Lucy Deslauriers and Center Field. (Shawn McMillen Photography)

Washington D.C. - Later in the afternoon, young riders competed in the WIHS Pony Equitation Finals with a win for 13-year-old Lucy Deslauriers, of New York, NY, aboard GC Ponies’ Center Field. Deslauriers was presented The Jane Marshall Dillon Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by the friend and students of Mrs. Jane Marshall Dillon. She scored an 87 over fences and came out on top after the work-off under saddle. Charlise Casas finished second with a score of 81, Ericka Koscinski was third with a 77, and Daisy Farish placed fourth with a score of 75.?

Deslauriers is good friends with last year’s winner, Ali Tritschler, and was presented the award by her friend. She has been leasing Center Field since just after WIHS last year and explained that this is her last show on him. She is done with the ponies now and will start riding horses. ?

“He is my favorite and I love him so much,” Deslauriers praised. “He is really good at these rounds, so I knew he would be a good boy coming into this. He is pretty straightforward; he’s good about turning and stuff, so I was happy to ride him.”??

Deslauriers and Center Field also won the EquiSport Insurance/U.S. Pony Medal Finals this year. Speaking about her jumping round today, Deslauriers explained the advice that came from trainer Krista Freundlich.?

“Krista told me to just go inside as much as I could and make it look smooth, so I just did what she told me and tried to make it look good,” she laughed. “He seems to like showing here. He was really good. I like it too; it was really fun.”

Regional Hunter Finals Conclude Competition

Concluding the week of competition at the 2012 WIHS were the regional hunter championships. The WIHS Regional Pony Hunter champion and Finals winner was 12-year-old Devin Vega, of Middletown, DE, riding Kimi Hochstein’s Loafers Lodge Darling Edwin. Vega and ‘Edwin’ received The Liseter Clever Star Perpetual Trophy, donated by Dr. Betsee Parker, who was also the sponsor of the division. The reserve champion was Pret-a-Porter and Brooke Van Nortwick.?

In their final class today, Vega and Edwin earned the winning score of 85 to take the championship. Second place in the final went to Linda Foster’s Swizzlestick and Emma Hess, who scored an 84. Third place went to Dr. Betsee Parker’s Liseter Clever Star, ridden by Lydia Davidson.?

Vega has had help from several trainers, including her mom, Amy Vega, Chad Keenum, Kelly Wilson, and Elizabeth Mandarino. Vega has only ridden Edwin a handful of times, including the Capital Challenge Horse Show and local shows at Prince George’s Equestrian Center. The pair has partnered up nicely.?

“He went to Pony Finals and he was reserve at local day in the Children’s,” Vega said. “I love him; he is fun. He is very floaty and he just jumps up to you. He is a good boy and he is pretty easy.”?

This was Vega’s first time showing at WIHS and she had a very successful day. “It is so much fun here,” she smiled. “It is cool to be in a big arena and win here. I was kind of nervous before I went in, but I just knew that I had to do it. I was happy at the end. I was like ‘I did it!' It was fun and I was proud of Edwin. He was happy I think; he wasn’t nervous or anything.”?

The WIHS Regional Hunter Horse Finals immediately followed with a championship win for 14-year-old Mary Elizabeth Cordia, of Alexandria, VA, and Welcome. Cordia was awarded The Black, Starr and Frost Perpetual Trophy donated by Black, Starr and Frost. Reserve went to Be Eme Diablo, owned by Streett Moore and ridden by Alexis Ancel.

Urban and Chelsea Director, of Potomac, MD, won today’s final class with a high score of 83. Be Eme Diablo and Alexis Ancel scored an 81 for second place, and Mary Elizabeth Cordia finished in third with a score of 77 aboard Welcome.?

Cordia trains with Jenny Graham at Cedar Creek in Virginia. She bought her horse Welcome this March and has spent the year getting to know him.

“He’s an equitation horse, but since there are not that many three-foot equitation classes, we have been doing the hunters and so far he has been just marvelous,” Cordia explained. “He is different from anything I have ridden, but he is a cool ride. He has such a good canter and he is always willing to go anywhere you want him to. I’ve owned a pony, but he is the first horse I have owned.”?

Cordia showed at WIHS last year in the WIHS Children’s Hunter Championships and was excited to come back this year. “It is just so cool being in the city because you are down here in the arena and it is the horse show world, but then you walk up and you are walking your horse down the streets in the city. It is just so unreal,” she remarked.?

“It is cool to have the opportunity to show here because I have only had him since March and we have not really done that much because I was just getting to know him,” Cordia added. “We went to Regionals not really knowing what would happen and just looking to have fun, and it was a great outcome.”?

The Regional Hunter and Pony Equitation champions were awarded a pair of custom chaps provided by Journeymen Saddlers, Ltd.

For full results and more information, please visit www.wihs.org.

Final Results: WIHS Pony Equitation Finals
1 140 Lucy Deslauriers NEW YORK NY 87.000
2 536 Charlise Casas KENILWORTH 81.000
3 551 Ericka Koscinski CENTER MORICHES NY 77.000
4 205 Daisy Farish VERSAILLES KY 75.000
5 641 Bernadette Louise 83.000
6 661 Carly Hoft ROLESVILLE NC 74.000
7 422 Yasmin Rizvi GREENWICH CT 73.000
8 398 Elena Desanti VIENNA VA 72.000
9 427 Lili Hymowitz NEW YORK NY 69.000
10 668 Madeline Berry TUSCALOOSA AL 68.000

Final Results: WIHS Regional Hunter Finals - Ponies
1 840 LOAFERS LODGE DARLING EDWIN Devin Vega Kimi Hochstein 85.000
Scores : 85.00
2 836 SWIZZLESTICK Emma Hess Linda Foster 84.000
Scores : 84.00
3 833 LISETER CLEVER STAR Lydia Davidson Dr. Betsee Parker 72.000
Scores : 72.00
4 842 CHINA BLUE Lauren Ginsberg Stacey Schaefer 70.000
Scores : 70.00
5 841 BLUE ON BLUE Sarah Boston Chloe D Reid Llc 68.000
Scores : 68.00
6 834 PRET-A-PORTER Brooke Van Nortwick Brooke Van Nortwick 65.000
Scores : 65.00
7 856 FARNLEY FANCY Peyton Ruddy Peyton Ruddy 63.000
Scores : 63.00
8 839 FARNLEY CROWN PRINCE Christa Strasel Hetty Abeles 55.000
Scores : 55.00?

Final Results: WIHS Regional Hunter Finals – Horses
1 848 URBAN Chelsea Director Chelsea Director 83.000
Scores : 83.00
2 850 BE EME DIABLO Alexis Ancel Streett Moore 81.000
Scores : 81.00
3 506 WELCOME Mary Elizabeth Cordia Mary Elizabeth Cordia 77.000
Scores : 77.00
4 845 SOUVENIR Ashley Chucker Ashley Chucker 72.000
Scores : 72.00
5 847 ROCOCO Brittani Director Brittani Director 70.000
Scores : 70.00
6 846 BLACK MAGIC Marissa Simmons Marissa Simmons 65.000
Scores : 65.00
7 851 LUCCA Kimberly Meighan Kimberly Meighan 63.000
Scores : 63.00
8 849 DENTON Victoria Wymer Sara Parrish 60.000
Scores : 60.0?