Junior weekend has kicked off in Harrisburg, Pa., at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Some familiar names in the results have been joined by some new ones. And Zone 2 pulled off an impressive win in a drama-filled Adequan/USEF Prix des States Team Junior Jumper Championship.
Jennifer Waxman continued her brilliant year by claiming the large junior hunter, 15 & under championship and the grand junior hunter championship aboard Saloon. And Hardin Towell clinched his second consecutive large junior hunter, 16-17, tricolor with his Blink.
But the championship in the small junior hunter, 15 & under division went to a new face—Amelia McArdle on MVP. While McArdle has been showing at Harrisburg for a number of years, this was her first time there on MVP. And their win marked an even bigger triumph—overcoming MVP’s career-threatening injury. McArdle bought the striking chestnut gelding two years ago from Morgan Thomas, and their partnership looked to be on the way to winning form at the 2005 Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.). But MVP got off the van from his trip home from Florida with a fractured cannon bone. Six months of rest healed the injury, and then they began the arduous process of getting to know each other again. “It was really frustrating, because we had just been starting to get it together when he got hurt,” McArdle said. “I was really hopeful for the future, but then he got hurt. But things happen. It took us a little while to get back in gear, but we did.”
Kacy Jenkins didn’t have long to get in gear with Lemieux—she’s only ridden the gelding a few times. But she didn’t let that get in her way of claiming the small junior hunter, 16-17, championship. They won one over fences class on the first day, placed fifth in the hack, and then took second in the stakes class for the tricolor.
Trainer Ginny Edwards had just found Lemieux for Catie Boone, a student of hers. The chocolate-brown gelding was qualified for the indoor tour, and Edwards asked Jenkins to show him. Jenkins showed him at the Middleburg Classic (Va.) in September to get to know him, and was all set to show him at the Capital Challenge (Md.) in October, but a fall from another horse resulted in a badly contused elbow, and Jenkins and Lemieux sat out the Capital Challenge. So, she didn’t have much experience on the talented gelding going into Harrisburg. “It was a learning experience for all of us,” she said. “But he likes to jump off the flow—I just pick up a canter and go. And he jumps so high and well.”
Jumping high and well comes naturally for Exhilaration and Wilhelmina Horzepa. The third time in the NAL Pony Jumper Finals proved a charm for the pair, as they put together the only double-clear performance for the win. They were eighth last year, and sixth in 2004. Horzepa was thrilled to end the year with the accolades, since Exhilaration, 19, is nearing the end of his career. Horzepa, 15, and her sister, Mary Elizabeth, are avid pony jumper riders, and had two each of the 25 starters in the class. Course designer Conrad Homfeld built an imposing track for the pony jumpers, and many were intimidated. There were lots of stops and eliminations, even at the first fence. It seemed as if the Finals course was bigger than many had been used to seeing.
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Hillary Dobbs and Quincy B weren’t at all overwhelmed by the next tough course Homfeld built—for the Prix des States team championship. They anchored the Zone 2 team to their victory with one of only seven clear rounds on the night. It was Dobbs’ first time on a Prix des States team—as it was for two of her teammates, Clementine Goutal and Miasha Fisher. For lead-off rider Carolyn Kelly, it was her second Prix des States experience.
Kelly, Fisher and Dobbs had a real hunger for the gold medal—the three had teamed up with Addison Phillips for the silver at the North American Young Riders’ Championships (Va.) in August, and were anxious to improve on the result. “Can I just say, ‘Finally!’” Kelly quipped.
The action in the pony hunters today has set the championship races up for a dramatic day tomorrow. Megan Davis won the first small pony class on Far From Home, and took fourth in the second class. But Schaefer Raposa also has a first and fourth to her resume on Super Trooper. The two will battle it out under saddle and over fences tomorrow.
The same situation exists in the medium pony division. Samantha Schaefer has a first and fourth to her name with Rockport, but so does Raposa on Triple Threat. In the large ponies, the race looks wide open though Oliva Kohan rode Liseter Clever Star, who won last year with Jessica Springsteen, to second and fourth places. Schaefer took first and second in the second class today, on Winston and Who’s Kidding Who.
Action continues tomorrow with the conclusion of the pony hunters, the Adequan/USEF Prix des States individual junior jumper finals. And then the long day of the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals concludes the weekend on Sunday. Check in here for all the action.
