Samantha Karp and Zentina B (Shawn McMillen Photography)

Washington, D.C. – The 57th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) kicked off six days of competition at Verizon Center in downtown Washington, DC, Tuesday. The day featured professional and amateur hunters competing in the first classes of their divisions, as well as year-end championships for the child and adult hunter competitors. This year’s WIHS continues through Sunday, October 25, featuring world-class competition in the hunter, jumper and equitation disciplines.

Tuesday’s highlights included the $10,000 WIHS Children’s Hunter Championship, sponsored by The Heisley Family Foundation. Thirty-two entries showed over a beautiful first round course set by Kenneth Krome, of Westminster, MD, and the top 12 returned for a second round to determine final results. Samantha Karp earned back-to-back scores of 87, totaling 174 points to secure a concrete win with her horse, Zentina B. Carly Martin finished second aboard her own Czech Mate with scores of 82 and 79 to total 161. Lekha Ramachandran guided Jennifer Basile’s Playmore to third place, scoring 74.50 and 84, for a total of 158.50.

For the win, Karp and Zentina B were presented the H. Fenwick Kollock Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by Friends of Fen. The 18-year-old rider trains with Heritage Farm, traveling to spend her summers in Katonah, NY, and remaining the rest of the year in her hometown of Wellington, FL. Karp purchased Zentina B, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (by Casantos), almost one year ago.

“I originally bought her to be my jumper, and I found out that I did not really like doing the jumpers,” Karp noted. “We decided to do her in the hunters, just for fun, to see if I could get some confidence, and her first week out, she won. She has won basically every show she has been to since that. She had never done the hunters in her life until this year, but I think she has really enjoyed it.”

Tuesday was Karp’s first time competing at WIHS and a memorable experience as the rider finished out her junior career and prepares to become an amateur.

“This is my first time ever doing a season of indoors. It was nerve-wracking, but she (Zentina B) is a pro. She has been to indoors before,” Karp explained. “I do not think I could have been on a better horse to show me the ropes and give me experience doing this. She did an amazing job, and I cannot thank her enough for that.”

Jessica Lohman and Davenport Top $10,000 Adult Amateur Hunter Championship
The $10,000 WIHS Adult Amateur Hunter Championship, sponsored by The Linden Group at Morgan Stanley, concluded day one at the 2015 WIHS with 23 entries showing over the first round course and the top 12 returning. The win went to Jessica Lohman, of Poolesville, MD, riding Dani Di Pietro’s Davenport to scores of 84 and 78 for a two round total of 162. Whitney Lind and Whish LLC’s Carnaval Elite earned scores of 72 and 86 to finish second with 158 points. Jacquelyn Maggiore rode her own Contina to third place honors, scoring 79 and 77 for a 156-point total.

The overall feeling for Jessica Lohman this evening was “accomplished.” The 37-year-old rider trains with her husband, Alan Lohman, out of their Lohman Stables in Maryland. She works a fulltime job as Commercial Livestock Marketing Manager at Southern States Cooperative, an American farmer-owned agricultural supply cooperative, and was busy working in Miami this winter when she asked her husband to find a horse that she could compete. Luckily, Davenport (also known as Dylan) became available while his owner was away in India doing non-profit work for the year. Lohman was fortunate enough to lease the 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding (by Weitmeyer) to compete this season and now feels like they have come full circle with an exciting conclusion to their year.

“Dylan needed a job this year, but he didn’t need to work hard. He just needed to do something,” Lohman detailed. “It was the beginning of a phenomenal year the first time I sat on him. I feel very fortunate and I feel accomplished, because if we don’t win, it is because I did something stupid. That is the only way about it. The horse never does anything wrong. I was second here in 2010 and sixth in 2011 on a horse my husband owns named Wise Counsel. I very much wanted to win this particular show. I have had a good fall (season) on this horse at the indoor finals and I didn’t want to peak before this show, so I guess everything just lined up. I painted my nails blue, I wore a blue hairband today, I wore a navy sweater, and Dylan always gets braided in blue because he is perfect. It was one of those things that I needed to check off the list.”

Lohman credited her husband, trainer Deloise Noble-Strong, and barn manager Kathy Keep among those that helped her achieve this great accomplishment.

“My husband is amazing,” she acknowledged. “That trainer, student, husband, wife dynamic does not work for everybody, and he and I have been married for ten years and we have been together for 13 years. We have always known what those boundaries are. It has been a very easy dichotomy to maintain.”

