We’re here in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final, where 208 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 we’ll try to keep you up-to-date. Scroll down to see the most recent posting.
Want to see the course, find out who the judges are and learn more about this year’s edition of the class? We’ve got all the information here.
Disclaimer: We’re providing this as a service to those who are interested, and we’re just recording our observations. We are not judges, just reporters who have watched the Medal Final in its entirety for the past few 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!
FINAL RESULTS:
1. Carlee McCutcheon trained by Max Amaya and TJ O’Mara
2. Noah Nelson trained by Ken Smith and Emily Smith
3. Kate Hagerty trained by Val Renihan
4. Olivia Sweetnam trained by Ali Sweetnam
5. Tessa Downey trained by Peter Pletcher, Emily Smith, and Ken Smith
6. Cody Rego trained by John Brennan, Missy Clark, and Maggie Gampfer
7. Ellie Aronson trained by John Brennan, Missy Clark, and Maggie Gampfer
8. Alexandra Ryden trained by Max Amaya and TJ O’Mara
9. Emma Blumenkrantz trained by Stacia Madden, Krista Freundlich, Heather Williams
10. Eleanor Rudnicki trained by Berry Porter, John Brennan, Missy Clark, and Maggie Gampfer
11. Taylor Cawley trained by Stacia Madden, Krista Freundlich, and Heather Williams
12. Olivia Galley trained by Don Stewart, Caitlyn Shiels
Riders 1-50
1 Adriana Forte had a beautiful first fence right out of stride, and the rest of the course matched. She really set the tone for the rest of the class.
2 Tara Govindarajan struck a quick pace on the second half of the course, but had nice distances and made no major mistakes.
3 Madeline Rubin’s horse seemed peeky and she had a few uneven distances as a result. They had a few rubs as well, but overall a good effort.
4 Hugh Turner has a big strided horse and had to shorten for most of the lines. He had a rub at Fence 11, but he put in a consistent ride generally.
5 Dylan Bazaar had a beautiful round on a beautiful horse. Every distance came up for her and she finished to lots of applause from the in-gate.
6 Nicole Golia had a tight distance to Fence 6 that resulted in some wiggling between Fence 7 and 8 and a rail down. She finished with two nice jumps over the final two oxers.
7 Ariana Marnell already had a phenomenal week this week, winning grand junior hunter champion with Babylon and team gold for Zone 10 in the junior jumper national championships. She had great fences but her horse was late behind for a lead change between Fence 6 and 7.
8 Londyn Samlaska has a great look on this horse. She was tight to Fence 1 and had to really gallop around the turn to get the distance she wanted to Fence 9.
9 Caroline Signorino had a great week with the hunters here in Harrisburg. Her horse cross cantered in the rollback from Fence 2 to 3 and put his head down like he was going to buck. She really opened him up to get the distance she wanted for Fence 12 and was a bit long. The rest of the course was beautiful.
10 Grace Shipman won the 2023 USHJA Jumping Seat Medal Finals. She had a slight rub at Fence 6 and the horse was wiggly through Fence 7 and 8. She finished up with some nice fences at Jumps 11 and 12.
11 Madison Nadolenco has a beautiful, big-strided horse. She had a slight rub at Fence 3, and her horse was late for a change between Fence 6 and 7.
12 Mia Frigon’s horse picked up steam through the bending line from Fence 3-4A-4B-5. They appeared a bit rushed through the rest of the course, pulling the top rail at Fence 9. She gave him lots of pats as they exited the ring.
13 Blake Rowan and her horse make a great picture. She was pulled out towards the wall a bit in the line from Fence 4b to 5, so she really had to gallop to get it done. They slowed all the way to Fence 9, stifling the distance. She gave a lovely ride to the final fence.
14 Jackie Stary had my favorite ride to Fence 2 thus far – nice and straight. She was quite late for her change after Fence 8, which is unfortunate as the rest of the course was pretty.
15 Emma Hakim had a beautiful ride from Fence 3 to 4a/b. Her horse gave a good, hard look at Fence 8, bulging way out to the left. She rode through it and ended nicely.
16 Mila Anderson had a swap at the base of Fence 5. She had a few tight distances, getting a five in the four strides between Fence 7 and 8, but put it back together and finished up well.
17 Sinead Fennelly maintained a lovely, hunting pace throughout the course. Her horse shifted left significantly over Fence 7, resulting in a rail down. Fence 12 was pretty.
18 Mae Mannis’s horse gave a big effort over Fence 1. They had a few gappy distances, but finished up well.
19 Charlotte Harris moved at a rather quick clip around the course. It looked like she didn’t quite make a decision in the line between Fence 7 and 8. Her horse popped Fence 8, but she recovered and continued to Fence 9 without circling. She gave her horse lots of pats on the way out.
20 Joe Craver has had a great fall season already, placing third in the USET Finals – East last weekend. He had a lovely ride to Fence 2 – nice and straight. His distance to Fence 9 was gappy and was slightly tight to Fence 10a. He had a lovely final fence that matched most of the rest of the course.
21 Emma Mechlin over-waited a bit in the corner to Fence 6 which forced her to ride up the subsequent lines. She finished with no major mistakes.
22 Quinn Hunter’s horse was a bit playful after Fence 5. They were a little long to Fence 9 and he gave a good peek at 10a. She did a great job of riding through these moments and finished to significant applause.
23 Schuyler Dayner won last year’s NCEA Medal Finals. She didn’t quite get there from Fence 3 to 4a, aiming her horse at the left standard, and she had a refusal. She elected to circle before Fence 5 and had another refusal at Fence 7. Hopefully, she’ll have a better day next year.
24 Emma Brody and her horse shifted left slightly over Fence 7 and 8. She got a little off her track to Fence 11 and the distance was a little gappy. Looked very nice overall.
