Lexington, Ky. – Day three at the 2022 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms brought exciting moments in both the hunter and jumper rings. Small Green and Small Regular Pony Hunters earned their national champion titles, while nine pony jumper combinations put in clear rounds in Phase I of the USEF Pony Jumper Individual National Championship. Competitors in the Medium Green and Large Green Pony Hunter National Championships completed the Model and Under Saddle phases and look forward to the Over Fences phase on Friday.
Vivian Golden and Preston Claim Top Honors in Small Green Pony Hunter National Championship
(Shawn McMillen Photography)
Vivian Golden has attended several Pony Finals but earned her first national champion title this year with Preston in the Small Green Pony Hunter National Championship with an overall score of 998.23. On Tuesday, Golden (Wyomissing, Pa.) and Dr. Betsee Parker’s 2016 Welsh Pony gelding won the Model phase with a score 261.24 and had a strong Under Saddle phase with a score of 246.15. The pair moved from fifth overall to first on the strength of a flowing round in the Over Fences phase, scoring 245.42 to win the phase.
“Originally coming in here, I was a little nervous,” said Golden. “He has been really good this year, but we weren’t expecting [to win]. It was really cool to go in there and actually get going because he is a really slow pony and he wasn’t like that today. He was really good.”
Golden praised Preston’s way of going that helped them have such a pleasant round. “He has a really nice, smooth rhythm and he keeps his head up, which is nice for his uphill balance,” said Golden.
Leaderboard:
- Vivian Golden and Preston
- Emi Richard and Ribbon’s Glenn
- Aundrea Hillyard and Royal Legacy
Best Presented Model Pony
Sydney Loftland and Hilbury Eregon Legacy, her 2014 Welsh Pony gelding
Best Turned Out Pony
Sienna Smith and Royal Legacy, her 2015 Welsh Pony gelding, with groom Saúl Osorino
Ella Endzweig and Private Message Earn Small Regular Pony Hunter National Championship
(Shawn McMillen Photography)
Ella Endzweig and Private Message leapt up the leaderboard with a lovely round in the Over Fences phase. Endzweig (New York, N.Y.) and Twin Island, LLC’s 2012 Welsh Pony mare started off the competition with respectable scores of 249.11 in the Model phase and 252.29 in the Under Saddle phase. The pair used their strong partnership to make an impressive climb from 23rd place to win the Over Fences phase with a score of 528.18 for an overall score of 1029.58.
“It’s really, really special,” Endzweig said her relationship with her pony. “She is the best girl because she just trusted me and I trusted her. She did every jump that I asked her to.”
Endzweig competes alongside her twin sister Luca, who finished seventh in the Small Regular division. “[It’s] really fun,” Endzweig said of showing with her sister Luca. “We get really competitive though, but we are happy for each other.”
Leaderboard:
1. Ella Endzweig and Private Message
2. Ella Tarumianz and So Enchanted
3. Ella Jane Howard and Sugarbrook Burnside
Best Presented Model Pony
Ella Endzweig and Private Message
Best Turned Out Pony
Reilly Robertson and Clovermeade Bunny Talks, Rabbit Hill Farm’s 2007 Welsh Pony gelding, with groom Fernando Lopez
(Shawn McMillen Photography)
Nine Go Clear in Phase I of the USEF Pony Jumper Individual National Championship
The USEF Pony Jumper National Championships got underway Thursday with Phase I of the USEF Pony Jumper Individual National Championship. In the class, competitors with clean rounds or equal faults remain equal. A total of nine combinations in the class of 22 navigated Jasen Shelley’s course with zero faults.
The following pony jumper combinations jumped clear in Phase I, in alphabetical order:
Aundrea Hillyard (Marshall, Va.) and Magic Dragon, Hidden Ridge’s 2009 Belgian Sport Horse gelding
Haley Honegger (Elizabeth, Colo.) and High Dream N, Alexia Honegger’s 2004 German Riding Pony gelding
Ellie Kao (San Marino, Calif.) and Top Amontilana Linaro, Sofia Celis Karim’s 2007 New Forest Pony mare
Mary Elizabeth Ryan (San Marino, Calif.) and Adonis de Muralis, her 2010 Welsh Pony gelding
Savannah Smith (Harwood. Md.) and Wishlea Star Dasher, Tamara Doloff’s 2005 Welsh Pony gelding
Isabelle Uhrig (Greenwood Village, Colo.) and Juan Bay, her 2010 Irish Sport Horse gelding
Piper Van Tassel (St. Johns, Fla.) and Dig It Dexter, her 2008 Caspian-Quarter Horse gelding
Reagan Voxman (San Marino, Fla.) and Air Force One, her 2010 Selle Français gelding
Kirsten Wood (McDowell, Va.) and Pepperoni, her 2014 Pony of the Americas mare
Pony jumper competition continues on Friday at 3 p.m. ET with the USEF Pony Jumper Team National Championship, which will also serve as Phase II of the individual championship.
Aundrea Hillyard and EMC Valentijn Lead Medium Green Pony Hunter National Championship
(Shawn McMillen Photography)
After the first two phases, Aundrea Hillyard and EMC Valentijn sit atop the leaderboard in the Medium Green Pony Hunter National Championship with a score of 530.24. Hillyard (Marshall, Va.) and Charlotte Rossetter’s 2016 Welsh Pony gelding won the blue ribbon in the Model phase with a score of 265.62 and was third in the Under Saddle phase scored 264.62.
The Medium Green Pony Hunter National Championship will conclude with the Over Fences portion of the competition on Friday, August 12.
Leaderboard:
1. Aundrea Hillyard and EMC Valentijn
2. Ella Tarumianz and Friend Request
3. JJ Torano and FPF Favor
Vivian Golden and Royalist Sit in First in Large Green Pony Hunter National Championship
(Shawn McMillen Photography)
Vivian Golden and Royalist lead the Large Green Pony Hunter National Championship after the division’s first day of competition. Sitting on a composite score of 544.88, Golden (Wyomissing, Pa.) and Dr. Betsee Parker’s 2014 Deutsches Reitpony gelding won both the Model and Under Saddle phases with scores of 274.44 and 270.44, respectively. The duo has an impressive lead of almost 23 points heading into the final phase of competition.
The Large Green Pony Hunter National Championship will conclude on Friday, August 12, with the Over Fences phase.
Leaderboard:
1. Vivian Golden and Royalist
2. Piper Kennedy and Cherrybrook Blue Jersey
3. Alexandra Miller and Crocodile Rock
How to Watch
Live coverage of the 2022 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms will continue on the USEF Network beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET on Friday, August 12, with the Model and Under Saddle classes for the Medium Regular Pony Hunter National Championship presented by Pegasus Show Stable & San Marcos Training
Special Awards and Activities
Learn more about the many special awards and activities happening throughout the week, including the $500 Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant.
Seven individuals were selected for the Betsy Fishback Sportsmanship Award today, winning a copy of the book Big Wishes for Little Feat, by Cheryl Olsten. The following recipients are youth who have demonstrated the qualities of good sportsmanship while exhibiting at the USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms (listed in alphabetical order):
Adele Dewar
Lauren Free
Emery O’Keefe
Sarah Rabb
Sophia Silvius
Grace Stenbeck-Werner
Briana Tabacaru
Find out more information about the USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms at www.ponyfinals.org.
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