Retired small animal veterinarian Jeanne Van Nuys-Hitt of Harrisburg, Pa. (Region 8) rode her Oldenburg gelding Sirtaki to victory in the Intermediate I Adult Amateur Championship, where their Enya-themed performance earned a top score of 68.792%. "I am thrilled. You put a lot of time, money, and blood, sweat and tears into getting here, so any time you end up on top of a great field of riders, it's the ultimate thrill," said Van Nuys-Hitt. Finishing just a point behind the leader to earn their second Reserve Championship of the weekend on a score of 67.792% was Lauren Thornlow of Monroe, Wash. (Region 6) and her Oldenburg gelding Royal Konig (by Rubin Royale), a horse which Thornlow has had since he was just three years old and has now become her first FEI-level mount. "It's been a great journey to bring him along," Thornlow noted. "He's a great guy with a terrific personality, and his favorite thing to do is to go out there and show off."
Region 2 riders claimed top placings in the afternoon's Third Level Open Freestyle Championship. Earning the unanimous win under all three judges was Angela Jackson of Henderson, Ky. riding Theresa Schnell's impressive Oldenburg stallion Hemmingway (Hofrat x Alsonara by Archipel) with 73.878%. "It's so beautiful in there, people are cheering, and I just had a fantastic time," said Jackson of her Pirates of the Caribbean-themed freestyle performance. "My horse was energetic and right with me every step of the way. He's had a fantastic year already, and to top it off by being champion here is just great." Finishing in the reserve spot was Laurie Moore of Ada, Mich. riding Christine Miller's Holsteiner gelding Lyric PT, who were rewarded with 71.367% for their Beatles-themed musical performance. "I had a super warm-up getting him nice and forward, and we went in the arena and he was just free and happy," said Moore. "The music is fun and up-tempo, and it suits him perfectly."
Former jumper rider Anna Jaffe of Concord, Mass. (Region 8) has made a successful switch to the dressage ring as she rode Jane Karol's Westfalen gelding Moonshine (by Lamerto H) to victory in the Fourth Level Adult Amateur Freestyle Championship on a score of 68.822%. "This is the first horse I've ever done dressage on, and it's been an extraordinary opportunity to learn from him," explained Jaffe. "We don't have any indoor shows like this in New England, and my horse is naturally very spooky. But he loved the Alltech Arena! This was the best show of his life, and I'm so happy to be here." Region 6's Jacquelyn McMaster of Sherwood, Ore. drew confidence from her Dutch Warmblood gelding Paviano to overcome her show nerves and ride for a score of 68.156%. "I was quite nervous, but about two minutes before show time he felt so good," she said. "So I just took a deep breath and let it all sink in, and it was just amazing being in there in that atmosphere. It ended up being a lot of fun."
In the outdoor championship rings, competition was fierce across all levels. Topping a huge field of 35 competitors in the First Level Adult Amateur division was Julie McCrady of Raymore, Mo. (Region 4) riding her five-year-old Remanessa. Even though the pair had to wait all day to compete as they were scheduled last to go in the class, their patience paid off as they earned the winning score of 71.290%. Making the win even more meaningful was the fact that McCrady bred the Hanoverian mare (Rousseau x Leonessa by Louis Heslegard) with her husband, and they were making a return trip to the Finals after competing at Training and First Level last year. "I think the people are so friendly here, everyone bends over backwards to help you. I encouraged one of my friends to come here to ride in the open show just so she could be part of the experience," McCrady said. "It's just been wonderful, and so special to have bred Remanessa ourselves. She was a handful on the ground until we started her under saddle where she seemed to find her purpose in life. Now she's a great mare." Another competitor who was delighted to find success at the Finals was Viki Meyers of Russellville, Ark. (Region 9) who rode her Hanoverian gelding Gold Flash (by Gold Luck) to the Reserve Championship with 70.753%. "I had the time of my life today. Each of my rides has gotten a little bit better, and I've learned a lot since I've been here," said Meyers. "We don't have any licensed dressage shows in Arkansas, so I have to travel extensively just to train and compete. This was my first year to even go to Regionals, and now I find myself at the Finals and I'm just amazed. My friends drove all the way to Kentucky just to watch me compete in one test! I feel really special to be here, and it may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience but I do hope to be back here next year."
In the First Level Open division, Gwyneth McPherson will now make the 20-hour drive home to New Gloucester, Maine (Region 8) with a Championship title in hand after guiding Pineland Farms Inc.'s five-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Eskandar (Zhivago x Ostara by Caritas) to victory with 75.538%. McPherson was impressed with how her mount (which she found in 2012 as a young stallion in Belgium) handled the conditions. "I was delighted with my ride," she said. "He can be spooky but even with the wind and cold, he stuck with me for the whole test." Yesterday's Training Level Champions Patricia Becker from Wadsworth, Ill. (qualified in Region 2) and Joan Pecora's five-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Edward (by United) moved up to First Level today and claimed Reserve honors (73.333%). "He has such a super temperament, and he couldn't have been better," she noted.
Rachael Hicks of Prospect, Ky. (Region 2) has already had a successful Finals with both a Championship and Reserve title to her credit for Fourth Level, but today she added yet another honor to her resume by earning a decisive victory in the Third Level Adult Amateur division with 70.342% aboard her lovely Rheinlander stallion Don Cartier (Don Schufro x Carmina by Cartier). "It was a little chilly out there today," laughed Hicks. "He was a bit tired today so I decided not to push for a '10', but it was steady and consistent test and he gave me a great feeling throughout." Back home in Santa Monica, Cal. (Region 7), Christine Ekstrand is an orthopedic surgeon and the mother of seven children. But today she celebrated earning Reserve Championship honors with her Hanoverian gelding Braxxton (Baroncelli x Rosana by Rotspon) on a score of 67.479% "He was tired from the trip at first, but he perked right up and I was really pleased with how he did today," Ekstrand said of her mount.
Melissa Beardsley's Hanoverian gelding Louis Vuitton lived up to his name in giving Shauntel Bryant of Seattle, Wash. a fashionable ride in the Stonelea Arena which was good enough to ultimately win the Fourth Level Open Championship on a score of 69.417%. "He's an 'on' or 'off' kind of horse, but he was really 'on' today and gave it his all," noted Bryant. "It was the kind of ride where you just say to yourself, 'this is lovely'. He definitely woke up on the right side of the stall today, and the brisk weather actually works to his advantage. I almost didn't bring him to the Finals because he's not a super consistent horse, but now I'm glad I did because he pulled it off!" Debbie Hill of Gurley, Ala. (qualified in Region 2) earned her second Reserve Championship title in as many days with Boccaccio IOF (Hanoverian gelding [Bugatti Hilltop x Roxette by Rubinstein], owned by Marchella Richardson) with 69.167%. "Bo was ready to go again today," Hill said. "He always aims to please and works hard. He put in a great effort out there and of course I was thrilled. There's so many fantastic horses and riders here which makes for great company and competition, so I'm just glad to be a part of it and I've really enjoyed myself."