As far as omens go, Caroline Roffman got a bad one before heading to the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championships. Though she hadn’t fallen off in nearly 10 years, Bon Chance bucked her off the day before they left Wellington, Fla., for Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill.

But Roffman, 21, put that bad day behind her and rode her own Bon Chance to the 5-Year-Old Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship on a score of 8.484. Bon Chance finished first in the both the Preliminary (8.34) and Finale (8.58) tests to take the championship over Willy Arts and DG Bar Ranch’s Adje with their overall score of 8.116.

Roffman has been riding Bon Chance, a chestnut Hanoverian (Belissimo M—Wintersong, Weltmeyer) bred by Marefield Meadows, since he was a 3-year-old and bought him as a 4-year-old. She found him through her trainer Lars Petersen, and though he was somewhat small and narrow, she still saw enormous potential in him.

“I’m very lucky to have him,” Roffman said of Bon Chance. “What didn’t attract me to him? He was always a super mover and flashy and really smart and quick to learn.”

In the 5-year-old Finale class today, July 24, Bon Chance earned a 9.0 for his trot, an 8.5 for his canter, an 8.6 for his walk, an 8.0 for submission and an 8.8 for general impression. The team of judges said, “He’s a lovely animal, and you’re doing a wonderful job of riding him. The only issue we had at all is that in the canter he gets a little short and that restricts him in the shoulder and neck. That’s just being picky, but we’d like you to address it so he can get even nicer. He’s a highly impressive horse with much potential.” 

The pair is headed to Gladstone, N.J., next week for the Festival Of Champions, where Roffman will ride several other horses as well. She would like to aim Bon Chance for the 6-year-old classes and championship next year, but he’ll get a two month break after Gladstone before going back to work.

“I try to keep him fresh and not in the ring,” she said. “This is only his third show this year. He has a great brain and I want to keep it that way.”

DG Brendo Takes 4-Year-Old Championship

It was a good day for Willy Arts, Hanford, Calif., at the Young Horse Championships today—he won the 4-Year-Old Championship with DG Brendo, placed second in the 5-Year-Old Championship with Adje and his student Caitlin Meisel finished second in the 4-Year-Old division on another DG Bar Ranch horse, DG Bantana.

“He was a nice, tall, leggy foal,” Arts said of DG Brendo. “He’s always had impressive gaits and he developed into a very good character with super rideability. He’s pretty green and today he was maybe a little on edge, but he’s usually pretty reliable.”

Though DG Brendo, a Dutch Warmblood (Florencio—Sierra Siren, Volckmar) bred by Lukes Bianco, had one moment of disobedience, jumping into the air and bolting for a few seconds, the judges said they believed the wet footing was hitting his stomach and chose not to penalize him strongly for it in the submission mark.

The team of judges was most impressed with DG Brendo’s trot and canter today, giving him a 9.0 for both, and they also gave him a 7.5 for his walk, a 7.8 for submission and a 9.0 for overall impression. “He is amazingly uphill and balanced for a 4-year-old,” the judges said. “His canter showed a clear rhythm with a lovely uphill balance and jump. His trot lengthenings almost looked more like mediums they were so uphill.”

Full results available at Fox Village.