Elizabeth Benson and San Remo VDL. (Shawn McMillen Photography)
Returning for the final work-off sitting in first place overall, Benson’s ride aboard Catherine Tyree’s mount Patrick scored a 90.33, giving her a three round total of 270.832 for the win. ???The judges for the class were Todd Karn, of Fayetteville, NY, Jimmy Clapperton, of Savannah, GA, Alison Robitaille, of Upperville, VA, Ralph Caristo, of Saugerties, NY, Lauren Hough of Wellington, FL, and Scott Williamson of Wellington, FL.
Benson earned the victory over Hasbrouck Donovan, of Gainesville, FL, who totaled 267.833 with scores of 87.33, 89.50, and 91.00. Donovan rode Don Stewart and Derbypie LLC’s Drake in the hunter/jumper rounds and then piloted Benson’s mount San Remo VDL in the final work-off.
Third place went to Jacob Pope, of Owings Mills, MD, with a three round total of 263.082. Pope rode Madeline Turner’s Uno to scores of 88 and 84.42 in the first two rounds. His ride in the final work-off aboard Sarah Milliren’s mount Alando, owned by Devney Hoft, scored a 90.67.?
This was Elizabeth Benson’s second time competing in the WIHS Equitation Finals after placing third in the competition last year. This year she stepped up to the plate to secure the title.?
Benson was presented The WIHS Equitation Classic Trophy donated by Mr. and Mrs. G. Ralph Ours, III and a pair of custom chaps provided by Journeymen Saddlers, Ltd. San Remo VDL was awarded The Lugano Memorial Trophy donated by Stoney Hill as the winning horse of the night. Championship coolers were sponsored by Mrs. Margaret Hamilton Duprey.??
Following the victory, Benson spoke about her two mounts, San Remo VDL and Patrick, and the honor of winning. She has owned San Remo VDL for three years.??
“Last year I wasn’t able to show him; he was out with an injury off and on for a year,” Benson stated. “He had a little bit of a break before coming here this year and we wanted to make sure he was set for the end of these finals. For me he is perfect; he can’t do much wrong.”
Speaking about her work-off mount Patrick, she detailed, “He was definitely comfortable from the start. I wasn’t as nervous as I was last year. I came back in the same spot (this year), second in the hunter phase and first in the jumper phase. Going in on him I think he was more my ride. He was easy to open up and get down the first line and get down the tricky parts of the course, so I liked him a lot.”
Benson’s trainer, Stacia Madden, felt confident that her student would come out on top after her top scores in the hunter and jumper phases.
“I do believe that the judges don’t like to lose the winner when they perform well and consistent and haven’t left the door open to make any mistakes,” Madden noted. “I didn’t get to see many others go, but I did not think Elizabeth left the door open; she had a lead going into it. I was just very hopeful that the class was going to pan out her way.”
Benson and second place finisher Hasbrouck Donovan will both be attending Auburn University this year and received scholarships to ride on the school’s NCAA Equestrian Team. Benson will travel to Kentucky to contest the ASPCA National Maclay Finals next week as well, but for now she will take in the magnitude of this great accomplishment.?
She was almost speechless trying to describe the winning feeling. “I can’t even put it into words I think,” Benson said with an emotion-filled laugh. “I was thrilled and excited. I didn’t imagine I would be in this spot.”
Hasbrouck Donovan had a fantastic ride on Benson’s San Remo VDL in her work-off round to secure the reserve honors. Donovan described that ride, “Elizabeth told me he was really fun and that you just have to really steer him around. He was awesome.”?
Donovan’s trainer, Don Stewart, commented on the level of quality in the top young riders this year. “I think both these two girls at this point in time are consistent and they ride so well, that I don’t think the pressure is an issue,” Stewart stated. “They are so competitive. They obviously have ice water in their veins. It doesn’t matter what show, what venue.”?
Madden agreed and added how impressive it is that both of these top riders are continuing their educations. “There are so many top riders now; it really comes down to the day and whose day it is,” Madden said. “When you look at it on paper there are at least 15 kids that could win these finals on any given day. There are a lot of variables: the course, the weather, the venue. With the girls maintaining school and such a high standard of riding, it is just amazing. You want to think that this sport gets you the whole way, but education is very important. I think it sets a good precedent.”?
Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers Compete in Classics
Chellando Z and Katherine Strauss. (Shawn McMillen Photography)
Twenty entries showed in the class with seven advancing to the jump-off. Three entries completed the short course without fault, and Katherine Strauss and Chellando Z set the pace at 33.344 seconds to win the Ambassador's Cup Perpetual Trophy, donated by Ambassador and Mrs. Marion H. Smoak.?
Gabrielle Bausano and Ubico H finished in 33.573 seconds to place second. Ashley Foster and RAF LLC’s Indy placed third in 33.586 seconds.??
Katherine Strauss has had great success at WIHS at a young age. She won the $10,000 Children’s Jumper Championship in 2010 and finished second in the same class last year. She has since moved up to compete as a junior and was able to beat out many top junior and amateur riders today.?
Trained by Frank Madden and Jennifer Griffiths, Strauss described their plan for today’s course, “first round I did not ride my best, so I was really trying to come back with a smooth round. Our plan was to go for it, but not to the point where we would beat ourselves and try to go too crazy and have a rail, and it ended up paying off.”?
Strauss’s horse, Chellando Z, is a nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Chellano Z. She has owned him for over a year. “He is amazing,” Strauss smiled. “Every opportunity he had to help me out there today, he did. He wants to win just as badly as we do. He is really playful and I love him.”?
Strauss is 13 years old and in eighth grade, but she is winning over many older, more experienced riders. Commenting on her win today, she stated, “It was really fun. I just tried to ride my best, but it’s really exciting. There was a lot of great competition. Everybody who is here obviously rides well and deserves to be here. A lot of the shows I have been to over the summer they have also been at, so I just tried to stay calm and ride my best.”?
“Washington has always been one of my favorite shows since I came here to do children’s jumpers and ponies,” Strauss added. “Washington is a great show. I think it is really great that they can keep the tradition of having a show in the city.” ??
The High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper champion, sponsored by Oasis Petroleum, was Amalaya Investments’ Vesuvius and Meagan Nusz. They were awarded the Greenberg Challenge Trophy donated by Mr. and Mrs. Hermen Greenberg. Strauss and Chellando Z were reserve champions. The Shalanno Style of Riding Award was given to Charlotte Jacobs, of East Aurora, NY.?
In the $5,000 Senator's Cup Low Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic, sponsored by North Star, sixteen-year-old Michael Hughes, of Allendale, NJ, had a repeat victory from last year riding Drumnacross Farm Ltd.’s Red Hot.?
Twenty-two entries showed in the class, with nine advancing to the jump-off. Hughes and Red Hot had the fastest of five double clear rounds through the short course in 30.658 seconds. For their win, the pair was presented with the Swan Lake Perpetual Trophy donated by Beagle Brook Farm in honor of the 1992 winner Swan Lake, ridden by Jennifer F. Miller.?
Venezuelan rider Emanuel Andrade finished second in 31.072 seconds aboard Hollow Creek Farm’s Casanova Junior. Reed Patton had two horses in the jump-off and finished third aboard Tissem in 32.745 seconds and fourth aboard Von Dutch in 35.204 seconds. Lillie Keenan also had two rides in the jump-off and took a fall from her first mount, but returned to earn the fifth place honors aboard Abigail Wexner’s Zycarla Z with a clear jump-off round in 35.204 seconds.
Red Hot is a year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding by Indoctro. Hughes has had a lot of great success with the gelding and knows his ride well. On winning their second Classic in a row at WIHS, Hughes smiled, “It’s great. Red Hot is such a great horse to come into this environment. He is so active always and he loves coming here.”?
Hughes described his plan on course, taking into account Red Hot’s particular style. “In the first round there were a lot of different options because Red Hot doesn’t have the biggest stride in the world, so you always have the option of adding another stride,” he noted. “I tried to take the slower options actually in the first round because he tends to get a little bit crazy towards the end. Then in the jump-off, I just tried to keep a consistent, forward pace the whole time and it ended up working out. I think from one to two I really never slowed down at all.”?
The Washington International Horse Show always makes an effort to provide meaningful award presentations and special acknowledgement for its winners. Hughes spoke about the honor of winning at one of the most prestigious shows in the country.?
