Meredith Darst knows a little something about USEF Pony Finals. After all, as the daughter of pony hunter guru Mindy Darst she’s been coming to this competition for as long as she can remember. 

But today, Thursday, Aug. 6, proved her best day yet, when she rode Kimberden’s Brownland’s Mr. Mack and All Seasons Farm’s Rock The Boat to the small green and medium green pony hunter championships in Lexington, Ky., as well as the grand green and reserve grand green titles.

Brownland’s Mr. Mack won the model, hack and over fences to take the small and grand pony hunter titles. His gorgeous trip over fences earned him 90s across the board—no small feat in a spooky ring that had plenty of young mounts planting their heels or racing toward the in-gate. Reserve honors went to Devin Seek’s Gracefully Yours and Ashton Alexander.
   
“Maddie’s done all the work,” said Mindy, who co-chairs the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Pony Hunter Task Force. “There’s never been a pro on that pony before—or anyone else really. I think she let her [younger] brother sit on him once, maybe.”

Kim Burnette-Mitchell has owned the now-5-year-old gelding since he was a weanling, and couldn’t be happier with the fantastic progress he has made with Maddie.

“[Brownland Farm owners] Mack and Sissy Anderton are very dear to me, and I named Brownland’s Mr. Mack and Brownland’s Miss Sissy to honor them,” said Burnette-Mitchell.  “It’s such a blessing for them both to come out so well.”

Maddie’s medium green mount Rock The Boat topped the over fences and under saddle classes to clinch the championship over Let’s Play Two and Madeline Placey. While he was thrilled with the championship, trainer Tom Wright couldn’t say he was surprised. He trained Rock The Boat’s mother, Dreamboat, who dominated the pony hunters a decade ago.

“[All Seasons Farm owners] The Lindners chose to breed their mares who have really special attributes to pass on and Dreamboat was amazing,” said Wright. “Rock The Boat is another really fantastic pony.”

The 6-year-old gelding, who is by Lands End Poseidon, started with Maddie at the beginning of this year in Wellington, Fla. “When we started this winter, the lead changes were really hard for me,” said Maddie. “We had to practice a lot, but now he’s great. He’s really been good the whole time.”

Wright had nothing but praise for the talented rider from Lebanon, Ohio. “She’s a very mature rider,” he said. “Maddie actually performs better under pressure. I’ve trained a lot of great riders before, and I see an awful lot of potential in her. She reminds me of a Clara Lindner or an Emily Williams.”

The only championship that got away from Maddie went to Cassius Clay and Dana Rizzo. A fourth-placed over fences round clinched the title for the pair from Wall, N.J.. A lovely trip by Scott Stewart’s Sally and Mark Goetzmann propelled the palomino to reserve honors, with Vermont Show Me The Gold and Jessica Herzog earned the highest scores over fences.

Rizzo couldn’t have been happier with her 5-year-old’s performance during the festival-like atmosphere of USEF Pony Finals.

“My trainer Nona Garson was horse shopping in Germany when she found him,” said Rizzo, Wall, N.J. “She called my mom and said, ‘You’ve got to see this pony!’ And the next thing you know, he was over here.”

The lovely chestnut (Champion de Luxe—Donata) had been started as a dressage prospect without any experience jumping, and Rizzo had to put in plenty of work to get him to blue.
 
Looking Ahead

With 60 more entries than last year, show management elected to move the regular small pony hunter model and under saddle up a day to today, and their over fences has been bumped up a day to tomorrow following the medium and large ponies’ model and under saddle. Dr. Betsee Parker’s Elation has earned an early lead after winning the model and taking third under saddle, while Aleece Jarman and Rico Suavé took the blue under saddle.

Across the show grounds in the indoor arena Sydney Shulman and Set Sail set the pace in the first round of the pony jumper individual competition over Brianne Link and Tallyman. The second round of individual competition and team championship will kick off tomorrow evening.

We’ve listed the top 10 in each class and overall below.  For full results, click here.

RESULTS:

Place/Pony/Owner/Rider/Points

Large Green Overall

1. Cassius Clay/Dana & Nona Rizzo/Dana Rizzo/986
2. Sally/Scott Stewart/Mark Goetzmann/983
3. Trademark/Aleece Jarman/Aleece Jarman/982
4. Vermont Show Me The Gold/Kibby Schipper/Jessica Herzog/959
5. Another Land/Boggs Hill/Mary Margaret Kron/945
6. Dream Big/Back Country Farm/Sydney Schulman/942
7. Jamestown/Robin Young/Claudia Oerti/933
8. Shiloh’s Way Too Pretty/Paige Wilson/Paige Wilson/923
9. Woodlands Huck Finn/Katelyn Henderson/Katelyn Henderson/919
10. Don’t Blink/Kendell Adelberger/Kendel Adelberger/917

