Under tough conditions, the top West Coast juniors show their determination.

The skies opened up, the rain poured down, and the riders in the USEF Talent Search Finals West tackled the challenging show jumping course judges George Morris and Jeffery Welles set for them on the grass field at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Although the remainder of the Los Angeles International Jumping Festival, Sept. 19-23, was cancelled due
to extreme weather and loss of power for the weekend, the Talent Search continued, and Natalie Rae Medlock prevailed to earn the championship.

“This is how jumping is,” said Morris as he hunkered down in his rain coat. “This is Dublin, this is Aachen, this is Spruce Meadows. This is what it is like to be a real show jumping rider.”

The competition began Thursday night with the flat phase, and Morris and Welles worked the 42 riders in groups of seven. Navona Gallegos, who rides with Karen Healey, took top honors that night with a score of 92. Close behind her were Allison LaJoie, Mallory Olson, Medlock, Michelle Morris and Natasha Traurig.

The next afternoon Welles and Morris set their gymnastics course. As is usual, the coaches were not allowed to walk the course with their riders, but the judges held a riders’ meeting before the flat phase.

Fourth-placed finisher Michelle Morris commented, “George told us to be definite and not to be afraid
to go to Plan B to make something work.”

Many riders had difficulty with the last portion of the gymnastics phase, two liverpools set at a 45-degree angle to one another. The riders had to ride a figure eight, jumping each liverpool twice, while demonstrating short, jump-off type turns. Almost half the class had a rail down in this part of the test.

The line in front of the judges also challenged riders, who were faced with an optional four or five strides at the end of the line of square oxers set in various related distances. The more experienced riders chose to ride the final part of the line in a compressed five strides rather than a flat, forward four strides. Some riders did execute the four strides well, but the five strides was the preferred option.

Gallegos held her lead by also earning the highest score in the gymnastics. Tina Di Landri and Medlock

were right behind Gallegos. Traurig also continued improving her performances.

The Show Goes On
On Friday night, after the gymnastics, an unseasonable storm moved in and drenched the area. Fortunately, the grass field where the final two phases were scheduled held up well, but a major power station was hit by lightning. The Los Angeles Equestrian Center lost power, and the lights stayed out throughout the weekend. However, with a portable generator, rain coats, and perseverance, the competition continued.

Throughout the show jumping phase the riders were deluged by rain, yet George Morris was delighted. He kept exclaiming that the weather conditions provided a true test of what show jumping is like in the European theater and the importance of performing one’s best in adverse conditions.

A number of riders had trouble with the two in-ground liverpools, and the course proved difficult for less experienced riders. However, as the leaders hit the field, they rode the course as Welles and Morris expected, yet there were a few surprises and heartbreaks.
 
Traurig’s horse refused to go up the bank, and then Gallegos, who was leading the competition, stopped at one of the liverpools.

Suddenly, Di Landri found herself in the lead, and although she was one of the younger riders in the field, she rode with maturity and experience. She hopes to ride in her first grand prix before the end of the year and plans to ride professionally when she turns 18 in two years.

The weather relented a bit when it came time for the final four to switch horses and ride a shortened course, although by then everyone was soaked. Di Landri and Medlock were joined by LaJoie and Michelle Morris to make up the top four.

Medlock and Di Landri quickly emerged as the leaders. They posted solid rounds on their own horses and continued to do so on the other horses.

LaJoie and Michelle Morris had a few difficulties. Di Landri had a rough spot or two on  LaJoie’s horse and Morris’ horse, while Medlock rode each horse with skill and style to emerge as the clear winner.
In addition, her horse, Y2K, owned by Hap Hansen, was awarded the Gulliver Trophy, presented by Healey to the best horse of the competition.

Di Landri, Morris and LaJoie all posted their best score on Medlock’s horse. The judges were equally complimentary of the brown gelding that Medlock made her grand prix debut on earlier this summer.

All of the riders agreed that Y2K was their favorite horse as well.

Medlock found LaJoie’s horse the hardest of the four for her. “Allison’s horse was so big. There was a lot to pull together,” she said.

Michelle Morris agreed: “He has a huge stride and pulls.”

Di Landri and LaJoie found Morris’ horse the hardest for them. “Michelle’s horse is hot, and that is a ride I am not used to,” said LaJoie.

All four riders loved their experiences.

“This class shows what we’ve worked for and shows the end result,” said Medlock, who rides with Leslie Steele and Hansen. “George told us not to be perfect and get caught up in the picture. He told us to remember to ride.”

“This class shows a true test of a rider,” added Di Landri. “You have to adapt. George told us to ‘Go get it!’ Once I knew I was in the top four, I tried to have fun and I knew I had to ride.”

While Di Landri and Medlock have their sights firmly set on the grand prix ring and aggressively continuing their riding careers,  Morris and LaJoie are aimed for college.

“I want to continue riding, and I’d like to ride in an NCAA program,” said Morris who hopes to go to Southern Methodist University (Texas) after her senior year in high school.

LaJoie wants to head east to the Fashion Institute of Design in New York. “I want to stay involved with horses,” she explained, “but I’d really like to work in the fashion industry.”

Di Landri, Morris and LaJoie ride together at Karen Healey Stables.

Marnye Langer