“There is such a great atmosphere here; it is always so exciting,” he smiled. “You are jumping any jump on course and the crowd is screaming if you jump it clear. It makes it fun.”?
The Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship, sponsored by North Star, went to Hughes and Red Hot. They won the Foxbrook Perpetual Trophy in honor of Space Citation, donated by Joy Slater. Andrade and Casanova Junior were the reserve champions.
More from Saturday at the Washington International Horse Show
Reed Kessler and Cylana Capture Victory in $100,000 President's Cup Grand Prix, CSI 3*-W
Final Results: WIHS Equitation Classic Finals
1 793 Elizabeth Benson WHITEHOUSE STATION NJ 270.832
Scores : 89.33, 91.17, 90.33
2 814 Hasbrouck Donovan GAINESVILLE FL 267.833
Scores : 87.33, 89.50, 91.00
3 818 Jacob Pope OWINGS MILLS MD 263.082
Scores : 88.00, 84.42, 90.67
4 800 Michael Hughes MORRISTON FL 259.332
Scores : 89.83, 84.83, 84.67
5 809 Meg O'Mara RUMSON NJ 257.832
Scores : 87.83, 90.33, 79.67
6 819 Victoria Colvin LOXAHATCHEE FL 257.499
Scores : 86.00, 83.17, 88.33
7 827 Kristen Lutz PURCHASE NY 252.332
Scores : 86.17, 79.83, 86.33
8 859 Sarah Milliren SAPULA OK 250.165
Scores : 84.33, 82.17, 83.67
9 790 Gabrielle Bausano NEW YORK NY 237.499
Scores : 85.00, 82.83, 69.67
10 799 Catherine Tyree CHICAGO IL 212.999
Scores : 84.67, 88.33, 40.00?
Final Results: $10,000 SJHOF Ambassador's Cup High Junior/Amateur-Owner
Jumper Classic sponsored by Oasis Petroleum
1 104 CHELLANDO Z KATHERINE STRAUSS: 0/0/33.344
KATHERINE STRAUSS
2 142 UBICO H GABRIELLE BAUSANO: 0/0/33.573
GABRIELLE BAUSANO
3 120 INDY ASHLEY FOSTER: 0/0/33.586
RAF LLC
4 746 VESUVIUS MEAGAN NUSZ: 0/4/32.062
AMALAYA INVESTMENTS
5 582 KACHINA CHARLOTTE JACOBS: 0/4/32.193
DEERIDGE FARMS
6 658 DELILAH HASBROUCK DONOVAN: 0/4/36.548
DERBY PIE LLC
7 698 TWILIGHT KATIE COX: 0/12/37.866
KIM COX
8 238 VICKY TAYLOR ALEXANDER: 4/55.914
REDFIELD FARM
9 444MONSIEUR DU REVERDY VICTORIA COLVIN: 4/57.108
VICTORIA COLVIN
10 647 SINATRA IV MEG O'MARA: 4/58.444
WALSTIB STABLES LLC
Final Results: $5,000 Senator's Cup Low Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic sponsored by North Star
1 243 RED HOT MICHAEL HUGHES: 0/0/30.658
DRUMNACROSS FARM LTD
2 632 CASANOVA JUNIOR EMANUEL ANDRADE: 0/0/31.072
HOLLOW CREEK FARM
3 213 TISSEM REID PATTON: 0/0/32.745
REID PATTON
4 212 VON DUTCH REID PATTON: 0/0/33.158
REID PATTON
5 345 ZYCARLA Z LILLIE KEENAN: 0/0/35.204
ABIGAIL WEXNER
6 587 CLIVE DIEDERIQUE VAN DER KNAPP: 0/4/29.588
DIEDERIQUE VAN DER KNAAP
7 173 S & L PYLOS ANNABELLE GUNDLACH: 0/4/32.516
POSTAGE STAMP FARM
8 626 COUNT ON ME 5 HARRISON SHURE: 0/8/33.230
HARRISON SHURE
9 346 ZENTINA B LILLIE KEENAN 0/elim.
CHANSONETTE FARM LLC
10 459 STARNATO ALEXANDRA CROWN: 4/54.172
ALEXANDRA CROWN