The judges, McLain Ward and Chystine Tauber, have decided that they want to see Hunter Holloway and Tori Colvin ride again. They’re calling them back to switch horses and jump the second round course again.

Tori is back on Any Given Sunday, and she turns in a fantastic round. Maybe a bit of a reach through one of the combinations, but really fantastic.

Hunter is in on Patrick, and she was just as good. Maybe a hair quiet into the four-jump line, but she pushed to get out and made it work. She also was a bit deep to the last, the ASPCA wall, but it seemed to work out OK.

If the judges thought Hunter and Tori would make it easy on them to decide, they were wrong!

The awards ceremony began by awarding tenth through third place. 

Tenth place went to Lilly Higgins. 

Ninth place went to T.J. O’Mara. 

Eigth place went to Kelli Cruciotti. 

Seventh place went to Rebekah Chenelle. 

Sixth place went to Madison Goetzmann.

Fifth place went to Spencer Smith.  

Fourth place went to Ali Tritschler. 

Third place went to Michael Hughes.

And finally, after switching horses for an additional jumping test, second place went to Hunter Holloway, and first place went to Tori Colvin.  

THE SECOND JUMPING ROUND

T.J. O’Mara had a very nice round to kick things off. 

Lilly Higgins was a bit slower in the hand gallop portion of the test than T.J. but also posted a very nice round. 

Sophie Simpson had a light rub into the combination and had a rail at the second fence. She was a little long to the hand gallop fence but over all had a very solid rhythmical round.  

Vivian Yowan’s  horse had to reach a bit to make the third fence in the four fence combination but she was able to execute the correct strides. She was a little deep to the skinny fence but had a beautiful ending on the ASPCA fence. 

Mckayla Langmeier started with a bold pace and had beautiful distances to her first few fences. Her horse did not want to stand perfectly in the halt, and she had a light rub to a vertical out of a counter canter. She had a miscommunication with her horse at the second fence in the final combination and took the top two rails down but was able to jump out of the line and finish strong on the last fence.

Caitlin Boyle had a great first fence and an unfortunate stop at the trot fence following. She regrouped and finished off her round with a solid performance.   

Rebekah Chenelle had a really solid performance and found every fence out of the same rhythm for a very smooth round. 

Virginia Ingram had a great round and showed off a bold pace to the hand gallop fence. She didn’t have quite enough pace to make the strides for the very forward line at the end of the course and added a stride, but ended the round on a nice fence. 

Madison Goetzmann had a very solid round and was able to answer all the questions asked by the course. 

Ali Tritschler had a couple of light rubs in the first combination and single vertical, where she was a little deep, but she was able to maintain a very steady rhythm for an overall solid trip. 

Kelli Cruciotti had a light rub in the first combination and at the oxer coming out of the last line, but otherwise turned in a beautiful effort. 

Spencer Smith had a steady first half of the course but had a little trouble asking for the counter canter, but otherwise had a very smooth and polished round. 

Michael Hughes got down the forward four stride line easier than most and had a light rub out. He also had a light rub at the single vrtical out of the counter canter but otherwise had a very beautiful round. 

Tori Colvin had a light rub into the first combination, but overall her round was very smooth and rhythmical. 

Hunter Holloway, the final rider in the order, started with a bold pace to the first fence. She had a light rub coming into the first combination, but kept a forward rhythm through the round for a very smooth course. 

15 are coming back for the second jumping round, which involves a counter-canter jump

T.J. O’Mara
Lilly Higgins
Sophie Simpson
Vivian Yowan
McKayla Langmeier
Caitlin Boyle
Rebekah Chenelle
Virginia Ingram
Madison Goetzmann
Ali Tritschler
Kelly Cruciotti
Spencer Smith
Michael Hughes
Victoria Colvin
Hunter Holloway

THE FLAT PHASE 

(scroll down for Round 1 comments)

The judges have called back 20 riders to flat in two groups. They’re calling for a half-pass at the trot along the long side in front of the judges, with riders having to half-pass in to the quarter line and back out to the rail. There are some riders, like Alexandra Maracic, attempting a true half-pass with the bend in the direction of the lateral movement, but many are completing a leg yield. 

The judges, McLain Ward and Chystine Tauber, are also calling for a lengthening of canter, sitting trot, flying changes, small 20-foot circles at the canter, and sitting and rising trot without stirrups. 

