Meg Mitchell doesn’t have as many opportunities as most of her peers to prep for the Pennsylvania National. Since she started working with Jeff and Keeley Gogul, she usually only gets to ride at shows, because she and her mounts live in different states.

But that didn’t stop the Nashville, Tenn., native from rising to the top of the $10,000 NAL Children’s Hunter Final, today, Oct. 12, in Harrisburg, Pa., aboard her Oksana.

Mitchell returned to the second round in the fourth position after scoring a 78, then moved up to the top after earning a mark of 83. She edged out Change of Pace and Jessica Malson, with Outrageous, piloted by Morgan Losch, taking third.

“She’s phenomenal, I just love her!” raved Mitchell of her bay mare. “Over the last four years we’ve really bonded. I just have to sit there and look good.”

Oksana and Mitchell have maintained a long-distance relationship since they started working with the Goguls this spring.

“It’s a new arrangement, but it works out,” she said. “I play volleyball, basketball and some other sports, so I don’t really ride at home. I used to have ponies at home.”

Despite the fact that some folks at the barn jokingly call her “Oksana bin Ladin,” Mitchell insists that underneath her marish exterior she’s the sweetest charge in the stable.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more from her,” said Mitchell, 14. “If I do my job I know she’ll be right there for me.” 

Lone Star Leads The Charge

The professional hunter divisions kicked off this morning, with the first year green, second year green and regular working hunters each competing in a pair of over fences classes and an under saddle.

Fresh off his working hunter championship at Capital Challenge (Md.), Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler’s Lone Star took both blues in the working hunter division with newly-crowned World Champion Hunter Rider Hunt Tosh aboard. His closest competition in the division comes from On Top and Californian Keri Kampsen, who hung up red and yellow jumping ribbons in Sovereign Place’s tack room. Chris Brown’s Early Winter took blue under saddle.

In the first year ring it was Iwasaki and Reilly’s Small Affair picking up all the loot. The Selles Français ridden by John French earned two Harrisburg blues over fences today. Sandy Gregory’s Formality collected a red ribbon over fences and won the under saddle.

Pony Lane Farm’s Gianni won a second year green hunter class this morning with Maggie Jayne aboard, who also took blue under saddle, and Jack Hammond rode Sanmorino to blue in the other class for Ann Lindwall.

Looking ahead

The show hunters surrender the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex to the field hunters this evening for Hunt Night. Tomorrow wraps up the first section of professional divisions, with an over fences and a handy round, as well as the $10,000 NAL Children’s Jumper Finals.

Full results are available here.