25 Madison Widmer had a tighter distance to Fence 1 and 6 than she would’ve liked. They pulled a rail at Fence 10a but finished with a nice ride at Fence 12.
26 Gable Gering fell in on the the turn back to fence 2 and her horse popped it slightly. Her horse was late behind with his change from Fence 6 to 7. Her horse refused to go near Fence 8. She was a good sport about it and patted him on the way out.
27 Payton Lussen slowed way down out of the in-gate corner and had Fence 6 down as a result. The rest of the course felt a bit rushed, but she got it done.
28 Carlee McCutcheon immediately struck a nice hunting pace. Fence 5 was coming up a bit tight, and she just melted into the tack to get it done. She was a bit tight to 10a if I’m being picky. The last fence was gorgeous and unrushed. A lovely round.
29 Natalie Bertoglio had a nice round with no major faults and lots of pats for her horse on the way out.
30 Anna Donovan’s had a bit of a meltdown before Fence 1. She got over it, but afterwards, her horse planted his feet and she came off. She ran up her stirrups and patted him like a true horse person. Hopefully we’ll see her next year.
31 Sophia Bruny had a lovely round with no major faults. She ended her round to lots of applause.
32 Mckenzie Clayton had a great ride to Fence 2. Her ride to Fence 5 was also beautiful. Her horse cross cantered to Fence 8 and popped it slightly. Beyond that, it looked nice.
33 Kylie Eynon had a beautiful first half of her course, but was slightly tight to Fence 6, which offset her line to Fence 7 and 8. She finished to lots of applause.
34 Grace Defoe’s horse cross cantered from Fence 6 to Fence 7 and drifted left significantly over Fence 8. She finished up nicely over Fence 12.
35 Isabella Griffin was a bit tight to Fence 1. The line from Fence 4b to Fence 5 got away from her and she had a refusal. She handled it well, taking a deep breath before reapproaching. The same happened at Fence 8 and she was excused. She exited, giving her horse lots of reassuring pats. Hopefully, we’ll see her next year.
36 Isabelle Ehman had lots of matching fences and maintained a beautiful pace around the course. If I’m being picky, her horse cut left significantly after Fence 8, but the rest was just stunning – we’ll see what the judges think.
37 Kate Hagerty is an experienced junior rider from the west coast with multiple top placings in all three rings these past few years. She put in a stunning round. It did look like she hit the left standard of Fence 7, but I’m unsure. Her horse was gorgeous and they appeared posed and composed in general.
38 Katie Nedder was quite gappy to Fence 5 but did a great job through the Fence 7 to Fence 8 line. She finished with a nice distance to Fence 12.
39 Katie Smith slowed all the way to the base of Fence 1. She had a great line from Fence 4b to Fence 5, but Fence 7 got away from her a bit, resulting in a back rail at that fence. She finished up nicely.
40 Reagan Williams’ horse looked a bit strong and rushed around the course. She handled it nicely and got the job done.
41 Abby Cole had a swap at the base of Fence 5 and 7. She really had to ride to get her horse over Fence 8. She really worked to get her horse around this course, which is commendable.
42 Eve Westfall is on a stunning dapple grey. She rode very calmly, recollecting him after each line. He cut left over Fence 7, resulting in a rail. It was a bit conservative on the whole, but she rode what she had quite well.
43 Elianna Kirson had a great first fence. She really held him to Fence 6. She had a hard rub at Fence 9 but it stayed up. She gave a great ride to the final fence, receiving lots of applause.
44 RJ Maya has recently had some great success as a younger junior rider. He waited to ask for the change one stride out of Fence 7 which made the subsequent four strides to Fence 8 tough to complete, but he got it done. He was a little late to get the five strides done from Fence 10b to 11, but the rest of the course was beautiful – a great first Medal Finals trip for RJ.
45 Nicholas Lopes was a little late getting the six strides between Fence 4b and 5 done, and his horse jumped a little out of shape. The same happened from Fence 6 to 7, resulting in a rail. He finished up nicely. He and this horse make a beautiful picture.
46 Isabel Flynn had a few sticky distances around the course but finished up nicely.
47 Izzy Beisel is a competitive junior jumper rider with a number of midwest grand prix wins under her belt. She rode up to the base of Fence 1, appearing more jumpery than equitation-style. She got stuck over Fence 7 and had to really gallop to get the four strides to Fence 8. Her horse was late behind on the change between Fence 9 and 10a. The same happened between Fence 10b and 11, resulting in a fallen front rail. She rode very well and got the job done.
48 Ella Cate Duke has a gorgeous, big-strided, lopey horse. The pair put in a stunning round with even distances across the board. The two make a great picture.
49 Carolyn Albright had two stops at the second fence. She gave her horse a pat on the way out. Hopefully, we’ll see her next year.
50 Alyssa J. Bauer had some great first few fences but bobbled in the four strides to Fence 8. She finished up nicely with a good distance over Fence 12.
Standby After 50:
28 CARLEE MCCUTCHEON
37 KATE HAGERTY
43 ELIANNA KIRSON
36 ISABELLE EHMAN
48 ELLA CATE DUKE
5 DYLAN BAZAAR
38 KATIE NEDDER
1 ADRIANA FORTE
29 NATALIE BERTOGLIO
31 SOPHIA BRUNY
7 ARIANA MARNELL
34 GRACE DEFOE
4 HUGH TURNER
32 MCKENZIE CLAYTON
11 MADISON NADOLENCO
Rider 50-100
51 Eleanor Rudnicki is on a beautiful horse this morning and put in an equally beautiful round. Absolutely stunning.
52 Zadie Stack had to really ride up for the four strides to Fence 8. Her horse got ahead of her a bit, but she managed it nicely and finished up well.
53 Taylor Kogen got a little stuck over Fence 5. Her horse drifted right over Fence 7 and she had to add to Fence 8. She stopped her horse before Fence 10a to recollect herself after a sticky jump at Fence 9. She finished up nicely after regrouping.