In Group B, Hunter Holloway’s half-pass really stood out, but her horse (her mother Brandie’s grand prix horse Any Given Sunday!) is a bit inconsistent in his frame. Tori Colvin’s flatwork is quite lovely. Sophie Simpson had a small bobble when she had a late lead change behind.

GROUP A

Megan MacPherson

Virginia Ingram

Spencer Smith

Caitlin Boyle

Sydney Hutchins

Elizabeth Adelson

Morgan Ward

McKayla Langmeier 

Lilly Higgins

Alexandra Maracic

GROUP B

Hunter Holloway

Tori Colvin

Sophie Simpson

Michael Hughes

T.J. O’Mara

Ali Tritschler

Rebekah Chennell

Madison Goetzmann

Vivian Yowan

Kelli Cruciotti

ROUND 1 COMMENTARY

We’re here in Lexington, Ky., yet again for the ASPCA Maclay Finals, where 153 of the country’s top junior riders aspire to win one of the most elusive equitation titles. 

We’ll try and post every 10 riders or so, with updates on how the course is riding, who has done well, who hasn’t, etc. Please don’t expect an account of every rider’s trip, but I’ll try to keep you up to date!! Scroll down to see the most recent posting. 

Disclaimer:  We’re providing this as a service to those who are interested, and we’re just recording our observations. We’re not judges, just reporters who have watched the Maclay Finals in their entirety for the past 15 years. You may not agree with our notes, and that’s fine—we’re not putting them out there as the authoritative word, but as information for those interested. That said, read on! 

RIDERS 1-10

JORDAN HEITHOLD’s horse was very spooky coming into the ring and then was quite strong for her, having a rail at the double of verticals down the middle of the ring and the double of oxers. HALIE ROBINSON rode quite a nice round with a good flow and a nice, consistent pace. BRIANNE LINK had a rail early in the course and a little bit of a happy distance to one oxer, but a solid round. NADJA TIKTINSKY rode very forward and decisively, for a nice round. DAISY FARISH had a rail at the double of verticals, but made a nice inside turn to the next combination. She finished well. KENDRA GIERKINK had a solid round with just a few little changes in pace. MCKAYLA LANGMEIER had a few rubs, but a really lovely round. KAMMIE BERNS’ horse took exception to the triple bar and stopped. She finished up fine. LAINE ROONEY didn’t quite get the approach she wanted to the combination on the long side at Fence 4 and had a stop. She had a bit of a rough trip after that, but completed the course. KATIE EPPINGER had to work to contain her horse’s stride in places, but had a nice, solid round. 

 RIDERS 11-20

FIONA STEINMETZ got quite deep to the Swedish oxen and had that rail, along with a few bobbles elsewhere, but finished fine. ALEXANDRA LADOVE rode very forward and some of her adjustments weren’t as subtle as they could be. KATELIN MACK trotted on the turn to the third jump, and then had a stop at the vertical into the S-curve line in the middle of the ring. REBECCA WARTH’s horse didn’t like the white racetrack vertical and stopped and then refused again in the double of overs, ending their day. MAEVE MCLOUGHLIN’s horse looked keen and she found a deep distance to the Swedish, but finished fine. ALEX JOERG had a rail at the second jump and got a bit snug to the last jump, but finished fine. TEGAN TREACY stopped at the second fence and then another stop to send her out of the ring. MADISON DAY had a nice solid round with no major flaws. BRIANNA PEDDICORD had a really nice round, flowing and forward.  CAITLIN BOYLE had quite a lovely round. She looked in control of every stride and despite a few rubs, was quite impressive.

This course is definitely testing the riders’ ability to adjust their horses’ stride. They’re going to have to be really accurate and make invisible, smooth changes to stride length all while maintaining a forward flow.

RIDERS 21-30 

SAMANTHA COHEN definitely rode boldly forward and had a nice, solid round with flair. VIRGINIA INGRAM had quite a lovely round, with a nice, consistent pace. NINA VOGEL had a bit of rough ride through some of the lines, but finished well. BAILEY SMITH’s horse stopped twice in the double of verticals to end her day. SAVANNAH DUKES struggled a bit to fit her horse’s stride into the tighter lines and had a rail at the Swedish. PEYTON WARREN had a nice, solid round. RACHEL MCMULLEN got snug to a few jumps but had a nice round. NATALIE BENSON’s horse was a bit spooky and ground to a halt at Fence 1 and she had a later rail, but completed the course. SAMANTHA PERLMAN had some difficulty containing her horse’s stride, resulting in some awkward efforts. In Ann Glavan’s words, “The horse looks like he’s having fun though!” CATHERINE APOSTOL was riding a horse named “Courage,” and she rode with no fear, turning in a good round with just a few tight distances. 

