Lillie Keenan is well on her way to making history at the USEF Pony Finals…again. Last year the New York City native made headlines by sweeping all three regular pony hunter divisions. And this year the 11-year-old picked up three tricolors before the rated divisions even began, earning championships in the small, medium and large green divisions, Aug. 13 and 14, in Lexington, Ky.
Keenan couldn’t be beat in the small green ponies, winning the model, under saddle and over fences classes aboard Double G Stables’ Sparkle Plenty. She and 5-year-old “Stars” captured the Wild Horsefeathers/USEF Grand Green Pony Championships with their overall score of 1047.
“Stars is a very good mover and good in the model, so he had points going in [to the over fences],” said Keenan’s trainer, Patricia Griffith of Heritage Farm. “Lillie also knew him the best, since she’s been riding him since January.” Pony guru Bill Schaub leant Keenan her other two mounts: the medium-sized Happy Meal, owned by Sleepy P Ranch, and the large pony Bracewood’s Camelot, owned by Gavin Jensen.
Though Keenan is no stranger to the winner’s circle at the Kentucky Horse Park, competing aboard borrowed young mounts made the competition a whole new ball game.
“I was really nervous because they’re all babies and can do anything,” said Keenan.
Keenan’s next step will be moving up to the horses, which she’s taking right in stride. She showed her new horse, Violets Are Blue, to the children’s hunter championship at her first show together.
It’s Anyone’s Game
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Today’s model and under saddle scores in the regular hunter competition determine which ponies enter the final phase on top. Saturday’s single over fences class counts for 50 percent, so a single mistake could knock a front-runner out of contention.
Grand Central Inc.’s RosMel’s Millennium, ridden by Alexandra Crown, stands first the small division, after placing fifth in the model and winning the under saddle with a score of 271.5.
Keenan leads the field in the mediums with Dogwood Hill LLC’s Neverland. The stunning bay gelding scored 273 to win the model and placed third in the under saddle.
Victoria Colvin edged out Keenan in the larges to take the lead aboard Scott Stewart’s For The Laughter. Colvin won the model with the day’s top score of 281 and finished fourth in the under saddle. Betsee Parker’s Vanity Fair—last year’s large pony champion at this competition—also placed first and fourth with Keenan aboard. The two defending champions (Colvin claimed the grand green pony championship with Stewart’s Cortina in 2007) will battle it out in the over fences on Saturday.
Don’t Mess With Texas
Across the road in the indoor arena, Zone 7 earned their first gold medal in the Adequan/USEF National Pony Jumper Team Championship. In fact, it was the first time they had even placed in the competition.
“It was the first year that we had a full team, and not only that, but they were the best team!” said Zone 7 chef d’equipe, Kim Brunson of Tyler, Texas.
Jacob Roberson, 14, of Ruston, La.; Kayla Briel, 15, of Coppell, Texas; Breezy Sambola, 11, Covington, La.; and Gabrielle Ploth, 13, of Conroe, Texas finished with a combined score of just four faults.
None of the four riders had ridden together or knew each other well coming into the competition. The team atmosphere presented a new challenge which they adapted to well.
“I almost threw up!” said Briel. “I was freaking out because I didn’t want it to be my fault if we lost.”
Briel held up her end of the deal and helped her team win gold, but not with out a close finish. The team from Zone 2—Megan O’Mara, Gillian King, Elizabeth Solomon and Adam Sklansky—also finished with a total of four faults, but a slightly slower time bumped them down to silver. Taking home the bronze medal was Carter Ware, Phebe Jenkins, Chloe Reid and Sarah Mills of Zone 3.
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On the second day of competition, all the riders challenged the team course, then the top four teams prepared to ride off for the medals. But an unexpected delay in the form of a rogue raccoon added an extra ten minutes onto the schedule as ring crew and medical staff chased after the beast.
The raccoon, which had been wandering around in the rafters all evening, scampered into the arena during the drag. At one point the frightened young raccoon animal scampered straight up the legs and onto the back of the man chasing him. Eventually the staff trapped him in a box and released him outside, earning a standing ovation from the crowd. But once the jumpers started up, he had found his way back to the rafters for a great view of the action.
