Olympic Heroes & Local Stars Shine at Washington International, continued... October 25 also saw the launch of
WIHS’s newest international jumper class, the $32,000 Two Phase, present- ed by Nissan of Bowie. Twenty-one entries competed in the class in which speed kicks into gear halfway through the course. Jessica Mendoza (GBR) rode her own In the Air to top the new class. T e pair had fi nished third in the Accumulator class the night before. Earlier that day, Molly Gfroerer
Samantha Bourque wins Gittings Finals Samantha Bourque of Glenwood rode Colbrew,
owned by Linda Hake, to win the 2024 MHSA Gittings Horsemanship Finals, held during the WIHS Regional Horse Show and USHJA Zone 3 Championship on October 19 at the Salem Farm Showgrounds in Upperville, VA. To read more, visit:
https://equiery.com/samantha-bourque-wins-mhsa- gittings-fi nals/
the Largest Group Contest on Barn Night, with the Reserve Maryland group award go- ing to Quinn Haven Stables in Friendship, and Reserve Virginia award going to Tamarack Stables. Loudoun 4-H Canterlopes
earned
the Farthest Traveled Group award. Patuxent Run Stables in Prince Frederick won the Best Group Kind Wins Group Spirit Contest, and Sandy Pony Equestrian in Nanjemoy won the Best Kind Wins Poster Contest. A Moment in Time Farm in Leonardtown won the Best Kind Wins Video award. Also presented during Barn Night was the
annual Laura Pickett Trophy for Excellence in Horsemanship which was awarded this year to Kaitlyn Boatman. T e award celebrates riders who embody Laura Pickett’s passion, generosity, and dedication to horsemanship. Boatman is a strong and kind leader, both in and out of the ring, at Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills. T e international jumper competition heated
up on October 25 with the $63,000 FEI Speed Final when one of the very last entries in the class produced the fastest round. Conor Swail of Ireland is no stranger to WIHS, having won big classes in recent years. T is year he brought his veteran horse Count Me In, owned by Mannon Farm and Sandy Lupton, to win the class by less than two-tenths of a second over McLain Ward riding First Lady. During the class, which is the feature class of
18 | DECEMBER 2024 | THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION
WIHS’s Military Night, $25,000 was donated to Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) by WIHS thanks to several clean rounds over the TAPS jump.
(NY) and Liberty Road won the Grand Junior 3’3’’ Hunter Champion- ship after winning the Large Junior Hunter 3’3’’ division. Paige Walken- bach (AZ) rode Babylon to sweep the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 champi- onship, the Grand Junior Hunter 3’6’’ Championship and the Overall Grand Champion Junior Hunter title. Baby- lon won these divisions in 2023 with his previous owner Ariana Marnell. T e most prestigious class of WIHS
each year is the $340,000 FEI Jump- ing World Cup Washington, presented by Experience Prince George’s for the President’s Cup. T e class, which is the highlight of Saturday’s evening per- formance on October 26, was won by Olympic gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa
of Brazil. Pessoa has competed at WIHS several times but this was his fi rst Grand Prix victory at the show. His win came aboard Major Tom, owned by Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC. Pessoa and Major Tom put in the fi rst clean
round in the class before fi ve entries continued to the jump off . T ey were the fi rst to enter the ring in the jump off and completed the short course in 38.77 seconds with no jumping faults to win. Last year’s winner Katherine Dinan (USA) fi nished second with Out of the Blue SCF, owned by Grant Road Partners. Fellow US rider Kristen Vandereen rode her own Bull Run’s Jireh to third place. With the conclusion of the international
jumper divisions, Pessoa and Major Tom were named the International Open Jumper Cham- pions with McLain Ward and First Lady earn- ing the Reserve Championship award. Just before the Pessoa’s win, the WIHS Eq-
uitation Finals concluded with Adriana Forte taking top honors. T is was Forte’s fi rst time competing at WIHS and she took an early lead in the hunter phase with a score of 92. She placed eighth in the jumper phase but still held the overall lead. Only the top 10 riders are in- vited back for the fi nal callback phase. Despite an unfortunate rail, Forte held on to the top spot for the win. Saturday evening also marked the conclu-
sion of the WIHS Shetland Pony Steeplechase, which was won this year by Daniel Edelstein riding Mint Meadow Farm’s Dash of Mint. Edelstein is the son of former Maryland stee-
Zoey Chambers of Owings won the WIHS Region- al Pony Hunter Finals aboard Highlight, who is owned by Suzanne Chambers.
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Brazilian Olympian Rodrigo Pessoa rode Major Tom to win the FEI Jumping World Cup Washing- ton President’s Cup.
plechase jockey and Olympic pentathlete Su- zanne Stettinius. WIHS concluded on October 27 with the
pony divisions and fi nals. T e highlights of the day were the WIHS Pony Equitation Finals and the Pony Hunt Team costume class. Lilly Herzog (OH) dominated the day claiming the Grand Pony Hunter Championship riding D’Artagnan for owner Robin Greenwood. T e pair went on to win the WIHS Pony Equita- tion Finals too and Herzog was named Best Child Rider on a Pony and won the Gochman Style of Riding award.
Mary Lisa Leffl er of Rolling Acres Show Stables rode Chime to wins in the High Performance Con- formation and 3’6’’ Green Hunter classes.
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