Tag Archives: Capital Challenge

Championships, Competitions, Hunter/Equitation

Capital Challenge Horse Show to Host National Hunter and Equitation Finals

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Hunt Tosh and Casanova at the 2014 Capital Challenge Horse Show. Photo ©ShawnMcMillan.

Upper Marlboro, MD – The 2015 Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS), presented by Well Placed Smile, is proud to offer several of the country’s top indoor hunter and equitation national finals as competition commences at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in two weeks, beginning on Saturday, September 26, and continuing through Sunday, October 4. Each year CCHS plays host to the sport’s top equestrian athletes as they vie for championship titles during this elite week-long competition.

Several dedicated class sponsors have continuously provided their support to CCHS throughout the years, awarding titles in the highly touted finals classes, including World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Finals as well as the major equitation finals that draw first-class equestrians to the Show Place Arena. In addition to being the title sponsor of the 2015 Capital Challenge Horse Show, Well Placed Smile, based in Nashville, TN, will also present the $5,000 Professional World Championship Hunter Rider Finals as well as the $5,000 World Championship Hunter Rider Developing Pro Challenge.

Another strong supporter of Capital Challenge is the Gochman Family who this year is sponsoring the $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge. The WCHR Finals Series will also offer the Challenge classes for pony and children’s riders as well as adult amateurs, amateur owners, and juniors. New for this year is the WCHR 3’3” Junior Challenge sponsored by Canterbury Farm and the Durpetti Family.

CCHS starts out strong with the first weekend of the competition, showcasing the best equitation riders in the country as Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com, takes the national spotlight. Saturday, September 26th is dominated by a full schedule of divisions for all age groups, while Sunday, September 27th showcases three championship equitation classes.

The day will begin with the highly competitive Private Tutoring Services North American Junior Equitation Championships, drawing the nation’s top junior equitation riders who will begin their indoor season at Prince George’s Equestrian Center. Several awards will be presented at the conclusion of the class, including the Best Equitation Rider Award sponsored by Karen Healey and Karen Healey Stables, Leading Equitation Trainer sponsored by Leslie Steele of Acres West, and the prestigious George H. Morris Equitation Championship Trophy donated by Frank and Stacia Madden and Beacon Hill Show Stables.

Next in the lineup is the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children’s Medal Finals, a class that CCHS will proudly host for its 21st year. CCHS will welcome forty of the country’s best child riders who have qualified throughout the year to compete for the national title.

“Hosting finals classes at Capital Challenge is an honor and something we will continue offering in the future as the show expands and grows,” said show manager Billy Glass. “The different finals classes provide riders of all ages an opportunity to perform on a national stage against riders from around the country, which is a very unique aspect of the show.”

The final class during Equitation Weekend at Capital Challenge will be the North American Adult Equitation Championships, giving adults the opportunity to compete over a challenging course.

“We feel privileged to host such a large number of finals classes during the week. There is always a sense of a championship atmosphere surrounding the venue during Capital Challenge, which always brings out everyone’s best,” said Oliver Kennedy, who serves as a show manager beside Billy Glass. “The sponsors of these classes help to bring notoriety and attention to the show and we are thankful for their continued support.”

The ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals presented by Ariat International will also highlight equitation talent, as top adult riders take to the Show Place Arena in this prestigious national final on Friday, October 2. Thirty competitors who have accumulated points throughout the season will ride a first-round course in an effort to qualify for the second round of competition where a national champion will be named.

Capital Challenge will open with equitation classes on Saturday, September 26, and continue with hunter and jumper classes, including the highly anticipated WCHR Finals Series throughout the week. Competition will conclude on Sunday, October 4.

A complete time schedule for the 2015 competition and the 2015 Capital Challenge Horse Show Prize List are available online at www.capitalchallenge.org.

For more information on the 2015 Capital Challenge Horse Show, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org.