54 Siena Macdonald drifted right after Fence 7 which changed her plan to Fence 8. The five strides to Fence 11 got away from her a bit, resulting in a rail. She had a nice jump over Fence 12 to finish.
55 Kiara Lemaire got deep at Fence 6 making her to ride up for Fence 7, resulting in a rail. She had a few other bobbles but finished well.
56 Maggie Killeen overrode in a few places, creating some uneven distances across the board.
57 Elizabeth Lile had a pretty first half of her course. She had to really ride up to get the four strides done after Fence 7, but had a lovely round otherwise.
58 Jordan Gibbs is already an experienced, decorated three-ring rider. She had a hard rub on the back rail of Fence 5, but produced a beautiful, soft round that was great fun to watch.
59 Makena Bloebaum did a great job through the Fence 6-7-8 line, getting her lead change done early so the four strides to Fence 8 rode nicely. A very solid, consciously-ridden trip.
60 Hailey Guidrey aimed hard right off of Fence 4b, which made the six strides to Fence 5 come up shorter. She had a great ride from Fence 6 to 7. Her horse shifted hard over Fence 7, which made the four strides quite difficult – she unfortunately came off as a result. Hopefully, she’ll be back next year.
61 Isabelle Collister had a few sticky moments and rails down, but finished up well.
62 Grace Sappington had a great ride through the Fence 6-7-8 line. She landed the left lead after Fence 6, which made it easier to get the subsequent lines done. She produced a beautiful round.
63 Madison Ramsey rode beautifully from Fence 4a/b to 5. She unfortunately did not get up the four strides to Fence 8, which resulted in a refusal. She finished up her round professionally.
64 Katie Finley was a bit tight to Fence 2. Her horse questioned her at Fence 8, but she pushed through and got him over it. She finished with a nice ride to Fence 12.
65 Olivia Soucie rode well through some uneven distances to finish up to substantive applause.
66 Caroline Wang over-measured to Fence 6 and had that gate down. The rest of the course unfolded nicely.
67 Emma Rheinheimer rode through some bobbles across the board to finish up nicely over Fence 12.
68 Ella Delgado drifted right over Fence 4b, changing how Fence 5 rode. The same happened through Fence 6-7-8, but she had a nice jump over Fence 12 to finish up.
69 Caroline Mirts had a lovely ride over the first few fences, but got a bit ahead of herself from Fences 4b to 5 and took both top rails down. She was a bit tight to Fence 10a but had a beautiful jump out over 10b. She unfortunately skipped Fence 11 and thus went off course, but she and her horse made a beautiful picture.
70 Juliette Earley got a bit stuck over Fence 6 and had to really ride up to get Fence 7 and the four strides to Fence 8 done. The rest of the course was pretty.
71 Ellie Aronson produced a measured, confident ride that was quite fun to watch. She finished to lots of applause.
72 Kaitlyn Kiely used her horse’s big stride to her advantage, producing a very solid round overall. Unfortunately, she broke to the trot on her way to the final fence – “aww”s were heard across the Coliseum.
73 Scottie Arnold rode through a few slightly uneven distances to finish up her round at Medal Finals.
74 Talia Kirson is on a gorgeous horse with a big, lopey stride. She had some lovely fences, but his stride got away from her a bit from Fence 9 to 10a, where she was tight and had the front rail down. She finished to cheers from the in-gate.
75 JJ Torano really rode up to Fence 3, having the front rail down. The rest of the trip was smooth and uneventful – no one would guess this was his first Medal Finals.
76 Maxine Boeding didn’t get the lead change behind after Fence 1. Other than that, she produced a solid round with a few other bobbles here and there.
77 Helena Timpany is on a very experienced equitation horse, and she used this to her advantage, producing a stunning and well-measured round.
78 Sydney Raidy makes a nice picture on this horse. Her horse may have swapped at the base of Fence 5 and he jumped a little out of shape over Fence 7, but overall a nice round.
79 Paris Levy had an overall beautiful trip. Her horse didn’t quite know where he was going to Fence 8, causing some bulging and an add in the four strides there. She finished nicely, with pats for her horse.
80 Parker Peacock really rode to the base of Fence 1 and it looked like her horse really popped it – though it could very well be the angle I’m at. The same happened at Fence 5. She didn’t quite meet Fence 8 how she wanted to and had the rail down. She had a lovely last fence to finish up.
81 Skyla White had some minor rubs over the first few fences. She rode the Fence 6-7-8 line nicely, and produced a nice round overall.
82 Rebecca Skelton rode a bit behind the pace, but produced some nice fences generally.
83 Clayton Farrell maintained a nice hunting pace throughout the round. He had a slight rub on the back rail of Fence 11 after working to get the five strides between that and Fence 10b done. A solid round overall that was fun to watch.
84 Sabine Close put in a pretty, solid round that earned her lots of applause.
85 Katie Durban held off a little too much at Fence 6, but she managed to make the subsequent lines work out. Her horse seemed to get away from her a bit on her ride to the final fence, but she made it work and the distance worked out nicely.
86 Gabrielle Young had an unfortunate swap between Fence 4b and 5. She did a great job getting up the Fence 6-7-8 lines, but cross cantered around the end of the ring to Fence 9. She really rode up to the final fence and cross cantered again as she began her ending circle. She and her horse make a great picture, so hopefully we’ll see them next year.
87 Kileigh van Ness’s horse looked pretty bright and peeky, but she did a good job of riding through it to produce a solid round.
88 Tarin Kiely held off a bit too much into Fences 6 and 9, but the rest of the course really came up for her. She finished to big applause from the in-gate.
89 Reagan Gehm had swaps at the base of a few fences. She rode through a few distance-related bobbles and finished up nicely.
