August 13 Lexington, Ky.
Maddie Darst found the perfect way to follow up her small pony title at USEF Pony Finals: another championship.
Darst, 13, rode Elizabeth’s Wenner’s Highland’s Make Believe to the top of the medium pony division today, after topping the medium pony over fences class. The reserve rosette went to Isabelle Caccamise and Better Than Good.
Yesterday’s championship got the jitters out of Darst’s system, and she came to the Walnut Ring lying 14th, feeling confident and ready to win.
“Just before I went in the ring my mom [trainer Mindy Darst] said, ‘Try your hardest, I know you can do this,’ ” said the Lebanon, Ohio rider, who earned an 83, 86 and 90. “That made me feel ready. I was nervous afterward because I had to wait to see if someone would get a higher score.”
Victoria Press and Hillcrest Killkenny couldn’t have been more excited to finish second over fences behind Darst. That spectacular trip helped her leapfrog from 88th all the way to ninth overall.
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Darst has been riding the Welsh-Thoroughbred (Triple Hill—Just Magic) on and off since this winter under the tutelege of her mother and Tom Wright.
“We’ve shown in five shows together, starting during [The Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.)],” said Darst. “He’s really fun to ride. He has a big stride and he moves well and jumps really well.”
Darst will attempt to continue her winning streak tomorrow, when the large ponies compete over fences. This morning the large ponies showed off under saddle, with Elizabeth Newmeyer’s Bracewood’s Crush Worthy and Porter Allen’s Midnight Hour tying for blue. In the model, Betsee Parker’s For The Laughter earned the top call over Caccamise’s Losander’s Camelot, and For The Laughter (last year’s Pony Finals grand champion) holds the lead heading into the over fences.
Following the over fences, the top two ponies from each of the regular and green divisions are invited for the Pony Finals Top Model, followed by the Pony Finals Stakes, a handy hunter class open to the top 10 ponies over fences in each of the regular divisions.
Pony jumpers kicked off last night, with last year’s individual champions, Sydney Shulman and Set Sail, taking an early lead. Tonight, teams from across the country went head-to-head, and riders will vie for the individual title tomorrow evening in the indoor arena.
Please visit www.shownet.biz for full results.
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Pony/rider/score
Top 10 Overall Medium Pony Hunter
1. Highland’s Make Believe/Meredith Darst/1006.25
2. Better Than Good/Isabelle Caccamise/998
3. Broadway Star/Sydney Shulman/991.7
4. Ever Luvin’/Victoria Colvin/986
5. Hearts Desire/Allison Toffolon/981.5
6. Topeka King/Barbara Ann Merryman/978
7. Sassafras Creek/Katherine Strauss/967.5
8. Tuscany/Sophie Michaels/966.2
9. Hillcrest Kilkenny/Victoria Press/965.5
10. Salvandi Coronet/Lucy Lyland-Elliott/962.7
Top 10 Medium Pony Hunter Over Fences
1. Highland’s Make Believe/Meredith Darst/259
2. Hillcrest Kilkenny/Victoria Press/253
3. Better Than Good/Isabelle Caccamise/253
4. Hearts Desire/Allison Toffolon/249.25
5. Ever Luvin’/Victoria Colvin/249
6. Broadway Star/Sydney Shulman/246.85
7. Sassafras Creek/Katherine Strauss/245.5
8. Topeka King/Barbara Ann Merryman/244.159
9. Tuscany/Sophie Michaels/243.85
10 Simply Magical/Ailish Cunniffe/242.5