About Capital Challenge Horse Show
In its 22nd year, the Capital Challenge Horse Show sets itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition. Held each autumn at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, this year’s show will take place on September 26 – October 4. In addition to several prestigious equitation events, the Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again host the World Champion Hunter Rider Finals and will assemble the country’s best horses and riders to compete in junior, amateur, and professional hunter classes.

Contact: Carly Weilminster
Jump Media LLC
Cell: (410)-245-7441
carly@jumpmediallc.com

Championships, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy Win High Performance Reserve Championship at Capital Challenge Horse Show

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Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy win the High Performance Hunters Reserve Championship at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. Photo: Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Buffalo, NY – October 10, 2011 – SBS Farms returned home yesterday from the prestigious Capital Challenge Horse Show held in Marlboro, MD. The event has seen some of the most respected riders of the industry showing for the top honors in the competitive hunter divisions. SBS Farms’ professional rider and trainer Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy captured the judges’ attention in the High Performance Hunter division earning the reserve tricolor.

The nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding has built an extensive hunter record during his time with Alfano, winning events such as the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Devon Horse Show for two consecutive years. The talented duo claimed third place in their first three High Performance Hunter classes at Capital Challenge, as well as the first place prize in the High Performance Handy Hunter Stake. Their top awards earned the pair the reserve championship just behind Hunt Tosh and Rosalynn.

“I was really happy with our rounds at the Capital Challenge,” explained Alfano. “Jersey Boy and I have a great relationship, and we know what to expect from one another when we are out there. He was really good, a little spooky during the first class, which he can be; however, he stayed really consistent earning third in every class, and then won the handy. He was amazing in the handy, I was really happy with him.”

Continue reading Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy Win High Performance Reserve Championship at Capital Challenge Horse Show →

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood

Kingston and Jazz Johnson Merton Crowned Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Champions at 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show

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Kingston and Jazz Johnson Merton. Photo © Parker/Russell - The Book LLC and Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Upper Marlboro, MD – October 6, 2011 – In a day full of amateur competition, the Capital Challenge Horse Show awarded seven championships and two grand championships. Jazz Johnson Merton of Pottersville, NJ, won the Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship aboard Kingston. The Grand Adult Amateur Hunter Champions were Music Street and Lindsey Evans Thomas. The evening session hosted the $10,000 Children’s/Adult Jumper Challenge sponsored by Jan Agardy Metzer and Sea Shore Partners LLC. Kaley Pratt and Shane were the fastest in the jump-off for the win.

The remaining highlight class of the week for the professional hunter riders is the $7,500 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund, for the top six hunter riders in the country on Friday, October 7. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center, will run through Sunday, October 9.

Johnson Merton and Kingston were champions in the Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunters sponsored by The Hallman Family and MerryLegs South. They won two over fences classes and were fifth in another, and they added a fifth in the under saddle class for the top tricolor. The reserve champion was Thoughtful, ridden and owned by Keri Guanciale. They placed second and fourth over fences and won the under saddle class.

This was the first time that Johnson Merton and Kingston have been champions at the Capital Challenge, but they have stepped into the winner’s circle before. They have been champion and reserve champion at the Devon Horse Show, and they were named champions at the Washington International Horse Show.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood

Eight Championships Awarded in Pro & Future Hunters at 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show

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Rosalynn and Hunt Tosh. Photos © Parker/Russell - The Book LLC and Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Upper Marlboro, MD – October 4, 2011 – Eight championships were awarded today at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, honoring the best hunters in the country. Sandy Ferrell piloted Showman, owned by Krista and Alexa Weisman, to the championship in the $9,000 Second Year Green Working Hunters. In the $10,000 High Performance Hunters, Hunt Tosh and Dr. Betsee Parker’s Rosalynn earned the top tricolor. Along with those two rated divisions, championships were given in five Future Hunter divisions and the Performance Hunters 3’6”. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, runs through Sunday, October 9.