90 Kenda Murray left quite far out from the base of Fence 3, causing some straightness issues to the 4a/b combination. The rest of the course unfolded well, though she got a bit stuck over the final fence.
91 Emme Tangen had a nice round with no major errors.
92 Bailey Rose had a beautiful first fence but had some trouble with the rollback off of Fence 2. She got stuck at the base of Fence 7 and had to really ride up to Fence 8. A faster pace to Fence 11 saw the back rail come down, but she recollected to have a nice final fence.
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93 Taylor Cawley is coming off an individual bronze medal ride yesterday in the junior jumper championships and a seventh place finish at USET Finals East. Her ride from Fence 6 to 7 was textbook. She made use of her space and produced a stunning round to thunderous applause around the arena.
94 Maggie Lawler got a little stuck over Fence 3 and really had to ride up for the five strides to Fence 4a, but she got it done. She got a bit stuck over Fence 7 as well, which put the four strides to Fence 8 almost out of reach. She did the four, though her horse had to leap over the white gate. She finished up nicely over Fence 12.
95 Paige Walkenbach had some great success this week in the junior hunters at Harrisburg. She’s showing a very accomplished equitation horse who won this class in 2020. She started off beautifully, but got stuck over Fence 6 and had to circle. She finished up well over the rest of the fences.
96 Tess Kjellburg added in the five strides from Fence 3 to 4a as well as in the four strides between Fences 7 and 8. She had a nice, long ride to the final fence to finish up.
97 Avery Reid found some longer distances to Fences 6 and 7 and had to circle as her horse had picked up some steam. She finished with a nice distance to the final fence.
98 Emma Simon had a lovely ride through Fences 4a/b and 5. Her horse swapped off the ground at Fence 7 and took a peek at the gate of Fence 8, causing her to add. Beyond that, she put in a solid trip.
99 Cody Rego is a seasoned equitation rider from Bermuda. He really used his space and put in a measured, beautiful round. His hunting ride to the final fence earned him applause from across the arena.
100 Ava Donna had a lovely, hunting ride to the first fence. She had a run out at the second fence, but got over on her second attempt. She unfortunately had another refusal at Fence 6 and was excused shortly after.
Standby After 100
93 Taylor Cawley
51 Eleanor Rudnicki
99 Cody Rego
71 Ellie Aronson
28 Carlee McCutcheon
37 Kate Hagerty
43 Elianna Kirson
77 Helena Timpany
36 Isabelle Ehman
81 Skyla White
38 Katie Nedder
58 Jordan Gibbs
5 Dylan Bazaar
87 Kileigh Van Ness
48 Ella Cate Duke
74 Talia Kirson
1 Adriana Forte
57 Elizabeth Lile
62 Grace Sappington
29 Natalie Bertoglio
101-150
101 Gabriella Curry had a lovely ride with no major faults.
102 Sophia Tabasso had a few rubs at the beginning of her ride. She made a few noticeable adjustments as she rode to her final fence, but put in a truly solid round overall.
103 Kate Neily had a generally stunning, measured course. She was a little tight to the final fence, but everything else matched stylishly.
104 Grace Russo and her horse make a lovely picture. She rode through some slightly uneven distances, but produced a nice round overall.
105 Madeline Brooks had an unfortunate fall at Fence 8. Hopefully, we’ll see her next year.
106 Alida Treuting is a seasoned equitation rider, with a number of top 25 placings at last year’s finals. She had some trouble with the four strides between Fence 7 and 8, taking the rail and gate of Fence 8 down. The rest of the course unfolded smoothly.
107 Julia Slade had some nice first few fences. The five strides between Fence 6 and 7 got away from her, and she had a refusal. The rest of the course went well.
108 Hanna Dolan put in a solid round. She was a bit long at Fence 6 and tight at Fence 12, but produced a nice round generally.
109 Jillian Puthoff’s first half of the course was solid. She got a bit off track to Fence 10a, shortening the distance there more than she’d like. She had to push to get out of the combination, which resulted in the subsequent five strides to Fence 11 getting away from her a bit, and she pulled the back rail.
110 Kingsley Dey had a swap at the base of Fence 5. She did a great job through the Fences 6-7-8 lines, and she repeated that ride through the rest of the course. The final fence came up a bit tighter than perhaps she would hope, but it was a strong round otherwise.
111 Riley Swint had some trouble in the four strides to Fence 8, where her horse balked a bit and she had to circle. She finished up nicely over Fence 12.
112 McKayla Brombach is on a beautiful dappled gray. Her ride to Fence 2 was beautiful and she found it out of stride. She found Fence 6 a little short and really had to ride up to Fences 7 and 8, but she did them nicely. She finished her round with a beautiful, measured distance to Fence 12.
113 Lillian Geitner has a horse that pats the ground beautifully. She maintained a good, hunting pace throughout. She rode through some uneven distances and rail down to put in a generally solid round.
114 Elizabeth Rinehart won the 3’3″ grand junior hunter champion here in Harrisburg this past week. At only thirteen, she rode through some minor bobbles to produce a great round in her first Medal Finals.
115 Calogera Borrello rode through a few uneven distances to put in a solid round.
116 Kate Parker had a nice round with no major faults.
117 Avery Glynn is a very experienced equitation rider, winning the Ronnie Mutch Equitation Championship this year and last. She did a great job asking her horse to land the lead off of Fence 6 and getting the five strides done to Fence 7. The rest of the round was smooth and measured. She put in a stunning trip that earned her lots of applause from around the ring.
118 Victoria Rotsaert started on a hunting pace, which unraveled a bit after Fence 4b, making Fence 5 come up short. She was on the wrong lead around the short end of the ring during her turn back to Fence 6, but she recollected and ended nicely.
