Lexington, Ky. – The 2023 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms ended on Sunday with the Marshall & Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Final. A total of 187 combinations competed in round one over Jasen Shelley’s challenging track with the requirement of halting then jumping a trot fence during the course. Twenty combinations returned for round two with three from the small section, 10 from the medium section, and seven from the large section. The second-round course required solid riding skills with tests such as options to take inside or outside turns and demonstrating a hand gallop.
(Shawn McMillen Photography)
Following round two, judges Virginia Edwards and MaryLisa Leffler required additional testing to determine the top three placings. Samantha Smith, Kaitlyn Linck, and Emi Richard returned to the ring without stirrups to perform a test on the flat. The competitors were asked to demonstrate walk, rising and sitting trot, canter, and lengthening of stride at the trot and canter. In the end, Samantha Smith was victorious with Sports Illustrated, a 2015 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Redfield Farm.
Smith came to Pony Finals hoping to compete in the Medal, but she didn’t have a pony to ride until two days ago when she paired up with Sports Illustrated. Her main trainers Randi and Shelby Cashman along with Jimmy Torano, Luke Olsen, and the pony’s owner Emil Spadone made arrangements for Smith to ride Sports Illustrated in the Medal. The pair quickly became acquainted with each other to be able to earn a top result.
“He is pretty straightforward and amazing,” said Smith. “He is really easy to find the jumps on. He just canters right up to it and is really good.”
Smith put in two excellent rounds over tracks that asked riders several questions to test their abilities to put together a flowing round.
“I was really scared, but the course was really great,” said Smith. “[It rode] really nice. Everything I thought rode really, really smooth. The rollbacks were a little tricky, and the lines were a little longer, but it rode pretty nice.”
While Smith competed at Pony Finals in 2019, this was her first time competing in the Medal. Smith didn’t put high expectations on where she might finish, but placed better than she could’ve hoped. Her preparations with no-stirrups work served her well in the work-off.
“I went through a period where I didn’t have stirrups for two months to get my legs a little bit stronger back in the winter,” said Smith.
While everything fell into place for Smith to collect the win, she was happy to have made it to the premier event.
“My favorite thing about [Pony Finals] is mostly being here and getting in the ring, and helping my friend that was here [doing the large regular division],” said Smith. “Mostly just being here”
Kaitlyn Linck won the reserve champion title riding Beaverwoods Hydrangia, a 2013 Welsh Pony mare owned by Kirsten Brunner. Emi Richard was third aboard Rashinga, a 2012 German Pony mare owned by Serena Theodoracopulos.
Leaderboard:
- Samantha Smith
- Kaitlyn Linck
- Emi Richard
US Equestrian subscribers and members will be able to watch replays on demand of the 2023 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms. Learn more here.
Find out more information about the USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms at www.ponyfinals.org.
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