The professional hunters will wrap up their divisions tomorrow. The highlight classes of the week for the professional hunter riders are the $15,000 WCHR Professional Challenge on Wednesday, October 5, and the $7,500 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund, for the top six hunter riders in the country on Friday, October 7.

Ferrell and Showman won the Second Year Green Hunter championship, but they are no strangers to the winner’s circle at Capital Challenge. Two years ago, they swept the Future Hunter awards with a division tricolor, the North American Championship class victory, and the Grand Future Hunter Championship. Last year he was reserve champion in the First Year Green Hunters.

This week, Ferrell and Showman, a nine-year-old Westphalian gelding by Showstar, won three out of the four over fences classes and were third in the under saddle. The reserve championship went to Taken, ridden by Kelley Farmer for Nancy Amling. They were second in the handy hunter and third, third, and fourth in the other jumping classes.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

North American Equitation Championship Weekend Presented by Big Eq.com to Begin 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show

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Victoria Birdsall won last year's North American Equitation Championships

Upper Marlboro, MD – September 28, 2011 – The 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show kicks off this Saturday, October 1, 2011, with its North American Equitation Championship Weekend presented by BigEq.com. Running through October 9, the 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show will feature many of the nation’s best horses and riders in a week of exceptional equestrian competition held at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The equitation weekend will host many exciting classes, including the finals for the 2011 Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children’s Medal series.

Bigeq.com is the premier website for buying and selling hunters, jumpers, equitation horses and ponies. The website sponsors the Capital Challenge equitation weekend each year and is proud to support the show and its exhibitors. The North American Equitation Championship Weekend presented by BigEq.com will feature the North American Equitation Championships, THIS National Children’s Medal Finals, and the North American Adult Amateur Equitation Championships.

Also featured over the weekend will be the 17-Year-Old Equitation, 16-Year-Old Equitation, 15-Year-Old Equitation, 13 & 14-Year-Old Equitation, 12 & Under Equitation, and Open Equitation 3’ and 3’6” divisions.

The Prince George’s Equestrian Center is a fantastic facility for both horse and rider, featuring indoor and outdoor rings and excellent stabling. Manager Oliver Kennedy looks forward to welcoming horse show participants and anticipates another fantastic year at the Capital Challenge Horse Show.

Kennedy stated, “Capital Challenge is a great opportunity for riders to show their horses in a fun and welcoming environment. The facility provides the experience of showing both indoors and outdoors, and there is always plenty of space to ride and school. We strive to give horses and riders the best experience available, and there is nothing better than showing at Capital Challenge in the fall.”

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Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Media/Radio/TV Sources, Products/Services, Show Jumping

Capital Challenge Horse Show Creates an Innovative New Social Media Experience with Virtual Celebration

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Upper Marlboro, MD – September 23, 2011 – Capital Challenge Horse Show is proud to announce the launch of its first annual Virtual Horse Show and Fair.  In partnership with Virtual Celebration and sponsored by Hoof Beat Media, the virtual experience will begin on September 23, 2011, and all horse lovers are invited to participate.

“As part of our overall mission to engage our loyal exhibitors and followers, we are extremely excited to extend the Capital Challenge experience in a highly innovative way to those who can attend the show in person and to those who follow us from a distance,” explained Oliver Kennedy (Co-Manager).  “Virtual Celebration has brought together their incredible knowledge of social media with their experience in the horse market to create a really fun and unique experience.”

From the early development of their website and the creation of the Daily Update, to their Facebook page and the popular EquestrianSport.TV, show management has always strived to be the best at bringing the experience of Capital Challenge to everyone. It is only natural the Capital Challenge extends its reach into the virtual world.