119 Skylar Gurtis had a nice round with no major faults.
120 Caroline Olsen put in some lovely rounds last year in this final. She measured the six strides between Fences 4b and 5 nicely. Her horse jumped Fence 6 a bit out of shape but she managed it well, getting the five strides down to Fence 7 without a problem. She finished to lots of applause from the in-gate.
121 Lillian Soroken rode through some slightly uneven distances to finish up a solid round.
122 Clara Propp has had significant success in the junior hunters over the past few years. She had a few light rubs but put in a pretty round with a smooth, hunting pace. Her ride from Fence 9 to 10a/b was particularly well measured. Lot’s of applause came from the in-gate when she finished.
123 Katelyn Martin added one more stride than she may have wanted to Fence 6, which made the five strides to Fence 7 much longer. The subsequent four strides came up a bit long, and she took the gate and rail down at Fence 8. She had a nice final fence.
124 Olivia Galley had some lovely fences and a smooth round overall.
125 Julia Brown had a bit of a longer distance than she may have liked at Fence 8, but the rest was smooth and pretty.
126 Kellsey Stern rode through some slightly uneven distances to produce a solid round. Her horse received lots of pats on the way out of the ring.
127 Cassie Warren put in a solid round with a few uneven distances here and there.
128 Chloe Fares is a scratch.
129 Tessa Downey just won the North American Junior Equitation Championships at Capital Challenge a few weeks back. She got a bit stuck over Fence 6, but moved up to get the five strides done to Fence 7. She had a few rubs here and there, but overall put in a gorgeous, smooth effort.
130 Savannah Embly rode with purpose through some uneven distances.
131 Audrey Carmody had a lovely round, with most of the jumps coming out of stride.
132 Anna Mansur had a few uneven distances across the board, but rode through them to end on a good note.
133 Maddie Figgie had a great ride into Fence 4a, but rushed a bit over 4b, pulling the top rail down. The horse stayed a bit forward and on his forehand to pull rails at Fences 10a and 11. Her ride to the final fence was nice.
134 Avery Wegmann rode around at a quick clip that only caught up to her in the five strides to Fence 11. The rest was smooth and well measured.
135 Cecelia Perry had an awkward distance to Fence 8 but had an otherwise smooth round.
136 Paloma Primavera rode through a few uneven distances but finished up with a generally nice trip.
137 Kenna Labeau is on a perky looking gray that keeps a nice hunting pace. She held out a bit too much in the turn back to Fence 6 and pulled it down. She had a few other reaching distances across the board. They make a nice picture – hopefully, we’ll see them again soon.
138 Christian Dominguez maintained a beautiful, giving position throughout his course which was nice to see. He missed his lead change behind in the five strides between Fences 6 and 7, and then was a bit tight coming into Fence 11. Regardless, they produced an undeniably pretty picture.
139 Caitlyn Gidley had a great ride in the five strides between Fences 4a and 5. She held off of Fence 6 significantly, which made the ride to Fence 7 easier, but caused some issues at Fence 8. Her last few lines were pretty, as was the final fence.
140 Sofia Moskowitz had an unfortunate swap in the last stride approaching Fence 5. She rode the Fence 6-7-8 line quite well and did a beautiful job staying on track to Fence 9 and 10a/b. She had a light rub over Fence 11 and might have over-measured to the final fence. Overall, the pair produced a solid round and pretty picture.
141 Eleanor Pieters had a few tighter distances, but did a great job in the Fence 6-7-8 lines.
142 Gabriella Deflece had a few lead swaps here and there. Her distances came up well generally, and she did a good job using her space in the ring.
143 Daniela Carvajal did a great job measuring her distance to Fence 3. She got a bit rushed in some places but produced a solid round overall.
144 Campbell L. Hudkins has had some top placings in the children’s and junior jumper ring over the past few years. We could see her really measuring the lines through Fences 3-4a/b-5 and 9-10a/b-11. She produced an overall smooth round with what looked like a slight bobble at Fences 7 and 8, though it could be the angle.
145 Aedan Mooney really used her space on course to measure lines and distances. She let her horse jump up to her in a really beautiful way. She finished her overall smooth trip to lots of applause from around the ring.
146 Sally Ives rode the Fence 3-4a/b-5 line beautifully. She made the necessary adjustments in the five strides between Fences 6 and 7 to produce an overall smooth round that was enjoyable to watch.
147 Reagan Waggoner had some nice first fences but didn’t quite get the five strides done early enough between Fences 6 and 7 and unfortunately had a refusal. When she circled back, her horse stopped again, and she was excused.
148 Sydney Chmel rode through uneven distances to finish up nicely over Fence 12.
149 Andie Preblick had a late lead change off of Fence 2. Her horse seemed a bit surprised by Fence 3 and jumped out of shape. She had a tighter distance to Fence 6 and Fence 9. She finished up nicely over Fence 12.
150 Taylor Landstrom had a lovely ride through Fences 3-4a/b-5. She measured well from Fence 6 to 7. She had a hard rub at Fence 11 – her horse seemed to pick up steam as the course went on – but produced, a smooth, solid round in general.
STANDBY AFTER 150
93 Taylor Cawley
117 Avery Glynn
51 Eleanor Rudnicki
129 Tessa Downey
99 Cody Rego
71 Ellie Aronson
28 Carlee McCutcheon
145 Aedan Mooney
131 Audrey Carmody
124 Olivia Galley
37 Kate Hagerty
146 Sally Ives
122 Clara Propp
43 Elianna Kirson
120 Caroline Olsen
144 Campbell L. Hudkins
112 Mckayla Brombach
77 Helena Timpany
36 Isabelle Ehman
127 Cassie Warren
81 Skyla White
38 Katie Nedder
58 Jordan Gibbs
110 Kingsley Day
5 Dylan Bazaar
151 Lily Epstein had the top rail of Fence 4b down. She was a little tight in the turn back to Fences 6 and 9, though she had beautiful jumps at Fences 11 and 12.