For complete results, http://webservices.shownet.biz/LiveWeb/RingResults.aspx?HorseSHowID=237
Small Green Overall
1 638 LILLIE KEENAN SPARKLE PLENTY 1047.000
2 432 SCOTT MOSELEY JERRY LEE 1014.500
3 786 HUNTER GARROWAY LEE HILL RIPURL 978.750
4 601 MADDIE LAWTON ORCHID 975.500
5 374 RIDER UNKNOWN TELYNAU BRAVE HEART 974.500
6 664 ELIZABETH BUTTERWORTH FROM AFAR 970.001
7 351 HAYLEY IANNOTTI COUTURE 970.000
8 420 MADELYN KECK OOMPA LOOMPA 953.000
9 818 MEEHAN SHIREY MONROE 948.000
10 574 BELLE MCMAHON ALMOST A REFLECTION 926.000
11 520 QUINN LARIMER POLAR EXPRESS 924.000
12 531 ALEECE JARMAN SHORT STORY 923.500
Medium Green Overall
1 689 LILLIE KEENAN HAPPY MEAL 1017.700
2 683 SHAWN CASADY SUNNY 998.000
3 503 SYDNEY SHULMAN BROADWAY STAR 997.000
4 499 EMMA ROBERTS HAPPY FEET 991.000
5 487 CAILAH CARROLL CLOVERMEADE SIMPLY BUNNY 990.250
6 461 CARA DODSON BOOMERANG LOVE 980.000
7 451 ELIZABETH NEWMEYER HIDDEN SPRINGS AW SHUCKS 964.500
8 439 MAGGIE GAMPFER PLAYDATE 964.000
9 784 JESSICA DONATELLI LAUGH OUT LOUD 959.500
10 740 BRITTNI RAFLOWITZ MIND YOUR STEP 954.750
11 830 LIZA B. HENDRICKS WOODLANDS LIL BILL 938.500
12 354 OLIVIA BURNS GLENHAVEN TWIST O’LEMON 934.000
Large Green Overall
1 690 LILLIE KEENAN BRACEWOOD’S CAMELOT 1035.100
2 710 VICTORIA COLVIN ALL THE BEST 1035.000
3 792 SHAWN CASADY FLASH GORDON 1008.000
4 6666 CARA PETERP 991.000
5 779 EMMA ROBERTS DUSK TILL DAWN 990.500
6 803 GABRIELLA CONTE COUNT ME IN 985.500
7 893 LAUREN FABIANO OUT OF THE BLUE 974.500
8 838 TAYLOR ANN ADAMS OAKFIELDS DIAMOND 974.000
9 446 MARY MEGHAN HUITT SALTY 973.500
10 670 EMILY DUPONT OTTERIDGE DRESS BLUES 964.000
11 521 AUTUMN CLARKE MILLPOND SILVER SUNRISE 957.000
12 654 MAGGIE GAMPFER FAIR DINKUM 951.500
Day 1 Overall Small Standings
1 867 ALEXANDRA CROWN ROSMEL’S MILLENNIUM 526.500
2 723 ASHTON ALEXANDER PICANTE 522.000
3 337 LUCILLE OKEN HI LITE 514.500
4 854 CHLOE REID BLUE ON BLUE 513.000
5 822 TARA SPENCER LAND’S END LADY SLIPPER 512.000
6 334 EMMA MANDARINO HILTON HHONORS 510.000
7 651 ALLISON TOFFOLON LANDS END EROS 505.000
8 791 LIBBY BRUMFIELD LEE HILL RIPTIDE 504.000
9 530 PARKER WRIGHT RED WHITE AND BLUE 503.000
10 728 ISABELLE CACCAMISE MADE FOR ME 502.000
11 535 ALEECE JARMAN RICO SUAVE’ 499.500
12 917 ELIZABETH ECCLESTONE BENLEA EASTER LILY 497
Day 1 Overall Medium Standings
1 637 LILLIE KEENAN NEVERLAND 535.000
2 699 MARK GOETZMANN SPORTSTER 524.500
3 316 JENNA SANTI HIGHLANDS HEAVEN SENT 524.000
4 622 COLBY WOOD BRIGHTON UNDENIABLY 510.250
5 682 ASHLEY LECROY HALO 510.000
6 360 JULIANA MARINO UNEXPECTED 504.500
7 338 LUCILLE OKEN PROMISE 503.000
8 678 TARA SPENCER COSMOPOLITAN GIRL 502.500
9 418 SYDNEY HUTCHINS PEEK-A-BLUE 499.000
10 302 KYLIE JANE GEDDES LOOK AT ME 498.000
11 572 ARIANNA SKIPPER VALOR 497.000
12 685 LAUREN STEINER POP STAR 496.750
Day 1 Overall Large Standings
1 711 VICTORIA COLVIN FOR THE LAUGHTER 541.500
2 641 LILLIE KEENAN VANITY FAIR 532.500
3 698 MARK GOETZMANN SIR ELTON 515.000
4 331 LEXI JOHNSON CHERRYBROOK BLUE SUEDE SHOES 513.000
5 681 TARA SPENCER A DAY AT THE BEACH 511.000
6 679 SHAWN CASADY LIESTER CLEVER STAR 505.000
7 564 KRISTEN MOHR ABOUT FACE 504.500
8 855 LINDSAY WOLF SUNDAY BEST 501.500
9 902 CHLOE REID LOVE N LOGIC 499.500
10 483 CHARLOTTE KEESLER ALL THAT 498.500
11 891 HANNAH SPIEGLER WOODLANDS ME FIRST 496.500
12 596 LOUISE GRAVES ARLINGTON 494.500
