Hayley Waters and Qurint helped Zone 4 win Gold (Al Cook)
The USEF Prix Des States Team Championship is run as a modified Nation's Cup format. Each team member jumps two rounds, with the best three scores counting for the team total. The team with the lowest score wins the championship, but if there is a tie after the second round, the Chef d'Equipe of the those teams must choose one team member to compete in a jump-off, which is what happened tonight in the battle for the silver medal.
Guided by Team Chef d'Equipe Kim Land, the Zone 4 (AL, FL, GA, MS, SC, TN) gold medal winning riders included Virginia Ingram of Franklin, TN, on URBAN; Louise Graves of Nashville, TN, on ZAVIRA; Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL, on DON JUAN; and Hayley Waters of Sparr, FL, on QURINT. All team members put in excellent efforts over the 12-fence 1.45m course.
"I'm so excited!" said Ingram. "It's so fun to be on a team, and I'm so happy that I got the opportunity to ride here. My horse is so amazing and he helps me so much - I'm so confident on him."
Fellow teammate Waters was also thrilled with their results. "I'm also really excited," she said. "My horse jumped great and I couldn't have asked for more from her."
With a two-way tie after the second round, it was a battle for the silver medal between Zones 5 and 2 which had to be decided in a jump-off. Giavanna Rinaldi was first into the ring aboard G.P.S. BRILLIANT DISGUISE, but unfortunately the pair dropped two rails. This put the pressure on Lucy Deslauriers who pulled off a clear round aboard HESTER and guaranteed Zone 2 the silver medal, while Zone 5 had to settle for the bronze.
The silver medal winning Zone 2 (NJ, NY, PA) Team included: Lucy Deslauriers of New York, NY, aboard HESTER; Lauren Fischer of Bedford Hills, NY, with OFFENBACH DU GRANIT; Victoria Press of New York, NY, with CAYENNE 140; and Michael Hughes of Allendale, NJ, on LUXINA. Eamon Hughes was Chef d'Equipe.
The bronze medal Zone 5 (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH) Team included: Giavanna Rinaldi of Wayne, IL, with G.P.S. BRILLIANT DISGUISE; Alec Bozorgi of Antioch, IL, with NAVY BLUE TARROY; Vivian Yowan of Lexington, KY, on VORNADO VAN DEN HOENDRIK; and Meredith Darst of Lebanon, OH aboard ZENITH DANCE. Chef d'Equipe was Kelly Goguen.
In the Individual competition, the scores from Thursday's Phase I, along with Friday's Phase II will carry forward to Saturday's final Phase III of the $7,500 Randolph College/ USEF National Junior Jumper Championship which will decide the winner.
The Pennsylvania National Horse Show (PNHS) is one of the largest indoor horse shows in the U.S., hosting horses and competitors from across the country with 20,000 spectators attending from the Mid-Atlantic region. With over 1,400 qualified horses competing for $485,000 in prize money, the show features national Hunter and Jumper competition and is the site of the Pessoa/USEF National Hunter Seat Medal Final, the Randolph College/USEF National Junior Jumper Championships, North American League (NAL) National Finals and the $85,000 Grand Prix de Penn National.
In addition to world-class equestrian competition, the horse show offers a unique shopping experience with boutique vendors showcasing one-of-a-kind, equine inspired products including jewelry, fun fashion and accessories.