From the first round of the 2025 USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic—East to the last, Taylor Ashe Cawley led the way aboard Cheap Trick WM Z to capture the win on Wednesday. Held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexingon during the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships, the Classic saw Cawley take the top, with reserve honors going to Madison Ramsey and Lilly Herzog taking third.

“This is my third year in a row doing this championship,” Cawley, Wellington, Florida, said. “Cheap Trick WM Z is a newer horse for me and is also new to showing in equitation classes. I think it’s amazing to watch him grow up and win this class. It’s also great feeling to win.”

Skip Bailey’s classic hunter style course set the stage for judges Bill Schaub and James Toon to sort the 130 competitors that contested the first round. The course consisted of 10 jumping efforts that allowed riders to execute flowing routes mixed in with tighter technical routes. 

Cawley and Cheap Trick WM Z, a 9-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Cento—Cornet-Terma, Cornet Obolensky) owned by Ardencote Stud’s scored an untouchable 92 to take an early lead. Campbell Cauthen and Chris Craft took second (90) and Cecilia Chatterjee and Coconder PS were third (89.75). 

“Round one was a little bit more of a hunter-based course,” Cawley said. “There were a lot of disconnected lines and single fences. The course was mainly trying to get the best jump out of your horse while keeping it as smooth as you can. This was one of the biggest tests, and I was very happy with my first round.

“Coming back on top in the second round, there was a bit more added pressure,” she continued. “I think they tested us a bit more in the second round through the course, but I was super happy with how my horse handled all of the tests and questions; he handled it better than I could have ever asked for.”

Riders returned in reverse order for the handy hunter round, which included trot and hand gallop fences. Last to enter the ring, Cawley delivered a standout performance, earning an impressive score of 96 to stay atop the leaderboard with a two-round total of 188. Ramsey, Palm Harbor, Florida, scored 95 to surge from fourth place to second after the handy aboard Mac One III with a total score of 184.5. Close behind, Herzog, Pepper Pike, Ohio, piloted Valdemonsa to a score of 91 in the handy to take third place overall on a total of 180.

Watch Taylor Cawley and Cheap Trick WM Z in the 2025 USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic—East, courtesy of USEF Network powered by ClipMyHorse.TV:

In the final round, which was not scored, the top six riders switched horses to jump a shortened course. Herzog and Chatterjee traded mounts, where a slight bobble slid Chatterjee to sixth and Herzog held on to her third-place spot. Last to swap were Ramsey and Cawley, who both handled the challenge with ease and secured their final placings, with Ramsey staying in second and Cawley clinching the win. For their efforts, Cawley’s mount, Cheap Trick WM Z, was also presented the Best Equitation Horse honor.

“It’s always interesting doing a rider swap, especially because you don’t know the horse that you are getting on,” Cawley said. “Working off of feel, by feeling how the horse is jumping and knowing that this is their third class of the day, you have to keep that in the back of your mind, some may light up more, or may be more tired. I think I have had more experience in the rider swap than others, but it’s always a fun challenge to have to do.”

See complete results for Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 here. The USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic—West will be held July 24 at HITS at Del Mar (California).