Register online (it’s free!) at www.virtualcelebration.com/capitalchallenge and enter the virtual show rings to be a part of the action.  In the Jumper Ring, try to guess what pony went to the Olympics; enter the “caption this photo” contest in the Equitation Ring; and in the Hunter Derby Ring watch a video of the world’s largest horse.  And there’s so much more – Share-A-Pony with other virtual exhibitors, create your own Exhibitor page by adding games, photos, videos, and other widgets, all for free.  Share your favorite memories; predict who will win classes at the “live” horse show; vote on your favorite funniest photo and give your opinions on everything from twitter to riding in the rain.  There will even be a virtual trail ride that meanders through Facebook, Twitter, MustPhoto, Virtual Celebration and more, all while on a Capital Challenge Scavenger Hunt.

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Art/Photography, Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show Reveals Annual Program Artwork by Michael Tang

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Cover artwork by Michael Tang courtesy of the Capital Challenge Horse Show.

Upper Marlboro, MD – September 19, 2011 – The 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show will run from October 1-9 at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center. Every year, the show’s program and official poster feature new artwork by Michael Tang.

Creating the original watercolor for the annual Capital Challenge is always a challenge for Father Michael Tang.  One might think that creating a photo-realist image of a horse and rider is as simple as copying a photo, but in reality, the photo is only the beginning.

This year’s poster of Scott Stewart and Declaration gave Tang many things to consider. It is natural to assume that a stunning photo of a fabulous hunter could easily be recreated as a painting, but the fact is that in addition to assessing the horse and rider, Tang becomes instantly aware of everything else that goes into creating a spectacular piece of art: lighting, background, and the simple details that render emotion.

When Tang begins his work he studies the photo for what he will need to alter in order to create the painting.  First, changes often need to be made to finesse a horse’s jumping style; knees might need to be made tighter or squared up. Next, the rider’s equitation might need to be tweaked or garb replaced.  Tang explains, “As someone who is a traditionalist (I still wear my Charles Owen when hacking at the barn), I always replace the helmet with a classically styled hunt cap.”

In addition to the rider’s gear, the horse’s tack might need some work as well; for example, an elastic girth with fleece might need to be changed to one of proper leather.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

2010 Capital Challenge Horse Show Welcomes Qualifiers for THIS National Children’s Medal Finals

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Last year's THIS National Children's Medal Finals winners Sylvia DeToledo and Lion King. Photo © Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Upper Marlboro, MD – August 25, 2010 – The Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again welcome the top 40 qualified riders for the 2010 Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children’s Medal Finals. The THIS Finals will be part of the Capital Challenge Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com, held on October 2-3, at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The horse show will continue on October 4-10 with competition in the outdoor ring and indoors in the Show Place Arena.

The THIS National Children’s Medal Series is the perfect stepping stone for young riders and offer a great opportunity to compete in an indoor arena with the pressure of a finals competition. Riders must compete throughout the year to qualify for the Finals, which is a great goal for aspiring equitation riders.

The Finals themselves also provide riders a chance to learn with an opening round and a test for the top riders in the class. The National Children’s Medal is a proven leg-up for riders planning to advance to the 3’6” equitation division. Many of the riders who placed well in the Finals in past years have gone on to win numerous equitation finals.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

The 2010 Capital Challenge Horse Show Announces Schedule and New Classes

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Showman and Sandy Ferrell won last year's Future Hunter World Championship at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. Photo © Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Upper Marlboro, MD – July 7, 2010 – The Capital Challenge Horse Show, now in its 17th year of competition, strives every year to provide the best possible horse show for its exhibitors. This includes adding new classes that offer special opportunities for every level of rider. This year’s show will once again start with the Capital Challenge Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com, on October 2-3, and the horse show will continue on October 4-10.

Highlights of the Capital Challenge Horse Show will include the North American Equitation Championship (Oct. 3), the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children’s Medal Finals (Oct. 3), the World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) Emerging Pro Challenge (Oct. 6), the North American Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Challenge Cup (two rounds held on Oct. 8-9), the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals (Oct. 8), and the WCHR Professional Finals (Oct. 8).

Continue reading The 2010 Capital Challenge Horse Show Announces Schedule and New Classes →