152 Shiloh Roseboom had a lovely ride from Fences 1 to 2 and from Fence 3 to 4a/b, but got a little tight to Fences 5 and 9.
153 Callista Smith had a top 25 finish here last year, and she produced yet another stunning round today. Her balance and pacing were beautiful, though she drifted left considerably over Fence 8 – not sure if the judges saw it from their angle, though.
154 Maddie Tosh was recently second at the North American Equitation Championships two weeks ago on this stunning gray. She measured the lines between Fences 6-7-8 quite well, though she did have the back rail of the triple bar down. She pulled the front rail of Fence 11 down as well. Overall, a smooth, beautiful trip, and we’ll see whether the judges believe she or the horse caused the downed rails.
155 Emma Hall was a bit rushed over the fences, but rode through some uneven distances successfully.
156 Eleese Shillingford rode past the five strides between Fences 3 and 4a, resulting in a tighter distance than she’d like at Fence 4a. She rode through some other uneven distances and had great jumps at Fences 11 and 12.
157 Sophia James rode through a few uneven distances across the board to finish up her round here in Harrisburg.
158 Emma Blumenkrantz has garnered top placings in both equitation and jumper rings the past few years. She is riding last year’s fourth place winner and best equitation horse, Castlefield Spartacus. Her patient ride to Fence 6 allowed her to land the left lead and get down the five strides to Fence 7 and four strides to Fence 8 easily. She was incredibly soft throughout the entire course. Overall, it was a smooth, measured trip that earned big applause from around the ring.
159 Logan Thomas makes a great picture on this horse. She was very soft and measured throughout. She had a swap at the base of Fence 7 and a few tighter distances than she may have liked. I’m sure we’ll see her next year.
160 Stella Patenaude had two unfortunate refusals and she was dismissed. Hopefully, we’ll see her next year.
161 Georgia Schmidt held out a bit too much at Fence 6 and had the gate down. She rode through some small bobbles to finish up nicely over Fence 12.
162 Anngelina Morton had a few cross canters here and there. She did a great job through the Fences 6-7-8 lines with measured rides. The final line from Fence 10b to 11 was a little herky-jerky, but she finished up with a nice jump to Fence 12.
163 Noah Nelson is riding the horse Jordan Allen won second on here in 2019, Quite Cassini. They put in a beautiful, smooth round, finishing to lots of applause from the in-gate.
164 Lillian Valiquette had a nice, smooth round with no major faults.
165 Avery Faye Smith was a bit rushed overall, taking both top rails of Fence 5 down. She had a slight mishap after Fence 7, circling before jumping Fence 8. She finished up in good form.
166 Payton Blackwell had some beautiful first few jumps. The five strides to Fence 5 got away from her and she was a bit long there. She maintained a quick clip around the next few fences, but regrouped before Fence 9 and finished up nicely.
167 Anna Markcrow had a few hard rubs early on in the course, but she measured her distances and lines well. She had the front rail of Fence 11 down, but finished up with a nice jump over Fence 12.
168 Brooke Tegtmeyer found Fence 3 a little long which caused the five strides to Fence 4a to come up faster than she anticipated, resulting in the top rail falling. The rest of the course unfolded nicely.
169 Ava Swords had some bobbles in the four stride between Fence 7 and 8. The rest of the course was smooth with no major errors.
170 Elodie Watrous rode through some uneven distances to finish up nicely over Fence 12.
171 Annabelle Glitterman didn’t quite get to Fence 10a in the way she wanted, and she had a refusal. After she regrouped, she finished up solidly.
172 Greenley Achuck had a few bobbles here and there, but put in a solid round.
173 Sofia Cady won individual gold last night in the junior jumper championships. Her horse took a look at the flowers under Fence 1, which seemed to mess with the distance slightly. She rode the Fence 6-7-8 line expertly, and had a beautiful ride to the final fence.
174 Blythe Goguen has a lot of experience in all three show rings. She rode the five strides from Fence 3 to 4a beautifully. She lost her space in the subsequent six strides from Fence 4b to 5, riding up like it the line rode long. She had to shorten three strides out when she realized how quietly it rode. The rest of the trip was smooth and pretty.
175 Campbell Brown is an accomplished jumper rider. The five strides between Fence 6 and 7 looked like it was going to get away from her, but she used her horse’s big stride to her advantage and just sat chilly, though she had to ride up for the subsequent four strides to Fence 8. From this angle, it looked like her distance to Fence 10a was a bit tight, though I’m not sure how it looked from the judge’s booth. Overall, the trip was smooth.
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176 Abigail Gordon is a seasoned rider in all three rings and is on a pro equitation horse, Any Given Sunday. Her first few jumps were pretty. It looked like Fence 7 got away from her a bit, and her horse had to pop it a bit – though that could just be the angle. The rest of the course was smooth and measured, and garnered her lots of applause from the in-gate.
177 Madilynn Lo Porto did a great job through the Fence 6-7-8 line, sitting patiently and waiting for the five strides to come up. Her line to the final fence was slightly over-measured, but the trip was smooth and pretty overall.
178 Harper Phipps had a stunning, accurately ridden trip. She had a tighter distance to the final fence, but the round was great overall.
179 Erin Morera was a scratch.
180 Skyler Ezzell had a nice trip with no major flaws.
181 Madeline Luddy had an unfortunate fall, but she rolled up her stirrups like a true horse person and exited alongside her mount.
182 Avery Winston rode well through the Fence 6-7-8 line. She overrode a bit at Fence 11, taking the front rail of the oxer down. It was a generally well ridden course.
183 Ella Witt had an unfortunate refusal at Fence 1, but got her horse over the second time around to finish a strongly ridden round.
184 Frankie Nicklaus had a lovely first fence. The five strides from Fence 4b to 5 got away from her a bit, and she had a hard rub there. The same happened at Fence 11, where she had the back rail of the oxer down. The rest of the round was well ridden and pretty.
