August 15 Lexington, Ky.

Isabelle Caccamise snagged a wire-to-wire victory during the Equisport Insurance USEF Pony Medal Final during the last day of USEF Pony Finals. She claimed the title over Victoria Colvin after judges Scott Hoffstetter and Ralph Caristo asked the top two riders to hack off for the ribbon. Hannah Patten moved up from sixth after a great second round to take third.

One hundred and eighty-three riders started the first round, with the flowing, relatively straightforward course designed by the Richard Jeffery. The top 22 riders earned an invitation to jump again, and both tracks featured long, flowing broken lines, and a rollback. The first round included a trot fence with no standards and a halt between two plants, which squashed the hopes of many those aboard headstrong mounts.

Caccamise, 14, laid down a stellar trip early in the class that no one could match, landing in the coveted (and dreaded) top-seeded spot.

“I really wanted to do well because it’s probably my last pony finals,” said Caccamise, who tacked up her medium pony Better Then Good partner for the occasion. “Heading into the second round I was stressed but excited because I knew I could do well.”

Caccamise has been called back toward the top before, but it never worked out in the second round.This time around she stayed cool over the course and laid down a second spot-on round, and Colvin, who lay fourth aboard Party Till Dawn, followed suit. When the judges called for a hack off, both stylish riders performed beautifully, executing a halt and flying change perfectly, and leaving observers speculating at the winner until the final announcement.

“I’m more mature, my pony is more mature, and in general my riding has improved since moved to Patricia [Griffith] and Heritage Farm four months ago,” said Caccamise, Westport, Conn., on her improvement at this year’s competition.

“It’s hard to win this event the first time,” said Griffith, who trained four of this year’s ribbon winners. “It’s rare to have someone pop out of nowhere and be at the top. She’s been in this position before and she knows what to expect and how to hold it together.”

Tidbits

—The pony size of choice for this year’s winners was medium. Four of the top 22 riders tacked up small ponies, and five rode large, with the remaining 12 on medium ponies.

—One of the riders in the second round, Katherine Strauss, ran into some major bad luck, taking a tumble after her mount spooked as she trotted across the ring.

 —Caccamise has placed in the USEF Pony Medal Final before; she was fourth in 2008.

Results

Please visit www.shownet.biz for full results.

Note:as of Sunday, 7PM, Shownet.biz does not have final results of the top 22; the  posted results reflect the first round only.

1 Isabelle Caccamise

2 Victoria Colvin

3 Hannah Patten

4 Ashton Alexander

5 Sophie Michaels

6 Victoria Press

7 Madison Goetzmann

8 Carly Reinsel

9 Daisy Farish

10 Allison Toffolon