RIDERS 31-40 

SARA VOZEOLAS had a quit at Fence 2 and then again later in the course, resulting in dismissal. JORDYN KATZ had a solid round with a few a few inconsistent distances. AUDREY SLOUKA had a refusal at the double of verticals and then again later. NOELLE GORTSEMA had multiple rails. ELLYN FRITZ had a nice, solid round. MAGGIE RIDENOUR has an adorable gray horse and put in a nice, consistent round with some lovely jumps. KAI DEVOGLAER got a shade deep to a few fences, but had a nice round. LILLIAN KIRBO had a good round with no mistakes. SHANNON ECKEO had a nice, confident round. AVERY HINSON got deep to a few fences and the horse really jumped over his front end when she did. 

The line from the racetrack vertical to the Swedish oxer is a real trouble spot—riders are having issues fitting in five strides to the Swedish in a nice picture. They have to give a positive ride to the vertical, since it’s an unusual-looking fence, then settle in for a tight five strides to the Swedish or flow forward in a direct four strides. The four strides seems to be working better for those who choose that option. 

 RIDERS 41-50

MADISON GOETZMANN had a really lovely round, riding the forward six to the racetrack vertical to the holding five to the Swedish really nicely. We should see her ride again. GRACE POWERS had a run-out at the triple bar, then again at the racetrack vertical to end her day prematurely.  HAYLEY IANNOTTI had a nice, solid round. KAYLEE PINKLEY had a few less-than-subtle stride adjustments, but a nice round. SARAH GRANT had two stops at the triple bar. HANNAH PATTEN had a few rubs, but a nice, solid round. CARA KONOWALCHUK got deep into the double of verticals but had an otherwise nice round. CLARE SARGENT was a bit under paced and had a few rubs, but finished well. SUNNY DRESCHER, an EAP graduate, got it done really well, with a good, solid round that should put her in the flat phase. MARIA MOORE’s horse has an adorable white nose and she turned in quite a nice round, with just a few rubs and a few tight distances. 

 RIDERS 51-60

MADELINE PLACEY had a nice round with no mistakes. CAROLINE JONES paid for choosing to leave a stride out in one line with a rail and after that she was just a bit inconsistent. EMILY MACLEAN had a rail in the double of verticals and some awkward jumps over the triple bar and the racetrack vertical. CLAUDIA PAYOR had a rail at Fence 2 and a few off distances before stopping at the triple bar. PIPER BENJAMIN got a bit under a few jumps. PAIGE MAWSON jumped into the double of verticals boldly and ran out of room, having the rail there, and got deep to the Swedish as well. ALEXANDRA INDEGLIA had an nice, solid round, just getting tight to the Swedish in the five strides. MARGARET MAGEE had a few minor mistakes. SPENCER SMITH, the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals winner, turned in a really lovely round, with a great sense of pace and well-planned turns. He did have a rail down coming out of the double of overs. 

 RIDERS 61-70

ALEXANDRA WORTHINGTON never really got her horse in front of her leg and had some difficult fences.SYDNEY HUTCHINS had quite a nice round, with a lovely pace. MICHAEL HUGHES, winners of the Washington International Equitation Classic Final last week, had a few hard rubs, but rode with a lot of authority and precision. We should see him ride again, I’d imagine. DIEDERIQUE VAN DER KNAAP had a little bit of an awkward jump into the double of verticals and got deep to the last, the Maclay wall. MITCHELL ENDICOTT was having a really good round until his horse ran at the triple bar. He rode really well; it’s a shame. JORDAN ALLEN had a nice round but a rail. LAUREN PADDOCK had a nice round, but she just lost her position in the air a bit with her horses’ big jump. She also had a rial in the double of overs. T.J. O’MARA had quite a lovely round, just got a hair deep to the Swedish. But he made effortless adjustments and had a nice, flowing pace. SUMMER HILL had what can only be called a chip at the racetrack vertical. MEGAN MACPHERSON made some bold decisions with distances but made it work well. Her five strides to the racetrack vertical and five to the Swedish were great. 