185 Emily Jurnovoy had to really ride up to get the five strides to Fence 5 done. The rest of the round was pretty and well-measured with no major flaws.
186 Caroline Nadalin had a lovely round with no major faults, finishing to scores of applause from the in-gate.
187 Violet Tatum had a nice round, riding through a few uneven distances.
188 Alexandra Ryden had a truly stunning round, measuring well throughout the entirety of the trip. She did have a swap off the ground at Fence 7, but I’m not sure the judges saw at the angle they’re at.
189 Ryley Kurau completed her course at a quick clip with no major faults.
190 Katelyn Vandenburg had a beautiful, well ridden round and was lauded with applause after her final fence.
191 Emma Rupinski had a few bobbles across the board but finished with a nice ride to Fence 12.
192 Gigi Phillips had some nice fences throughout the course with some wiggling in the four strides from Fence 7 to Fence 8.
193 Emily Clee had a gorgeous, smooth round that was enjoyable to watch.
194 Reese Merna had my favorite ride to the second fence today. She was straight, but using her natural aids in the air to make the rollback appear smooth and natural. Her horse jumped slightly out of shape over Fence 6, resulting in the gate coming down. From this angle, it looked like there was some wiggling in the four strides between Fence 7 and 8. A pretty and well ridden round overall.
195 Kate Egan had some major success in the equitation finals last year. Her round was gorgeous, though it looked like her horse swapped off the ground at Fence 5. Smooth and well-measured in general.
196 Camilla Jerng is on yet another gorgeous gray. Her ride through Fences 4a/b was beautiful and the rest matched.
197 Vivian Golden’s horse gave her a big effort at Fence 1, which looked like it popped her out of the tack a bit from this angle. She rode a little deep to Fence 6, which, with her big strided horse, made the five strides to Fence 7 come up nicely, though it made the four strides to Fence 8 even longer than they already are. She was slightly deep to Fence 10a, but finished up nicely. A great effort for her first Medal Finals.
198 Hannah Famulak had a few bobbles around the course but ended up with a solid effort.
199 Colvin Hall had a nice round with no major faults.
200 Olivia Sweetnam has seen quite a bit of success in all three rings over the past few years. She put in an absolutely stunning ride, with just one hard rub on Fence 9. Incredibly smooth and constantly measured.
201 Willow Mary Wright had a solid round with one very long distance at Fence 8.
202 Amira Kettaneh is an extremely experienced equitation rider with many top placings over the last few years. She put in a stunning round here, only having to stretch a bit to get the five strides done to Fence 11. Overall, it was a measured, smooth success.
203 Kelea Luliano had a nicely ridden round with a few minor bobbles here and there.
204 Abigail Roberts had a swap off the ground at Fence 1. Other than that, she produced a solid round at a quick clip.
205 Daphne Melton rode well through some uneven distances and bobbles.
206 Kaitlyn Sheerahamed had a smooth, nicely ridden round with no major faults.
207 Rylynn Conway had a few rubs early on in the course, but put in a smooth, measured ride that was enjoyable to watch.
208 Molly Zygmont had a solid round with a few bobbles here in there to finish up the first round of the class.
CALLBACK FOR SECOND ROUND
Taylor Cawley
Emma Blumenkrantz
Olivia Sweetnam
Avery Glynn
Katelyn Vandenburg
Caroline Nadalin
Amira Kettaneh
Noah Nelson
Eleanor Rudnicki
Abigail Gordon
Tessa Downey
Cody Rego
Ellie Aronson
Carlee McCutcheon
Blythe Goguen
Aedan Mooney
Rylynn Connway
Audrey Carmody
Olivia Galley
Alexandra Ryden
Kate Hagerty
Emily Clee
Campbell Brown
Sally Ives
Clara Propp
The Second Round
The course has changed for the second round. It should be noted that numbers have been added to the fences, and there is no dotted line. The first fence is an airy brown triple bar on the rail of the ring, then a bending line to the Dover columns as the new Fence 2. The riders will rollback along the short end of the ring to Fence 3, a brown vertical with a log-covered wall underneath. From there, the riders have a dogleg bending line to the birch combination, still 4a and b, bending to another brown vertical (Fence 5). The lines continue with a bending line around the end of the ring from Fence 5 to Fence 6, a plain gray vertical. Riders will turn left and rollback to Fence 7, a gray swedish oxer. They will rollback to the right, riding around the end of the ring to Fence 9, the first of two white gates. They will ride a straight line to Fence 8, a white oxer with brush underneath, to another white gate, Fence 10. Fence 11 is the vertical with brush-rails, bending to Fence 12, an oxer with wood panels on the diagonal.
TOP 25 – SECOND ROUND
Clara Propp started with a great galloping pace. Her first six fences were gorgeous, but her pace caught up to her and she became a little rushed, getting long to Fence 6. She had a rub at 7. She seemed to unravel a bit, getting tight out of the second four between Fences 9 and 10. She pulled a bit to Fence 12, making it tighter than she’d probably like.
Sally Ives looked a little stiffer in this round. She had a great turn off of Fence 6 back to 7. She took a gorgeous inside turn back to Fence 11.
Campbell Brown had a great first few fences. The bending line between Fence 3 and 7 got away from her a bit, and she pulled the front rail. Her rollbacks were a bit tense, but she put in a solid effort.
Emily Clee had some trouble in the second rollback to Fence 8. Her horse balked at Fence 9 but she still got the four done. The first half of her course was gorgeous.
Kate Hagerty just threw down the gauntlet. She looked posed and measured throughout the entire course, making the necessary adjustments for her rollbacks and longer/shorter lines. Just stunning.
Alexandra Ryden made some gambles, and they seemed to pay off according to the in-gate. She did a great job through the complicated rollbacks, and she took the same inside turn as Sally Ives, finishing to huge applause.
