Friday, Feb. 7, 2025

Towell Takes Command At Washington

Hardin Towell had a lot on his mind when he went into the ring for the work-off in the Tad Coffin Washington International Equitation Classic Finals, the featured equitation class at the show, held Oct. 24-29 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

Towell, 17, in his final junior year, had always hoped to win an equitation final, yet here he was on the brink of realizing his dream and at the same time battling his best friend's sister for the title.
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Hardin Towell had a lot on his mind when he went into the ring for the work-off in the Tad Coffin Washington International Equitation Classic Finals, the featured equitation class at the show, held Oct. 24-29 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

Towell, 17, in his final junior year, had always hoped to win an equitation final, yet here he was on the brink of realizing his dream and at the same time battling his best friend’s sister for the title.

“Yeah, it was a tough spot for Charlie [Jayne]. When I went in for the final round [Haylie] was winning,” said Towell. “Charlie was really cool about it, though. He said, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ I think he was happy we were first and second.”

Towell, Camden, S.C., won the jumper phase aboard Littlefoot, while Haylie took the blue in the hunter phase riding Ivy.

Going into the final phase, where the top 10 riders switch horses and ride the jumper course again, Towell swapped mounts with Sloane Coles. Maggie McAlary, fresh from her victory in the Pessoa/USEF Medal Final two weeks earlier, traded horses with Maria Schaub and posted the best score of the final phase, 90.33 with Whimsey, to clinch third place overall.

Haylie switched horses with Jessica Springsteen, and, in an ironic twist of fate, she got the ride on the same horse, Cino, her brother Charlie had when he was in contention for victory in the same class in 2003. Unfortunately, Charlie lost the blue ribbon in the class when Cino lost his lead turning a corner near the in-gate.

This time Cino was foot-perfect over the course, and Haylie’s beautiful style scored 85.66 for the lead with just Towell remaining to show.

Prior to the final phase, Towell studied Coles’ videotaped rides with Papillion 136 in the hunter and jumper phases and sat with Coles in the stands learning about her horse.

“He’s a really nice horse,” said Towell. “He jumped well, which makes me look good. Sloane got good ribbons on him at [the Pennsylvania National], so I thought he would work out.”

Towell quickly adapted to Papillion’s ride, and his smooth, flowing trip scored 88.33 for the victory.

“It was always a goal of mine to win a final,” said Towell, who trains with Missy Clark and his father Jack Towell. “Missy always told me I would, and I only had two left. I was starting to doubt it, but Missy wouldn’t lie to me.”

Clark was incredibly proud of her student. “Hardin is such a talent with natural, raw ability,” she said. “He’s had to work hard on his position, his discipline, and he’s certainly stepped up to the plate this year.

“He wanted this so badly, and it’s easy for him in the hunter ring, and he’s become a very good jumper rider,” she added. “But he wanted a national championship in the equitation ring so much that sometimes I think he would sabotage himself. He’s worked very hard in the past year, and I think he’s learned a lot of lessons in the last 12 months. He’s grown up a lot. He’s learned what it takes to be a real champion.”

Hardin was quick to praise Haylie for her impeccable riding. “Haylie was great. She should have won the hunter phase,” he said. “Charlie helped prepare her horse, and it was a true family effort.”

Hardin’s banner weekend wasn’t just in the equitation ring. He piloted Christy Russo’s Miracle to the large junior, 16-17, championship, earned top ribbons with his own Blink and was named the best child rider on a horse.

Now, he and sister Liza Towell, who was best child rider at Washington four times in the 1990s, are the only siblings to have their names inscribed on the DiVecchia Perpetual Trophy that dates back to 1963.

“This is incredibly special,” said Hardin’s mother, Lisa Towell. “I’m just so thrilled for Hardin, and for this to happen for his last junior year is wonderful. I really wanted his name to be on that trophy along with Liza’s.”


More Bests
Unlike Hardin Towell, Naomi Weirens had never earned a tricolor ribbon at the fall indoor shows before she traveled to this year’s Washington International. But that all changed after the pony hunters concluded and Weirens earned the medium pony hunter and co-grand pony hunter championships and the best child rider on a pony title.

