Taylor Harpman had her mind set on one goal on Aug. 19–to ride her best in the inaugural USEF Zone 3 Medal Finals, held in conjunction with the HITS Winston National in Culpeper, Va.

She accomplished her mission–and earned the blue ribbon–in a special evening class when 32 junior equitation riders got their time in the spotlight. The new medal final was open to 3′ and 3’6″ riders who competed against one another; their fence heights were determined by experience.

By the end of the night, Harpman, 12, Richmond, Va., and her horse, Sorcerer’s Stone, contested the 3-foot fences and rose to the top.

“The [Virginia Horse Show Association] Medal Finals were right before this one,” she said. “I was fourth there, so I practiced really hard in between them and went into Zone 3 with a positive attitude.”

And, Harpman enjoyed the experience. “I really liked it,” she said. “I thought the course could have been a little more challenging with more jumper fences, but it was laid out well. It made me think about my turns and rhythm. You had to really concentrate about your decisions.”

Harpman also liked competing with the 3’6″ riders. “We had to jump the same course, just at different heights,” she said. “I don’t think the 3-foot riders had an advantage because the planning, thinking, and riding were the same. The rails were just a few holes higher.”

Judges Sue Ashe and Christina Schluse-meyer seemed to agree, since Harpman’s over fences score of 84, the highest of the 3-foot riders, brought her back second for the flat phase, where they moved her up to the blue-ribbon spot.

Winning this medal may just be a step toward a bigger, more special goal for Harpman. Although she and Sorcerer’s Stone showed in the 3-foot section in the medal finals, he’s truly a versatile horse, since Harpman has started to compete the gelding in the 3’6″ children’s jumpers.

“I can pretty much do anything I want with him,” she said thankfully. “He does the jumpers, the equitation, and I can trail ride him too. He’s my best friend. He was sent to us to be sold, but we liked him so much we leased him for this year.”

Harpman’s mother and trainer, Teddi Ismond Harpman, said this new medal is a great idea for Virginia and the Zone. “I’m hoping it will raise the standards of equitation here and put us on the equitation map,” she said. “Taylor and I decided to enter her in the class to support it.”

As Taylor’s trainer, Teddi received the top trainer award of $500. The trainers of the second- and third-placed riders also received $300 and $100, respectively.

“They did so many things to make this event fun,” Teddi said of the organizers. “There were a lot of other exhibitors who stayed to watch, and they even hosted a dinner for the riders beforehand.”

Teddi also liked the course, which included both hunter and jumper fences. “[It] asked a lot of good questions of the riders,” she said. “If they can get it into the grand prix ring with the lights next year, it should be even better, since the lights will allow the judges time to ask more of the riders. We kind of ran out of light this year,” she added.

Taylor began riding at age 3 and is just about as versatile as her horse. In addition to Sorcerer’s Stone, she also shows a large pony, Winter Bazaar, who is currently second in the Virginia Pony Breeder’s Association performance standings. Like Sorcerer’s Stone, Winter Bazaar was also sent to the Harpmans to be sold, and Taylor hopes to sell him before the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) this winter.

Outside the ring, Taylor is on the honor roll at Tuckahoe Middle School, where she’s a seventh-grader.

Raising The Bar
When Pam Freeley started teaching in Virginia six years ago, she noticed a difference between the equitation classes here and those in New York, where she had taught before.

“The equitation classes were often used as a warm-up for the hunter divisions,” she said. “The courses often weren’t technical enough to prepare riders that wanted to move up.”

So, she decided to do something about it by organizing and producing another equitation option. “I love the equitation division,” she said. “I loved to ride in the equitation and jumpers as a junior, so my main focus as a teacher was for my students to be able to do it all.” Freeley’s solution was a medal final modeled after the ASPCA Maclay, with the over fences phase (75 percent of the score) and a flat phase (25 percent of the score) that invites back as many as the top seven riders from the first round. The judges may also call for additional testing of the top several riders after the flat phase if they wish.

Riders this year didn’t need to qualify, but next year they will need to win a state-level equitation class, such as the VHSA Medal or the E.J. Haun Medal. Riders who have not shown at the 3’6″ level three or more times may show over 3′ if they wish; the 3’6″ section is open to any junior. After next year, the different heights will be run as two separate classes and there will be two winners.

Freeley also worked to make every exhibitor feel appreciated by recruiting sponsors to donate prizes. Every exhibitor received a prize bag courtesy of the Preppy Pink Pony when they exited the ring. The top four riders also received additional prizes, including a Tad Coffin Performance Saddle and championship cooler for the winner.

All of Freeley’s work seems to have paid off. “I think Virginia riders are very receptive to it,” she said. “I have watched the juniors all year and they’ve gotten better and stronger as this event got closer.”

Freeley has also found a lot of interest in a similar medal for adults, and that new class is in the works. The Zone 3 Adult Medal Final will be a 3-foot equitation final, and it will be held on a separate weekend to give the amateurs their moment in the sun.

Katie Grove