 RIDERS 71-80

MEREDITH DARST rode a REALLY nice direct line from the racetrack vertical to the Swedish and it worked out perfectly for her. Her round was quite nice and should have immersed the judges a bit. COLETTE CACCIATORE was just a little inconsistent with distances here and there. JULIA MURPHY turned in a good round, with just a rough turn to the triple bar and an indecisive ride to the Swedish. JOHN PORTER really hunted around the course with a lovely, flowing pace. COURTNEY PLUTTE had a rough trip at the last few fences, almost refusing the vertical out of the S-curve line. VICTORIA COLVIN is riding Patrick, and she was slick, slick, slick. She rode the inside turn from the double of verticals to the line down the long side and did it perfectly. Daisy Farish was the only one to try it before and it didn’t work out as well for her. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tori on top of the callback after that. MAYA NAYYAR had a nice, solid round. MADDY PARKER rode a nice, positive round that just needed a bit of polish. CARLY HOFT was good, just with a few obvious adjustments.  BAILEY BRASINGTON stopped at the second fence then again later to end her day.

 RIDERS 81-90

KELLI CRUCIOTTI had a really lovely round with just a few rubs. ANNA EUGENE had to make a few obvious steering adjustments and was a bit under paced. LAUREN HENRY had a nice, solid round with no major mistakes. AILISH CUNNIFFE just turned in quite a lovely round, with a great forward pace, lovely balance and well executed turns. SARA NORDSTROM rode a very precise round, but with a few rubs and perhaps not the brilliance that wins one of these finals. VIVIAN YOWAN piloted her horse around a flowing, lovely track with a great sense of pace. EMMA FLETCHER’s horse was surprised by the racetrack vertical and stopped there. MADELYN PORTER had a rail in the double of verticals and a few disorganized turns. SAMANTHA WIGHT was just a bit inconsistent with distances in a few places. EMMA WUJEK had a lovely round, with great pace adjustments. 

 RIDERS 91-102

THEA CHAFEE had a rail in the double of verticals and another one at an oxer in an otherwise nice round. AMANDA GELLIS had a few sticky fences but finished up well. LUCY DESLAURIERS got a shade tight to fifth jump but had a lovely round otherwise. CHLOE VIZZONE had a solid round but lacked some polish on the turns. LOLLY MCLELLAN had a nice round with a rail down. ALI TRITSCHLER turned in an excellent trip, executing her plan with precision and finesse. REBEKAH CHENELLE got quite deep to Fence 5 but was good everywhere else. KATHERINE BUNDY had quite a nice round.  MORGAN WARD had a really nice round. ALEXANDRA MARACIC had quite a nice round, with a fluid pace and well-planned track. HALEY ZIMMERMAN got carried past the distance in a few places and had a rail at the Swedish. COOPER DEAN rode quite positively had had a very nice trip with no major flaws. 

THE STANDBY AFTER 102 HAVE GONE

76 Tori Colvin

63 Michael Hughes

68 T.J. O’Mara

96 Ali Tritschler

97 Rebekah Chenelle

41 Madison Goetzmann

86 Vivian Yowan

81 Kelli Cruciotti

70 Megan MacPherson

22 Virginia Ingram

60 Spencer Smith 

20 Caitlin Boyle

62 Sydney Hutchins

99 Morgan Ward

7 McKayla Langmeier

100 Alexandra Maracic

71 Meredith Darst

85 Sara Nordstrom

93 Lucy Deslauriers

77 Maya Nayyar

 RIDERS 103-113 

HUNTER HOLLOWAY had a really nice round, very fluid and with lots of finesse. MACKENZIE MCGEHEE’s horse spooked and whirled multiple times as they entered the ring, then stopped twice at Fence 5. 

LEANNA SCHULTE had a run-out at the first jump, then had to ride hard to get around. MICHAEL RENKER had a nice, solid round. MIELA GROSS had a nice, smooth round, just getting a hair deep to a fence or two. ALEXANDRA MURPHY had a nice, solid round with no major mistakes. RACHAEL BARNES’ horse was a bit spooky around the first turn but she recouped and finished fine. PHOEBE BACKMAN had a light rub at fence 2, and then her horse spooked and stopped at the hurdle, but she was able to get her horse over it on a second attempt and finish the round. 

