Reed Kessler and Ligist with ringmaster John Franzreb, Andrea King and Emanuel Andrade of Hollow Creek Farm, and WIHS Executive Director Bridget Love Meehan. (Shawn McMillen Photography)

Washington D.C. - The $20,000 International Open Jumper Gambler’s Choice Costume Class, sponsored by Hollow Creek Farm, is always an exciting event at WIHS, especially with Barn Night and thousands of young fans cheering on the riders. In tonight’s class, 18-year-old Reed Kessler, of Lexington, KY, jumped to victory aboard Ligist. The duo earned 860 points over the course and jumped clean over the Joker fence for an additional 200 points. Their 1060 total was the winning score.?

Kessler was presented with the Crown Royal Trophy, donated by Crown Royal, as the winning rider, while Ligist, a 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding by Levantos II x Robin Z, won The Sue Ann Geisler Memorial Trophy, donated by the Washington International Horse Show, as the winning horse.?

Kessler showed in tonight’s costume class as Catwoman, explaining that the idea came from her childhood nickname. “My nickname has always been Reedycat,” she stated. “My middle name is Catherine, so that is what my parents always call me. I figured this was the year to be Catwoman.”?

After competing in her first Olympic Games this summer, Kessler has become a role model for young girls, and the Barn Night crowd was definitely cheering her on tonight. Commenting on the support of her young fans, Kessler smiled, “It was amazing. I love Washington, especially Barn Night; it is always so much fun. The stands are packed with horse loving kids and it was a blast.”?

“I am normally really bad at these classes, so I am over the moon,” Kessler added, but she collaborated on the course route with trainer Katie Prudent and came up with a good plan. “Normally I get a little frazzled and I go too fast and then I have a million rails, so I took it slowly and I went for more the clear round and it paid off.”??

Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts rode Stal De Kalvarie’s Deibrich De Kalvarie to second place with 980 points dressed as Luigi from the Super Mario Bros. Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam scored 940 points aboard Sweet Oak Farm’s Solerina dressed as a hot dog and finished third.??

Hughes and Nusz Triumph in Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers

Sixteen-year-old Michael Hughes, of Allendale, NJ, claimed the win in Thursday’s $2,500 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper jump-off class, sponsored by North Star. Twenty-three entries showed in the class, with nine advancing to the jump-off. Hughes and Drumnacross Farm Ltd.’s Red Hot had the fastest of six double clear rounds in 30.543 seconds for the win and were presented with the Beagle Brook Farm Perpetual Trophy.?

Anna Cardelfe and Sorensen Stables’ Wenda AK finished in second place after setting the pace in the jump-off at 31.160 seconds. Nicole Lakin and Theodoor finished third in 31.246 seconds.??

Hughes and Red Hot won the $5,000 Senator's Cup Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic at last year’s WIHS and have their sights set on earning that victory again. They are off to a good start for the week with today’s victory. Following the presentation, Hughes spoke about Red Hot, and how much the 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (by Indoctro) loves indoors.?

“He doesn’t show very much. He knows exactly what he has to do, so he only comes out a couple times a year, only at the big horse shows,” Hughes stated. “He is a great horse to do indoors. I’ve been riding him for three or four years now, so I know him really well. He is always so easy. The more pressure you put on him, the better he is. At a bigger horse show he is so much better than he is at a smaller horse show; he just rises to the occasion so well.”?
Commenting on his plan for today’s class, Hughes explained, “I just wanted to have a good, confident ride today because there are two more classes going, so hopefully he will be good the rest of the week.”?

“I thought the course was very fair for today,” he added. “It wasn’t as difficult as it will probably be on Saturday, but it was a good first course to go in and get started in the ring here.”?

On showing at the WIHS, Hughes detailed, “I love the atmosphere here. It is so cool, right in the middle of the city. No other horse show is like this.”?The $5,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper jump-off class, sponsored by Oasis Petroleum, was held during the evening session with a repeat victory for Meagan Nusz, of The Woodlands, TX. Last year, Nusz won the class riding Banana D’Ive Z, and this year she piloted Amalaya Investments’ Vesuvius to victory.??

Twenty-three horse and rider combinations contested the class with five entries making it to the jump-off. Chloe Reid and Damascus were first to jump off and went clear in 31.900 seconds over the short course to eventually finish second. Charlotte Jacobs and Deeridge Farms’ Kachina also cleared the course and stopped the clock in 31.971 seconds to earn fourth place. Victoria Colvin and Monsieur Du Reverdy were faster, but had a rail in 30.920 seconds to finish fifth. Gabrielle Bausano went next and cleared the course in 31.957 seconds aboard Ubico H to place third. Last to go, Meagan Nusz and Vesuvius stole the lead, racing through the course in 29.509 seconds for the win.??
Nusz is 25 years old and trains with show jumper Kent Farrington. Her horse, Vesuvius, is a ten-year-old KWPN gelding by Numero Uno x Expert. The pair was awarded The “Footloose” Perpetual Trophy in remembrance of Ruth Ellen Wilmot, donated by The Curtin Family, for their win tonight.?
Commenting on her success, Nusz explained, “Last year was my first year here, and this year it was very exciting to win again. I really wasn’t expecting it. I did a repeat of last year, winning two classes and a championship at Harrisburg and then the first class here. That was really exciting; I tried to tell myself that I am not going to win everything, that I might have a rail down, and not to be too disappointed. My horse is amazing though, and he tries so hard out there. Good days and bad days, I really trust him. He is a tremendous horse, and I am so lucky to have him. We have a great partnership and it is exciting when we do well.”