Medium Green Overall

1. Rock The Boat/All Seasons Farm/Meredith Darst/1043
2. Let’s Play Two/Madeline Placey/Madeline Placey/1027
3. Goliath/Katie Fisher/Madeline Keck/978
4. Blue Cowboy/Amber Hill Farm/Emma Mandarino/970    
5. Be Cool/Jennifer Wheeler/Maggie Gampher/962
6. Double Whammy/Sydney Johnson/Sydney Johnson/953
7. Ever Luvin’/Scott Stewart/Victoria Colvin/950
8. Happily Ever After/Cassandra K.W. Gergely/Cassandra K.W. Gergely/948
9. Hope I’m It/Stoneridge Show Stables/Anna Rossi/944
10. Blue Moon/Dagny Mactaggart/Christina Firestone/940.5

Small Green Overall

1. Brownland’s Mr. Mack/Kimberden, Inc./Meredith Darst/1060
2. Gracefully Yours/Devin Ashley Seek/Ashton Alexander/1025
3. Money Tree/Holly Rush/Victoria Colvin/1023
4. Sir Dragon/Bill Schaub/Parker Wright/1009
5. True Sport/Redfield Farm/Morgan Ward/976.5
6. A Dream Come True/Amber Lynne Gayheart/Amber Lynn Gayheart/965.001
7. Landmark Bread & Butter/Dr. Betsee Parker/Lauren Frazier/965
8. Clanfair Silver Wish/Ben Goggel Showhorses/Carly Reinsel/960
9. Believe In Blue/Aces & Eights LLC/Allison Toffolon/935
10. First Dibs/Lochmoor Stables/Victoria Plott/934

Large Green Over Fences

1. Vermont Show Me The Gold/Kibby Schipper/Jessica Herzog/253
2. Trademark/Aleece Jarman/Aleece Jarman/251
3. Sally/Scott Stewart/Mark Goetzmann/250.5
4. Cassius Clay/Dana & Nona Rizzo/Dana Rizzo/250.5
5. Jamestown/Robin Young/Claudia Oerti/243
6. Woodlands Huck Finn/Katelyn Henderson/Katelyn Henderson/243
7. Pendermere Legacy/Bernie Thompson/Bernie Thompson/234    
8. Bracewood’s Crush Worthy/Elizabeth Newmeyer/Elizabeth Newmeyer/234
9. Daddy Said No/Rebecca Bohr/Rebecca Bohr/231
10. Clockwork/Caroline Crews/Emma Kennedy/227.5

Large Green Under Saddle

1. West Side/Scott Stewart/Victoria Colvin/265
2. Sally/Scott Stewart/Mark Goetzmann/253
3. Jet Blue/Amber Hill Farm/Emma Mandarino/252
4. Dream Big/Back Country Farm/Sydney Schulman/251
5. Allegra/Annabella Peyser/Savannah Bleakley/250.1
6. Losander’s Camelot/Isabelle Caccamise/250.001
7. Sunday At One/Salt River Farm/Erika Koscinski/249.002
8. Another Land/Boggs Hill/Mary Margaret Kron/949
9. Alaska/Dogwood Hunt Club/Shawn Casady/248.002
10. Kiss For Luck/Kaitlyn Alsup/Kaitlyn Alsup/248.001

Large Green Model

1. Another Land/Boggs Hill/Mary Margaret Kron/260
2. West Side/Scott Stewart/Victoria Colvin/258
3. Tantallon Co-Captain/Patrick Wurzel/Patrick Wurzel/252.001
4. Dream Big/Back Country Farm/Sydney Schulman/252
5. Losander’s Camelot/Isabelle Caccamise/251
6. Cassius Clay/Dana & Nona Rizzo/Dana Rizzo/250.5
7. Trademark/Aleece Jarman/Aleece Jarman/248
8. Romeo/Marissa Platt/Tara Spencer/247
9. Buenos/Reilly Cookingham/Reilly Cookingham/245.001
10. St. Lazare/Sydney De Voe/Sydney De Voe/245

Medium Green Over Fences

1. Rock The Boat/All Seasons Farm/Meredith Darst/262
2. Ever Luvin’/Scott Stewart/Victoria Colvin/261
3. Let’s Play Two/Madeline Placey/Madeline Placey/259
4. Double Whammy/Sydney Johnson/Sydney Johnson/252
5. Be Cool/Jennifer Wheeler/Maggie Gampher/246
6. Stylista/Megan Kelly D’Amico/Kendell Adelberger/245
7. Blue Cowboy/Amber Hill Farm/Emma Mandarino/239
8. Goliath/Katie Fisher/Madeline Keck/978
9. Bud Lite/Kriss Eisaman/Kriss Eisaman/237
10. Pudin De Pan/Penny Brennan/Victoria Imbriglio/233.5

Medium Green Under Saddle

1. Rock The Boat/All Seasons Farm/Meredith Darst/267
2. Blue Moon/Dagny Mactaggart/Christina Firestone/260
3. Trillville/Bibby Farmer Hill/Brooke Price/256
4. Goliath/Katie Fisher/Madeline Keck/255
5. Let’s Play Two/Madeline Placey/Madeline Placey/253
6. Blue Cowboy/Amber Hill Farm/Emma Mandarino/251
7. Always Happy/Whitney Snyder/Abby Funk/250
8. Happily Ever After/Cassandra K.W. Gergely/Cassandra K.W. Gergely/249
9. Nigel/Whipstick Farm/Caroline Cline/246
10. Hope I’m It/Stoneridge Show Stables/Anna Rossi/244

