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$500 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic Victory Goes to Bridget Mahoney and Utopia at Brandywine Valley Summer Series

Bridget Mahoney and Utopia won the $500 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series. Photos By: Rebecca Walton/PMG.

Devon, PA – July 6, 2011 – It was warm and sunny as exhibitors returned to the Devon Show Grounds for the second week of the Brandywine Valley Summer Series, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services. The Adult Amateurs took center stage in the Dixon Oval as they competed in their respective divisions, as well as the $500 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic and the Ariat Adult Medal. Bridget Mahoney claimed the top prize in the Classic, while Shane Mackey scored the winning title in the Medal. In the Gold Ring, the jumper riders showcased their skills during the 1.20m Open Jumper class and the Child/Adult Jumper class.

Washington College Senior Bridget Mahoney had an excellent day on her talented mount Utopia, owned by Rob Coluccio of Wellington, FL. The duo entered the second round of the $500 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic in the second place position with a score of 81. They laid down a beautiful trip during the final round and the judges awarded them a score of 78, bringing their total to 159, which would be good enough for the first place prize.

“The first round was good, I rode it well and I had a score of an 81, so I knew I had a good chance of coming back and being at the top,” commented Mahoney. “The second trip, I just wanted to go in and ride well and think about all my turns. I was most worried about the bending because people were doing a 9 or 10, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I jumped in well though and it came up nicely.”

Utopia is an 11-year-old Hanoverian mare that Mahoney is leasing from Coluccio for the summer. “I just got Utopia three weeks ago and did two weeks of Saratoga before coming here,” she explained. “She just needs a confident ride; she’s very fun and easy to get along with. After Brandywine we will go to Vermont before I return to school in August.”

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