Riding in the class during Barn Night, Nusz had a full crowd of horse fans cheering her on as well, which added to the atmosphere and excitement of the win. Nusz acknowledged the fans, throwing her blue ribbon to one of the little girls in the crowd.

“They are so cute! They are screaming for you and yelling for your horse,” Nusz smiled. “I threw my ribbon to one of the girls in the stands because she was so excited and so cute. Hopefully it will be something special for her to remember this by, and hopefully she will come back again next year. It means so much to have that support. The amateur riders don’t always have that same support, and it means so much! I love riding for a big crowd; I love the attention, especially when I win.”?

The Washington International Horse Show continues tomorrow with the championships for the junior hunter divisions as well as the hunter phase for the WIHS Equitation Classic Finals. The Low and High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers will have speed classes in the afternoon session, while the International Open Jumpers have a $10,000 1.40m faults converted class.

The evening session begins with a $32,000 International Open Jumper 1.50m faults converted class, followed by terrier races, an exhibition from the .S. Army's Caisson Platoon military horses and amazing demonstrations from Australian horsemanship master Guy McLean. The night closes with the $25,000 Puissance, presenting The Armed Forces Cup, sponsored by The Boeing Company.

The WIHS is excited to announce that the $100,000 President's Cup Grand Prix, CSI 3*-W will be aired on NBC Sports Network on Sunday, October 28, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. EST.

More from Thursday at the Washington International Horse Show

Brianne Goutal and Onira Triumph in $32,000 Open Jumpers at 54th Annual Washington International Horse Show

Final Results: $20,000 International Open Jumper Gambler's Choice, Sponsored by Hollow Creek Farm
Placing/Back Number/Horse/Rider/Country/Owner/Points/Time

1 49 LIGIST REED KESSLER USA REED KESSLER: 1060 57.345
2 92 DIEBRICH DE KALVARIE NICOLA PHILIPPAERTS BEL STAL DE KALVARIE: 980 0.000
3 17 SOLERINA SHANE SWEETNAM IRL SWEET OAK FARM: 940 56.845
4 25 VALESKA CHARLIE JAYNE USA PONY LANE FARM: 900 59.304
5 31 BELMONT LAURA KRAUT USA BEVERLEY WIDDOWSON: 880 0.000
6 8 UNEX VALVENTE TIM GREDLEY GBR UNEX COMPETITION YARD LTD: 880 57.874
7 60 X M ANDREW WELLES USA PETER WELLES: 870 58.265
8 86 VICTOR E CHRISTINE MCCREA USA CANDY TRIBBLE & WINDSOR SHOW STABLES: 830 0.000
9 38 WONDER GIRL LAUREN HOUGH USA LAUREN HOUGH: 730 51.903
10 88 CHICAGO VH MOLENEINA OLIVIER PHILIPPAERTS BEL LUDO PHILIPPAERTS: 730 59.420

Final Results: $2,500 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper TFJO, Sponsored by North Star
Placing?/Back Number/Horse/Rider/Owner/Rd. 1 Faults/Rd. 2 Faults/Time

1 ??243 RED HOT MICHAEL HUGHES DRUMNACROSS FARM LTD: 0/0/30.543
2 145WENDA AK ANNA CARDELFE SORENSEN STABLES: 0/0/31.160
3 151 THEODOOR NICOLE LAKIN NICOLE LAKIN: 0/0/31.246
4 173 S & L PYLOS ANNABELLE GUNDLACH POSTAGE STAMP FARM: 0/0/31.928
5 212 VON DUTCH REID PATTON REID PATTON: 0/0/32.009
6 266 ISHANA III KELLI CRUCIOTTI SERENITY FARM: 0/0/32.445
7 687 SUGAR RAY SAMANTHA SCHAEFER JOHN SKINNER: 0/4/30.689
8 147 THUNDER-BALL ALEESHA MELWANI MOUNTAIN HOME STABLES: 0/8/30.231

Final Results: High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper TFJO, Sponsored by Oasis Petroleum
Placing/Back Number/Horse/Rider/Owner/Rd. 1 Faults/Rd. 2 Faults/Time

1 746 VESUVIUS MEAGAN NUSZ AMALAYA INVESTMENTS: 0/0/29.509
2 220 DAMASCUS CHLOE REID CHLOE D REID LLC: 0/0/31.900
3 142 UBICO H GABRIELLE BAUSANO GABRIELLE BAUSANO: 0/0/31.957
4 582 KACHINA CHARLOTTE JACOBS DEERIDGE FARMS: 0/0/31.971
5 444MONSIEUR DU REVERDY VICTORIA COLVIN VICTORIA COLVIN: 0/4/30.920
6 104 CHELLANDO Z KATHERINE STRAUSS KATHERINE STRAUSS: 4/57.756
7 120 INDY ASHLEY FOSTER RAF LLC: 4/58.721
8 635 COSTA EMANUEL ANDRADE HOLLOW CREEK FARM: 4/59.283