Lexington, Ky. - The USEF Pony Jumper National Championships got underway Thursday evening 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 Individual Championship. In the class, competitors with clean rounds or equal faults remain equal. Ten of the 31 combinations went clear over Jasen Shelley’s solid course, setting the stage for an exciting championship on Saturday.

The following pony jumper combinations jumped clear in Phase I in chronological order:

Isabella Cheers (Shallotte, N.C.) and her own Park Avenue, a 2003 Welsh Pony cross mare

Autumn Fiocca (Austin, T.X.) and Jam Performance LLC's Little Bunny Phoo Phoo, a 2004 Pony cross mare

Madison Kondracki (New Smyrna, Fla.) and her own Magic Beans, a 2010 cross gelding

Genevieve Munson (Rogers, A.R.) and her own Bluebelle, a 2000 pony mare

Kiley Ahn (Johnston, R.I.) and her own Rootbeer Float, a 2000 Thoroughbred/Welsh gelding

Isabella Durnell (Suwanee, Ga.) and her own Carlton Diva, a 2004 Connemara mare

Caroline Mawhinney (Woodside, Calif.) and Stal Minion’s Silver Dream, a 1994 Irish Sport Horse mare

Tabitha Okitsu (South Pasadena, Calif.) and her own Spoot De La Jourlais, a 2006 Connemara/Arabian mare

Keely Bechtol (Lexington, Ky.) and her own Lark’s Magic, a 2000 Morgan gelding

Lydia Philbrick (Henniker, N.H.) and her own Raisin A Ruckus, a 2005 Selle Français/Welsh gelding

Competition continues at 4:30 p.m. ET Friday with the Team Championship, which will also serve as Phase II of the Individual Championship.

Find out more information about the USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm at www.ponyfinals.org.

The live stream is only available to US Equestrian members.

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