When the Zone 4 Prix des States rider packed their trunks to head to the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, they had one thing on their minds: gold. Last year the team put together a solid performance to earn a spot on the podium for the first time in recent memory, and this year they moved up a step, earning the Prix des States championship today, Oct. 10., and taking gold medals back to the Southeast.

Taylor Land, 16, anchored the team two double clear rounds aboard Canaille to guarantee victory. Land entered the final round of competition knowing she had a rail in hand, but kept her focus to finish as the only faultless rider of the day. Teammates Reed Kessler on Flight, Julianna Fischer on Lola and Ann Marie Walker on Radio Flyer each contributed a clear round to the team’s effort.

“Going into the class I had looked at the chart an I knew exactly what I needed to do to win,” said Land who trains with her father, Jay, in Alpharetta, Ga. “When I cleared that second-to-last jump I breathed a big sigh of relief. It’s different in team competition: all the sudden you’re thinking about everyone else—not just yourself.”

Zone 4 bested last year’s winners, zone 10, who rallied in the second round, posting three clear rounds to finish on their first round sore of 12 faults. Zone 2 took third with 20 faults.

Riders contested an imposing level 8 course, which got the better of plenty of veteran riders and sent rails flying. A seemingly-straightforward vertical fell time after time, and two serious combinations tripped up most of the riders who managed to get past the first trap. Competitors faced the exact same course for the second round, giving them a chance to improve on their mistakes. The trip also counted as the second of three rounds in the Adequan USEF National Junior Jumper championship, which concludes tomorrow.

Zone 4 took control early in the class, with Kessler, Land, and Walker, putting in faultless efforts. Fischer came back from a 12-fault first round she described as “anxious” to post a crucial double clear. “My horse hasn’t shown much this season,” said Fischer, who trains with her mother Pat in Wellington, Fla. “I was really happy with how she improved through the class.”

Kessler, 14, sprung up to the high junior jumper ring from the small pony arena just this spring, spending the summer training with her jumper trainer and godmother Katie Prudant. “It was so much fun to learn how everything is over there and work very, very hard all summer,” said Kessler, Wellington, Fla. “I didn’t see my stirrups very much!” Kessler, who trains with Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm stateside, warmed up for her jumper class by schooling her old small pony before his class.

The riders from zone 4 embraced the spirit of team competition, banding together to make signs, paint their faces and nails matching blue and orange and even order matching zone 4 collars for their shirts. The girls from down south even adopted a theme song—Take Control by Missy Elliot. 17-year-old Walker, who rides with Holly Sheppard, has looked forward to this class since she rode in it last year.

“It’s so much more fun riding on a team,” said Walker, Mobile, Ala., who rides with Holly Sheppard. “It’s not normally a team sport, but it’s great to get to share this with other people and cheer each other on. It’s a fantastic experience.”

“It gives you have a really good reason to try to do even better,” added Fischer, 17, who also rode last year’s competition. “It’s about more than you.”

Chef d’Equipe Wendy Peralta credited the camaraderie among her charges and their exceptional training with keeping her job easy. “They’re extremely well-prepared and ready to go, and they come with a good attitude,” she said. “I just have to keep them organized.”