Olivia Galley laid down a solid, smooth trip with no major faults.
Audrey Carmody had the top rail of Fence 5 down. Her horse peeked at Fence 8, forcing a short distance there. Her last line was quite pretty.
Rylynn Connway had an unfortunate stop at Fence 3 and again at Fence 4a after asking her mount to leave out. She’ll be back next year.
Aedan Mooney’s horse balked a bit at the first fence and pulled the back rail. Her rollbacks looked nice. She pulled Fence 8’s back rail down after moving up to get the four strides between that and Fence 9. Her last line was beautiful.
Blythe Goguen’s horse stutter-stepped off the ground at Fence 2 – noticeably, but not significantly. She was controlled and measured through the rollbacks – just what this course necessitates. Her Fence 8-9-10 lines were gorgeous and well measured. She finished to lots of applause.
Carlee McCutcheon had a stunning round overall. Smooth, calm, and measured. She had a swap off the base at Fence 10, but I’m not sure the judges noticed.
Ellie Aronson had to really push out of the Fence 4a/b combination. Her rollbacks were beautiful. Her out of the four strides from Fence 9 to 10 looked tight from here. She did a beautiful inside turn back to Fence 11, and got a little long to Fence 12. Overall, a stunning, well ridden round.
Cody Rego did a great job all the way through his round. In asking his horse to land the lead off of Fence 10, the horse anticipated the potential inside turn, and Cody had to re-align him. It was noticeable from this angle but not sure if judges picked it up.
Tessa Downey got a little long into Fence 4a, but her horse’s long stride covered any potential problem that would emerge in the combination as a result. Everything else was textbook – just gorgeous.
Abigail Gordon had a stutter-stride trying to make the stride count from Fence 1 to 2. The rollbacks were beautiful. Her distance was a little short to Fence 10, but her last line was beautiful.
Eleanor Rudnicki really nailed the first line, just sitting up and waiting for it to show itself. She was a little long to Fence 5, but recovered well for the rollbacks. She really worked to get the shorter four strides between Fence 9 and 10, and it worked out stunningly. She finished to big, well-deserved applause.
Noah Nelson rode purposely through the rollback from Fence 5 to 6, but had to really ride up to get the distance he wanted at Fence 7. I loved how he handled the four strides between Fences 9 and 10, really measuring each stride. A gorgeous effort.
Amira Kettaneh really got up the first line early so she could sit chilly to Fence 2 – beautiful. Her rollbacks were organized and well timed. She also did the inside turn, which pushed her to the right of her track, requiring a big effort at Fence 12 to get her desired number of strides.
Caroline Nadalin had gorgeous rollbacks with great support from her respective outside legs. Her two four stride lines were ridden nicely. She struck up a good gallop in the last line from Fence 11 to 12, finishing to thunderous applause.
Katelyn Vandenburg nearly rode past her distance at Fence 2, but it worked out. She rode up out of the turn to Fence 7, and it looked great. She had an unfortunate stop at Fence 8 – it comes up quick out of that turn, and her horse seemed surprised. It’s been a long day for these mounts.
Avery Glynn had to really push out of the Fence 4a/b. She tried to get the five strides done from Fence 4a/b to 5, but her horse wasn’t up for it and went through both rails. She continued and laid down a beautiful second half of her course. A shame.
Emma Blumenkrantz got a little under Fence 2 and had to stay out in the corner for a lead change. She did a great job of measuring the four strides between Fence 9 and 10, audibly “whoa-ing”. A stunning, solid effort.
Taylor Cawley let the line from Fence 1 to 2 get away from her a little bit, but she made it work. Her rollbacks were a little tense, but that comes with experience — this is her first Medal Finals. Her Fence 8-9-10 was gorgeous, with unnoticeable adjustments made within each four stride line. Her final line was stunning.
FINAL TEST
Top six riders are testing, in this order:
163 Noah Nelson
37 Kate Hagerty
99 Cody Rego
200 Olivia Sweetnam
28 Carlee McCutcheon
129 Tessa Downey
The test is as follows:
Enter the ring at a walk.
Canter Fence 2.
Counter canter Fences 4a and b.
Canter Fence 5.
Trot Fence 6.
Canter fence 7.
Counter canter Fence 8.
Canter Fence 9.
Canter Fence 2.
Hand gallop Fence 12.
Halt and stand.
Exit the ring at a walk.
163 Noah Nelson struck up a good pace right off the bat. He walked for his counter canter transition, which was beautiful. His trot transition was great, and he managed to right back on pace for Fence 7. His hand gallop looked conservative, but it wasn’t – you could hear his horse striking the ground quite significantly. Near perfect square halt. Incredible
37 Kate Hagerty’s horse tried to itch during her counter canter transition. She got the trot done, but only a stride out. She really had to ride up to get her distance to Fence 7. Her hand gallop was stunning and forward. Her halt was a little rough. Very well ridden on the whole.
99 Cody Rego angled Fence 2 a bit so he could more easily get the counter canter done. He didn’t really strike a pace in his first counter canter, resulting in a rail. His trot fence was nice. He did an incredible flying change into the wall for his second counter canter. His hand gallop was gorgeous and big, and his halt was square and quiet.
200 Olivia Sweetnam landed the counter canter but then lost it, unfortunately. Her trot fence was nice. She chose a simple change for her second counter canter, which was nicely done. Her hand gallop was very reserved. A good effort overall.
28 Carlee McCutcheon landed the first counter canter and managed to hold it. Her trot transition was gorgeous. She chose a flying change for her second counter canter, which was fluid and well done, even around the end of the ring. Her hand gallop was stunning. She just flew.
129 Tessa Downey landed the counter canter and tried to hold it, but lost it. She had a nice trot fence, and chose to do a flying change for her second counter canter. Her hand gallop was pretty, and her halt was accurate.
