Hillary Dobbs aboard Quincy B in the Adequan/USEF National Junior Jumper Championship (Randy Muster)
Riders accrue faults through each phase of the three-part series. Dobbs distinguished herself from the field of 30 by being one of three faultless riders coming into the final phase. Tied after the first round with Maggie McAlary, Dobbs rode the jump-off course first. All was well with Quincy B until the final fence, a narrow, 4’7” vertical, where he tagged a rail.
“He’s a small horse, under 16-hands, but he has a big stride,” said Dobbs. “He’s very sure footed and I can count on his scope (athleticism) as well as his courage. We were going for it, and I needed to reel him in a bit. We just had so much momentum.
He’s fit and fresh despite two nights of tough competition.”
She was resigned to silver, when McAlary’s mount Pedro toppled the rail of the third jump of the jump-off. Pedro and McAlary didn’t make any further mistakes, but didn’t go quite as fast as Dobbs and Quincy B. Three-tenths of a second separated their respective performances and yielded gold for Dobbs.
“It was the best surprise. I am totally thrilled,” she said.
Maggie McAlary seemed to take the silver in stride. “My horse went easy. I used the course to his advantage, and I don’t ever worry about time faults,” she said evenly.
Bronze medal-winner, Kristen Vanderveen of Elburn, IL, turned in the fastest of all times. Her mount, Bradberry, whom she leases from Double H Farms, is a bold, little chestnut. Fortunately, they are well suited to one another. Vanderveen didn’t watch the other riders’ trips, because “their horses are so different from mine, watching just messes up my plans,” she said. Theirs was a clear round as was the fourth place finisher, Julie Welles and Felizdesnoues.
Welles also won the William C. Steinkraus “Style” Trophy commemorating the junior jumper rider whose riding style mirrors Steinkraus’ style. Twice in the three nights of competition Welles felled the last rail of the course.
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