Megan Young kept her composure through two rounds, a flat phase and a work-off to earn the blue ribbon in the ASPCA Maclay Finals today, Nov. 7, at the Metropolitan National in New York City.

“It was the last equitation final I get to do so it was really special to win it,” said he 17-year-old from Jacksonville, Fla.

In a nail-biting finish, judges Scot Williamson, Chrystine Tauber and Linda Allen called Young, Addison Phillips and Julie Welles for final testing after the top 15 had returned to jump a second course.

Phillips, 14, who had led the way after 104 riders contested the first round and also after the flat phase, went first in the test. The riders were required to canter to fence 3, canter fence 1, canter fence 6, halt, back, canter fence 7 and return to the line at a sitting trot.

At the first fence, No. 3, a post-and-rail oxer filled with brush, Phillips and her horse had a miscommunication and crashed through it, almost falling. Young said after watching Phillips she knew that she had to ride the first fence with authority, which she did. Her mount, Crescendo, peeked at the oxer but was attentive throughout the test, and the remainder was smooth.

Welles, 16, tested last, and her ride was solid until fence 6, a red-and-white vertical, which her horse tapped with his front legs. The rail dropped, resulting in an awkward halt.

Young, who had never before earned a ribbon in an equitation final, is now one of the few riders to win the Medal and the Maclay in the same year. In addition, she won the Monarch International North American Equitation Championships (Md.) and placed third in the BET/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals (N.J.).

“This has just been an incredible year,” said Young, who also earned tricolors aboard Navigator at all the fall indoor shows and Devon (Pa.) and earned best child rider on a horse awards at the Pennsylvania National and here at the Metropolitan National after earning the grand junior hunter title.

“She was careful and didn’t take a chance with anything,” said Christina Schlusemeyer, who co-trains Young with Bobby Braswell at Quiet Hill Farm. “I’m just so proud of her. This was the hardest class of her junior career because it was her last one.”

Nicole Adamson, 16, of Los Angeles, Calif., placed fourth, her best ribbon in an equitation final. Fellow Californian Morgan Taylor claimed fifth and New York City resident Brianne Goutal was sixth. Jessica Speiser placed seventh, Maria Schaub was eighth, Blythe Marano was ninth and Whitney Weeks rounded out the top 10.

In the pony hunter divisions, All About Me and Alex Arute earned the grand pony title and medium pony championships with a winning performance in the stake class.

Orlando and Schaefer Raposa also won their stake class today to claim the large pony hunter championship, hot on the heels of their championship at the Washington International last week.

Sam Schaefer also kept her indoor winning streak going with the small pony hunter championship and reserve with Rainbow Canyon and Halcyon Hawthorne, respectively.