boggio and Barnhill both earned markedly higher scores. 

The top 10 placings of the WIHS Equitation Classic were as follows:

1. Chase Boggio
2. Hayley Barnhill
3. Elizabeth Benson
4. Meg O’Mara
5. Sarah Milliren
6. Charlotte Jacobs
7. Shawn Casady
8. Allison Toffolon
9. Lauren Tyree
10. Tori Colvin

Read more news coverage from the Washington International Horse Show.