KRISTEN RAUE had a rail at fence 2 and got caught off balance and lost a stirrup but reorganized and completed the round without any other mishaps. ELIZABETH ADELSON had quite a nice round without any mistakes. 

RIDERS 114-123 

JORDAN MARMUL’s horse didn’t want to play today and had a temper tantrum on the turn to Fence 3. She couldn’t get him going again, and had to leave the ring. EMMA WALDFOGEL had some sticky fences and a few rails. KERA MCCANDLESS chipped to Fence 5 but regrouped and finished well. GIA GULINO had a nice round, without error. ELLIE FERRIGNO had a rail in the double of verticals and a few sticky fences. ADELE MCKENNA had a swap to the triple bar and got deep to the last jump. KELSIE BRITTAN had a nice round. 

MEGAN WINKHAUS had a few rubs and a rail then had to ride aggressively at the racetrack vertical. HAYLEY WATERS cross-cantered on the turn to Fence 3 and then had to wrestle her horse to get the five strides in to the Swedish oxen. KENNEDY KNAPIC (she was the Chronicle’s One To Watch!) rode very nicely, getting a shade deep to the triple bar and then having a little discussion about line with Zedulon on the way to the Swedish. 

RIDERS 124-133 

SARAH ISGETT fell off when her horse stopped at the racetrack vertical.  MARIA YZERMAN didn’t quite fit the five strides in to the Swedish but was good elsewhere. OLIVIA WOODSON had an awkward jump into the double of verticals and had a few rubs. CATHERINE STAFFORD’s horse took a good peek at the racetrack vertical but she had a lovely, positive ride. 

CHLOE PACYNA had a rail at the second fence but finished well on a horse with a hard jump. JESSICA BLUM’s horse looked hard at the triple bar and the racetrack vertical but she gave him a positive ride and he went. Then he spooked at the ASPCA awl and stopped, but she got him over it to finish. She did a nice job on a spooky horse. CASSIE CROTTY had a stop in the middle of the one-stride of oxers. ASHTON ALEXANDER was having a nice round until her horse spooked badly at the racetrack vertical and spun. She finished up fine. ISABEL RYAN’s horse also gave the white vertical a hard look, but she kicked on and he went. She ran into trouble and scrambled through the double of oxers, though. COCO FATH was off to a very forward, positive round, but got a bit deep to the oxer at 5 and then trotted and got very disorganized to the last jump.

 RIDERS 134-143

BRETT BURLINGTON had a really nice round on that adorable paint horse. MORGAN DICKERSON rode well but had a few inconsistent distances and pulled a rail. ELLIE WILLIAMS’ horse stopped at the triple bar, but she finished fine. SAMANTHA HALL took the scenic route to the first two jumps when her horse spooked and swerved a bit, but she carried on and finished well. ERICA BUSCH had a rail at the second fence and got deep to the Swedish. ELLE YOUNG’s horse spooked at the double of verticals so she had an awkward jump there and then he stopped at the triple bar. After he quit again at the next vertical, her day was done. SOPHIE SIMPSON had an extremely nice round aboard the super-cute Eclipse. EVIE JAECKLE had a bit of an awkward jump over the triple bar but was good overall. PILAR FLOURNOY had a few sticky fences but was fine. VICTORIA PRESS did the inside turn to the three-stride, the turn only Daisy Farish and Tori Colvin have done, and it worked out well for her. She had a very solid round with precise and accurate riding, just not with the finesse and flair of some of the others. 

 RIDERS 144-153

PATRICIA GARRETT had a solid round with a nice rhythm but a few rubs. HANNAH JANSON had a awkward jump over the triple bar when the horse hesitated off the ground.MADISON SELLMAN’s horse stuck off the ground a bit jumping into the double of verticals and then was a bit spooky and swerved on the way to the Swedish. LILLY HIGGINS got deep to the triple bar and was a bit weak to the Swedish. MARTHA INGRAM had a rail at the second jump but was solid for the rest of the course. KATE ROSS had a very nice round and a very cute bay horse. NORA JODREY had a nice round, but toppled a block off the top of the ASPCA Maclay wall. LIANA COHEN was a bit underpowered and had a rail at the seventh jump. EMMA KURTZ rode well but got a bit wandery to the Swedish. ELIZABETH EKBERG got deep to the racetrack vertical but finished fine. SARAH CLIFTON YANDELL finished our day with a solid round.