Medium Green Model

1. Helicon Just Notice/Molly Rinedollar/Madeline Thacher/256.001
2. Let’s Play Two/Madeline Placey/Madeline Placey/256
3. Be Cool/Jennifer Wheeler/Maggie Gampher/255
4. Ever Luvin’/Scott Stewart/Victoria Colvin/253
5. Rock The Boat/All Seasons Farm/Meredith Darst/252
6. Silver Slippers/Emma Cullen/Ellen McGregor/251
7. Carlotta/Bill Schaub/Parker Wright/251
8. Rock Star/Isabel O’Connell/Isabel O’Connell/250
9. Just Blue/Bailey Boyland/Bailey Boyland/250
10. Caption/Mary Claire Ray/Mary Claire Ray/249

Small Green Model

1. Brownland’s Mr. Mack/Kimberdeen Inc./Meredith Darst/261
2. Gracefully Yours/Devin Seek/Ashton Alexander/256
3. Wellspring’s Jubillee/Elizabeth Lloyd/Kendell Adelberger/251
4. Sir Dragon/Bill Shaub/Parker Wright/249.001
5. Skye Blue/Katherine Nestor/Katherine Nestor/249
6. Believe In Blue/Aces & Eights LLC/Allison Toffolon/248
7. Landmark Bread & Butter/Dr. Betsee Parker/Lauren Frazier/248
8. Money Tree/Holly Rush/Victoria Colvin/247
9. Yet Another Karacter/P. Wynn Norman/Bayley Jerrett/247
10. Neon Moon/Isabella Hendrickson/Isabella Hendrickson/246

Small Green Over Fences

1. Brownland’s Mr. Mack/Kimberden, Inc./Meredith Darst/270
2. Money Tree/Holly Rush/Victoria Colvin/265
3. Gracefully Yours/Devin Ashley Seek/Ashton Alexander/259.5
4. Sir Dragon/Bill Schaub/Parker Wright/259
5. Clanfair Silver Wish/Ben Goggel Showhorses/Carly Reinsel/251.001
6. A Dream Come True/Amber Lynne Gayheart/Amber Lynn Gayheart/251
7. Landmark Bread & Butter/Dr. Betsee Parker/Lauren Frazier/245.001
8. First Dibs/Lochmoor Stables/Victoria Plott/245
9. True Sport/Redfield Farm/Morgan Ward/242
10. Gayfields Magic Me/Elizabeth Lemke/Emma Lemke/233.5

Small Pony Hunter Model

1. Elation/Dr. Betsee Parker/Victoria Colvin/261
2. Anakin/Richard Cunkle/Lauren Rockwell/260
3. Hi Lite/Madison Maners/Madison Maners/257.001
4. Blue Crush/Reid Patton/Devin Ashley Seek/257
5. Flashback/Madeline Schaefer/Madeline Schaefer/257
6. Lee Hill Ripcurl/Montoga/Megan Blum/256
7. Clovermeade Somebunny Famous/Rabbit Hill Farm/Ali Tritschler/255.001
8. Rico Suavé/Aleece Jarman/Aleece Jarman/255.00
9. Everday Enzo/Carallino Farm LLC/Carly Reinsel/252.001
10. Ballou/Victoria Colvin/Daisy Farish/252.00

Small Pony Under Saddle

1. Rico Suavé/Aleece Jarman/Aleece Jarman/267
2. Flashback/Madeline Schafer/Madeline Schaefer/258
3. Elation/Dr. Betsee Parker/Victoria Colvin/257
4. Hilton Hhonors/Amber Hill Farm/Emma Mandarino/255
5. Clovercroft’s Bodacious Babe/John Ingram/Martha Ingram/254.001
6. Anakin/Richard Cunkle/Lauren Rockwell/254
7. Knock On Wood/Kristen Lutz/Vivian Yowan/253.001
8. Johnny Bravo/Devin Seek/Devin Seek/253
9. Red White And Blue/Molly Sullivan/Taylor Stewart/252
10. Monroe/Meehan Shirey/Meehan Shirey/251

Pony Jumper Individual Phase I

1. Set Sail/Back Country Farm/Sydney Shulman
2.  Tallyman/Brianne Link/Brianne Link
3. Valley Girl/Rachel Fleszar/Rachel Fleszar
4. I Told You So/Wilder Mountain Farm LLC/Christina Firestone
5. Northwind’s Opus/Nicole Kehrli/Nicole Kehrli
6. Good Fortune/Bella Cramer/Claudia & Richard Easton Mendenhall
7. Mystic Rainbow/Samantha Schaefer/Talie Lynch
8. Skys The Limit/Kayla Briel/Kayla Briel
9. Zack Attack/Marshall Reed/Amanda Metzler
10. Luigi/Alicia Hall/Alicia Hall