Aboard her bay Dutch Sport Pony, Everwood, Weirens, 10, Bronxville, N.Y., won two over fences classes and placed third in the stake class on her way to the honors. “He’s really fun and scopey,” said Weirens of her pony. “And he can really cover up and make any distance work out.”

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Weirens trains with Val Renihan and Jennifer Berol Bliss and said she’s worked hard in the two years she’s owned 9-year-old Everwood to form a consistent partnership.

“She’s a really good rider, and she’s got a really good eye. And this is such a good pony,” said Renihan, who’s worked with Weirens for the past six weeks. “We worked hard on [Naomi] sitting still and sophisticating her ride a little bit.”

Renihan noted that Weirens’ over fences rounds on Sunday were two of the best she’s had thus far. “I thought the first round couldn’t have been better,” said Renihan. “It was fun to see it come to together like that and have them both go that smoothly all the way. She wanted to get a little crazy on me before the last class. But she held it together. She wanted to get those ants in her pants, but we had to get the Raid and get them out of there.”

Paige Dekko, 15, Naples, Fla., and Mokoo Jumbee tied with Weirens and Everwood with 24 points for the co-grand championship title after topping the large pony hunter division. This was d�j� vu for Dekko, who also earned grand champion in 2003 with her small pony Buffalo Soldier.

Like Weirens, Dekko has been partnered with her pony for almost two years and has developed a strong rapport with the black gelding. Dekko’s banner year also includes grand championship honors and the best child rider on a pony title at Devon (Pa.), and Mokoo Jumbee currently leads the U.S. Equestrian Federation national standings.

Dekko trains with Bibby Farmer Hill and Don Stewart Jr., and her red ribbons in each of the four division classes took the tricolor.

“She was the bridesmaid in every class but ended up being the bride,” said Hill with a laugh.

Dekko’s consistently beautiful trips, with Mokoo Jumbee airing most of the fences by at least 6 inches, brought whoops and hollers from her supporters and the spectators who appreciated the scopey and talented dark pony.

“She just loves her pony,” said Hill. “He loves the way she rides him. He knows he’s king in our barn. But he reminds her every now and then that he knows more than she does.”

Dekko added, “It’s exciting to be champion anywhere out of the top riders. And with my small pony being grand champion before, it’s great to have it happen again.”

For small pony hunter champion, Meredith “Mattie” Darst, she relied on a lot of help from her friends for the top honors with Hillcrest’s Blue Gem Stone. After her luggage was lost on the way to the show, Mattie borrowed all of her riding attire from other children–except the new riding helmet her father, Greg Darst, purchased for her at the show.

“Delta lost her clothes, so she has sponsors for her shadbelly and her pants,” said Greg smiling. “She got a new helmet, though, and she’s really pleased with that.”

Because her mother and trainer Mindy Darst of Lochmoor Stables in Cincinnati, Ohio, is battling cancer and couldn’t be at Washington to cheer her on, the 8-year-old had help from Jennifer Biehling at the ring, and her older sister, Jenny, groomed for her. But her mother was on her mind as she went into the two over fences classes on Sunday, in which she placed second and fourth after her blue ribbon over fences the first day.

“Well, at first I wasn’t [thinking of her], then when she called me she said she’d be thinking of me and that she’d be proud if I was champion,” Mattie said.

Mattie has been showing “Gem,” an 11-year-old gray gelding, for the past two years. “My mom’s owned him for a long time, though,” she added. “He really likes mints, but he mostly likes [to eat] everything.”

After earning her tricolor ribbon, Mattie immediately called her mom with the good news. “Her mom really wanted to be here. She’s getting out of the hospital today, so we’re really happy about that,” said Greg.


Green Is Blue
Sara Green’s favorite color at the Washington International was definitely blue after she earned two blues and a red ribbon over fences to earn the large junior, 15 and under, championship and the grand junior hunter title.

Green, 14, acquired the ride on Sara Rutenberg’s bay gelding during the HITS Ocala (Fla.) circuit. Wellington, 15, a Dutch Warmblood (Wellington–Durina) is best known for his career in the equitation division. But when all of Quiet Hill’s riders had equitation horses this spring, trainers Bobby Braswell and Christina Schlusemeyer sent Green and Wellington to the hunter ring.

“This is a great second career for him,” said Schlusemeyer. “He and Sara are a perfect match. She’s an empathetic rider, and he loves his new job. She rides him beautifully.”