“Deloise helped me a good bit throughout the year too,” Lohman added. “Kathy Keep has worked for us forever. A lot of wonderful, generous people came together and all of the stars aligned tonight to make this happen. It has been an amazing experience.”

Also showing on Tuesday, the professional hunter divisions completed their first day of competition at Verizon Center. The Robotyping Challenge Trophy was presented to Montana Coady’s Ranger, ridden by John French, for the best Green Working Hunter round of the day with a high score of 88 in the Second Year Green Working Hunter division. The Fairfax Hunt Race Association Challenge Trophy for the best Green Working Hunter handy round was presented to Kensel LLC’s So To Speak, ridden by Kelley Farmer, with a score of 85 in the Second Year Green Working Hunters.

The Washington International Horse Show continues on Wednesday with championships for the professional and amateur-owner hunter divisions as well as the $10,000 Children’s Jumper Championship, sponsored by Shamrock Ventures, during the day. The evening session, which begins at 7 p.m., will feature the $10,000 Adult Jumper Championship as well as the $10,000 International Jumper speed class, sponsored by Amalaya Investments. For more information and full results, please visit www.wihs.org.

Final Results: $10,000 WIHS Children’s Hunter Championship, sponsored by The Heisley Family Foundation
Place, Number, Horse, Rider, Owner, Round 1 Score, Round 2 Score, Overall Score
1. 815 ZENTINA B SAMANTHA KARP SAMANTHA KARP 87.000 87.000 174.000
2. 574 CZECH MATE CARLY MARTIN CARLY MARTIN 82.000 79.000 161.000
3. 495 PLAYMORE LEKHA RAMACHANDRAN JENNIFER BASILE 74.500 84.000 158.500
4. 813 BELLAGIO ZOE GANEK ZOE GANEK 78.000 78.000 156.000
5. 727 DON RAMIRO AMY CORETZ AMY CORETZ 72.500 81.000 153.500
6. 123 SERENITY MORGAN VAN NORTWICK MORGAN VAN NORTWICK 77.000 75.000 152.000
7. 696 COMARADERIE ABIGAIL WHITMER ABIGAIL WHITMER 73.000 77.000 150.000
8. 728 SWEET POTATO PIE AMY CORETZ AMY CORETZ 76.000 73.000 149.000
9. 800 MATEO SAVANNAH METHENY SAVANNAH METHENY 73.500 70.000 143.500
10. 695 FERRAGAMO BAILEY HARACH BAILEY HARACH 74.000 68.000 142.000
11. 814 PAPARAZZI ZOE GANEK FELECIA WEISS 75.000 60.000 135.000
12. 554 TUIDAM BRITTA STOECKEL BRITTA STOECKEL 80.000 45.000 125.000

Final Results: Final Results: $10,000 WIHS Adult Hunter Championship, sponsored by The Linden Group at Morgan Stanley
Place, Number, Rider, Owner, Round 1 Score, Round 2 Score, Total Score
1. 686 DAVENPORT JESSICA LOHMAN DANI Di PIETRO 84.000 78.000 162.000
2. 286 CARNAVAL ELITE WHITNEY LIND WHISH LLC 72.000 86.000 158.000
3. 190 CONTINA JACQUELYN MAGGIORE JACQUELYN MAGGIORE 79.000 77.000 156.000
4. 358 CURIOUS GEORGE LUCY LOPER LUCY LOPER 80.000 75.000 155.000
5. 356 TYCOON LAURIE BARNA LAURIE BARNA 70.000 84.000 154.000
6. 448 URLALA KIMBERLY MALOOMIAN TERRY S MALOOMIAN 69.000 80.000 149.000
7. 689 GALLWAY BRITTANY LOWE BRITTANY LOWE 75.000 73.000 148.000
8. 740 SATELLITE MEGAN WINKHAUS MEGAN WINKHAUS 74.000 65.000 139.000
9. 656 UFONIA P. ASHLEY SCHOEN PAULEXI LLC 67.000 67.000 134.000
10. 122 MAN OF FEW WORDS KIRSTEN VAN NORTWICK KIRSTEN VAN NORTWICK 78.000 45.000 123.000
11. 321 SIMPLY COOL JULIA BARNES JULIA BARNES 68.000 53.000 121.000
12. 625 BENVOLIO MARY GROSSMAN MARY GROSSMAN 73.000 0.000 73.000

Photo Credit: Photos © Shawn McMillen Photography, www.shawnmcmillen.com. These photos may only be used in relation to this press release and with full photo credit.

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