Lindsey Tomeu and Bonapart Rule NAL Adult Jumper FinalPresented by SmartPak for Second Straight Year (Al Cook - www.alcookphoto.com)
Tomeu and her 14-year-old, Belgian Warmblood claimed the win for the second straight year over a field of 30 finalists who earned their places in the Final as the top finishers in the year-long NAL standings.
"He is a very special horse and I owe every win, I owe everything to him," the 21-year-old rider said. "I've never had a horse like him. He's definitely my horse of a lifetime."
Nine of the 30 starters reached the jump-off with clean first rounds and the first to return for the tiebreaker was Logan Marksbury of Lexington, KY, and Evano S. Marksbury set the mark to beat, riding her 11-year-old, Belgian Warmblood to a clean ride and a time of 37.527 seconds.
None of the next seven entries could match Marksbury's score with the only other clean ride coming from Christina Couper of Charleston, SC and her 7-year-old, Hanoverian mare, Cora. However, their time of 38.922 seconds was not quite fast enough, giving them an eventual third-place finish.
The last to try to catch Marksbury and Evano S were Tomeu and Bonapart, who topped the NAL regular-season standings with a whopping 8,809 points. They blazed over the course seemingly without effort and finished clean in 34.957 seconds to clinch the win for the second straight year.
"I was really nervous today and put an awful lot of pressure on myself but it was actually an improvement from last year's jump-off where I almost killed him and he continued to keep going," Tomeu said of her partner of one-and-a-half years. "I have no other words to describe other than to say that he is amazing!"
The NAL offers a great opportunity for competitors across the country to compete in five divisions: Adult Hunter; Children's Hunter; Adult Jumper Presented by SmartPak; Children's Jumper Presented by EquiFit; and Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Presented by UltrOZ. The qualifying season for the NAL runs from September 1 through August 31. Anyone can compete in NAL qualifying classes, but only current members are awarded points. Joining the NAL is the best way for riders to get the points necessary to make it to the Finals. Annual memberships are only $40 per rider.
The NAL hosts National Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and West Coast Finals at the Las Vegas National Horse Show. Further information on the NAL is available by calling 717-867-5643, emailing [email protected] or visiting www.ryegate.com. Follow the NAL on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NALFinals.
Recognized as a premier equestrian event, The Pennsylvania National Horse Show runs October 8-17 and has been held indoors at the State Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, PA since its inception in 1945.
Known locally for its contributions to the community and globally for excellence in competition, PNHS attracts top Hunters and Jumpers, sport horse enthusiasts and spectators who find the show exciting, educational and inspiring. Visitors enjoy the intimacy of one competition ring, a full concourse of shops and a variety of special events.
Proceeds from the show benefit the Harrisburg Kiwanis Youth Foundation dedicated to youth programs and The Pennsylvania National Horse Show Foundation supporting equine programs. PNHS is proud of its contributions, proud to be consistently recognized by the Show Hunter Hall of Fame and the North American Riders Group, proud of its heritage and looking forward to a bright future.
$10,000 North American League (NAL) Adult Amateur Jumper Final Presented by SmartPak
Plc Horse / Sire x Dam Rider / Owner R1 TA:76 JO TA:43
1 817 BONAPART Lindsey Tomeu
Dogwood Hill LLC 0 72.180 0 34.957
2 819 EVANO S
NABAB DE REVE Logan Marksbury
Logan Marksbury 0 70.044 0 37.527
3 757 CORA
CONTAGGIO x CARARA Christina Couper
Christina Couper 0 74.251 0 38.922
4 842 CATALYST Tegan Elizabeth Treacy
Starlight Farms, LLC 0 71.204 4 33.518
5 1132 VENDETTA
INDOCTRO x HEDWIG Nicole Wood
Nicole Wood 0 71.119 4 34.912
6 870 MANCHESTER Matthew Kracklauer
Matthew Kracklauer 0 72.522 4 35.093
7 782 ORLANDO Hope Batchelor DVM
Hope Batchelor DVM 0 71.652 4 35.528
8 833 TANGELO Nora Van Veen
Nora Van Veen 0 71.351 15 53.331
9 836 EQUIFIT CAYENNE 178
CONTENDRO Alexandra Cherubini
Lovelite, LLC 0 69.721 Elim
10 1008 CORDELIA Kelsey Piscitello
Kelsey Piscitello 4 67.271
11 928 REDEFIN Dean Dignelli
Heritage Farm, Inc. 4 67.763
12 828 SKYS BURNIN BLUE Phoenix Cooke
Phoenix Cooke 4 68.623
Compete results from this class can be found by using the following link:http://ryegate.com/SHOWS/PNHS/results.php?class=227.