Lexington, Ky. – Day three at the 2019 USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm brought many exciting moments in both the hunter and jumper rings. Maddie Tosh won the Small Regular Hunter Pony National Championship presented by PonyTail Bows and nine pony jumper combinations put in clear rounds in Phase I of the USEF Pony Jumper Individual National Championship.
Competitors in the Medium Green Hunter Pony National Championship presented by Sallee Horse Vans and the Large Green Hunter Pony National Championship presented by Triple Crown Nutrition have completed the Model and Under Saddle phases and are determined to put in foot-perfect rounds in the over-fences phase tomorrow.
Five individuals were selected for the Betsy Fishback Sportsmanship Award today, winning an award provided by Bluegrass Belts. The following recipients are youth who have demonstrated the qualities of good sportsmanship while exhibiting at USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm (listed in alphabetical order):
Alexa Anastasio (Wayne, Ill.)
Violet Capra (Bull Valley, Ill.)
Emma Hakim (North Salem, N.Y.)
Alexandra Miller (Richfield, Wis.)
Kristin Palmer (North Sutton, N.H.)
Tosh and Bit of Love Score Back-to-Back Titles in the Small Regular Hunter Pony National Championship Presented by PonyTail Bows at 2019 USEF Pony Finals Presented by Collecting Gaits Farm
Maddie Tosh (Milton, Ga.) and Bit of Love demonstrated their strong partnership by winning the Small Regular Hunter Pony National Championship presented by PonyTail Bows for the second year in a row. Tosh and Betsee Parker’s 13-year-old Welsh Pony cross gelding bested a field of 130 small hunter ponies to claim the title with a total score of 1063.06.
“It is really amazing. It’s crazy that I could do it two years in a row. It’s kind of surreal that it is happening,” said Tosh. “I was a little bit nervous [before my round], but I felt pretty confident since last year went so well and I knew I could do it.”
Tosh and Bit of Love delivered an excellent round to win the Over Fences phase with a score of 265.50. The pair’s scores of 267.19 in the Model phase and 264.87 in the Under Saddle phase on Wednesday helped them solidify their win.
Ziggy Hoffman (Chattahoochee Hills, Ga.) and Ledinjadon Graffiti, his 13-year-old Welsh pony gelding, won the Best Presented Model Pony Award presented by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation for the Small Regular Hunter section. The Best Turned-Out Pony Award for the Small Regular Hunter section went to Lily Epstein (Coral Gables, Fla.) and iSaid, Megan D’Amico’s 11-year-old Welsh pony mare.
Results:
1. Maddie Tosh and Bit of Love
2. Allison Coleman and Smoke Tree Starlet
3. Kat Fuqua and Quicksilver Bells
Tosh and Baroness of Locheil Sit on Top in the Medium Green Hunter Pony National Championship presented by Sallee Horse Vans at the 2019 USEF Pony Finals Presented by Collecting Gaits Farm
Maddie Tosh also leads the Medium Green Hunter Pony National Championship presented by Sallee Horse Vans aboard Baroness of Locheil, Betsee Parker’s six-year-old Welsh pony cross mare. After the first day of competition for the section, the pair tops the leaderboard on a composite score of 539.33. The pair swept the first two phases, winning the blue ribbon in the Model on a score of 267.11, as well as the Under Saddle on a score of 272.22.
The medium green hunter ponies will contest the Over Fences portion of the competition on Friday, August 9.
Leaderboard:
1. Maddie Tosh and Baroness of Locheil
2. Taylor Cawley and By4Now
3. Lauren Gee and Swan Song
Downey and Sandcastle Lead the Large Green Hunter Pony National Championship presented by Triple Crown Nutrition at the 2019 USEF Pony Finals Presented by Collecting Gaits Farm
Tessa Downey (Houston, Texas) and Sandcastle, Noelle Wolf Stables, LLC’s seven-year-old German Riding Pony gelding, lead the Large Green Hunter Pony National Championship presented by Triple Crown Nutrition with a one-two punch in the Model and Under Saddle phases on Thursday. Sitting on a composite score of 519.39, Downey and Sandcastle won the Under Saddle on a score of 265.75 and placed second in the Model on a score of 253.64.
The large green hunter ponies will contest the Over Fences portion of the competition on Friday, August 9.
Leaderboard:
1. Tessa Downey and Sandcastle
2. Nicole Boyle and Be Mine
3. Caroline Mirts and Envy
Nine Jump Clear in Individual Phase I of the 2019 USEF Pony Jumper Individual National Championship
On Thursday evening, the USEF Pony Jumper National Championships got underway in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. The riders and their ponies competed in the Welcome Class, which served as Phase I of the USEF Pony Jumper Individual National Championship. In the class, competitors with clean rounds or equal faults remain equal.
Combinations demonstrated their skill and finesse, and the majority of which produced very successful rounds over Jasen Shelley’s intricate course. With nine of the 22 combinations jumping clear, Saturday’s final round is sure to be an exciting conclusion to a memorable competition for the young athletes.
The following pony jumper combinations jumped clear in Phase I, in alphabetical order:
Kiley Ahn (Johnston, R.I.) and Rootbeer Float, her 19-year-old Thoroughbred/Welsh cross gelding
Hannah Attar (Pasadena, Calif.) and Joel, Camille O’Brien’s 13-year-old German Riding Pony gelding
Alexis Bauman (Woodstock, Ill.) and Miracles Happen, Amber Bauman’s 14-year-old Welsh pony gelding
Devi Ferreira (Jamul, Calif.) and Silver Charm, Ixchel Mosley’s 14-year-old Welsh pony cross gelding
Madison Kondracki (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) and Magic Beans, her nine-year-old pony mare
Tabitha Okitsu (South Pasadena, Calif.) and Spoot de la Jourlais, her 13-year-old Connemara/Arabian mare
Devon Owen (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) and EZ to Spot, Ponies Unlimited, LLC’s 18-year-old Pony of the Americas gelding
Ryder Richardson (Parker, Colo.) and RR Cool Play, his nine-year-old half-Connemara gelding
Hallie Rush (Prospect, Tenn.) and Sky Miles, her 20-year-old Connemara mare
Competition continues on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET with the USEF Pony Jumper Team National Championship, which will also serve as Phase II of the individual championship.
Live coverage of the 2019 USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm will continue on the USEF Network beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET on Friday, August 9, with classes for the Medium Regular Hunter Pony National Championship presented by Sallee Horse Vans.
Find out more information about the USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm at www.ponyfinals.org.
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