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After earning tricolors at HITS Ocala and on the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit in Tampa, Fla., Green and Wellington continued garnering top honors in the junior hunters, including a reserve championship in the USEF Junior Hunter Finals (N.Y.), second place in the WCHR Junior Hunter Challenge at the Capital Challenge (Md.) and the reserve championship at the Pennsylvania National.

“This tops it all,” said Green. “It was overwhelming. After being reserve champion at Harrisburg, I was hoping for a championship. Then, when I was grand champion, that was amazing.”

Nicoletta Heidegger was also surprised with her championship honors in the small junior, 15 and under, division. After a disappointing start at the fall indoor shows, the 14-year-old Chatsworth, Calif., resident was just hoping to improve on her performances at Washington.

But when Breckenridge kept accumulating ribbons, Heidegger realized she was in contention for the championship going into the final class, the under saddle. And when the bay strutted to the blue ribbon, the title was hers.

In the small junior, 16-17, division, Addison Phillips guided Reed Kessler’s Carita to the championship, a repeat performance from the Pennsylvania National.


Sisters Succeed In Pony Equitation Finals
Alise Oken’s polished round over fences aboard Land’s End Mad Hatter left her atop the standings going into the flat phase of the Washington International Pony Equitation Classic Finals. And after the flatwork concluded, the judges rewarded her elegant and sophisticated position with the blue ribbon.

Oken described the first round as more like a hunter course than a twisty equitation course, and she said that suited her pony, Land’s End Mad Hatter, nicknamed “Bubba.”

“He really likes that more, so I can let go of the reins a little bit,” she said. The pair also earned ribbons in the large pony hunter division.

Oken, 14, Charlotte, N.C., trains with Robby Hunt and said this year’s victory meant a lot after her first appearance in the class last year when she lost a stirrup.

“[Last year’s class] wasn’t a very good experience. We’ve worked really hard since then,” said Oken. “I worked on my heels and getting qualified this year. It’s been really fun doing this class and getting here.”

Going into the flat phase, Oken admitted to being a little nervous. “This was the first time I’ve been really good at indoors, and I didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “But the flat phase went well.”

Oken was also thrilled that her younger sister, Lucille, 10, also qualified for the class and placed 10th. “She really improved,” said Alise smiling. “I’m proud of her. She wanted to get a ribbon and she did.”


Tricia Booker



Looking For Blue
Adele Norton was thrilled to win the $10,000 Children’s Hunter Championship Tuesday evening at Washington on her flashy bay gelding, Just One Look. Norton leases “Willie,” as he’s affectionately known, and the family plans to buy him.

“He felt great! I wasn’t my best in my first round, but in the last round we were much better,” said Norton, 13, of Falls Church, Va. The pair scored a 73.5 in their first round and then scored more than 10 points better with an 84 to finish with a combined score of 157.5.

Norton started riding the gelding two years ago and was third in the Washington International local children’s division last year. “It was so neat to come back and win it this year,” said Norton, who trains with Katie Huber of Stoneridge Show Stables.

“She’s very young, but she rides wonderfully and has so much talent. She has a great career ahead of her,” said Huber. Huber also showed Norton’s young mount Peregrine successfully in the first year green division, winning the hack at Washington.

The children’s jumpers wowed the crowds on Wednesday night with their $10,000 championship. Paulena Johnson rode every inside turn possible, and many that seemed nearly impossible, on Helen Varble’s Markies in order to snag the blue ribbon. Her time of 31.43 seconds was nearly 2 seconds faster than Stephanie DuBoise and her Quarter Horse-Paint gelding, Rebound.

“My horse is awesome; he was absolutely perfect,” raved 14-year-old Johnson. The pair began showing in the children’s jumpers last winter, and at the Pennsylvania National they placed fifth in the NAL Children’s Jumper Finals after pulling a rail but having the fastest jump-off time.

“This is my last show on him, because we’re leasing him. I tried to be daring and have fun; that’s what it’s all about,” said Johnson, who lives in Bristol, Va.

Though her lease with Markies will expire soon, Johnson will have her hands full with new horses to show at the Winter Equestrian Festival this winter. “I just got a new equitation horse, and I plan to do the junior hunters and low junior jumpers next,” said Johnson.


Emily Daily

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