Tag Archives: Pennsylvania Nat’l Horse Show

Championships, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, USEF

Schaefer Raposa Earns Top Honors in Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Finals at Pennsylvania National Horse Show

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Schaefer Raposa wins the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Finals at Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Photo: Phelps Media Group

Harrisburg, PA – Capping off an eventful junior weekend at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Finals presented by Randolph College saw Schaefer Raposa of Wellington, FL, earn the coveted championship honors. Edging out some of the most skilled young riders in the nation, Raposa smoothly tackled the first two rounds aboard her talented mount Charlie Z, as well as one challenging final test. Her quiet confidence garnered the top spot by evening’s end, with Brittany Hurst of Jackson, NJ, and Allison Fithian of Monterey, CA, finishing second and third, respectively. Rounding out the top four from the final test was Katie Tyler of North Kingstown, RI.

Today’s championship event featured two demanding rounds of competition followed by a test of the top four riders. The first course featured three imposing double combinations, a skinny coop without standards, and a triple bar. The judges invited the top 25 riders to return for the second course, which began with a three fence bending line, an oxer-oxer double combination, and a difficult plank vertical.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Events, Show Jumping, USEF

Meg O’Mara and Sinatra IV Go for the Gold in Randolph College/Junior Jumper Championships at Harrisburg

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Meg O'Mara and Sinatra IV. Photo: Phelps Media Group

Harrisburg, PA – An action-packed junior weekend continued to wow the crowd at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show tonight, as Phase III of the Randolph College/USEF Individual Championships culminated in a triumph for junior jumper Meg O’Mara. Riding out of Romson, NJ, O’Mara and Sinatra IV had one of only two clear rounds of the evening, emerging victorious through a steady, controlled approach. Earning the silver medal tonight was Savannah Talcott of Wildwood, MO, who bested third place finisher Reed Kessler of Amrock, NY in a suspenseful jump-off.

O’Mara and Sinatra IV held a solid lead going into tonight’s final event, with just a single fault to their name. The duo produced another brilliant performance over the difficult course designed by Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL. They were one of only two horse and rider combinations to leave all fences intact, retaining their highly impressive one fault score. O’Mara and Sinatra’s IV confidence and consistency prevailed, as they claimed the winning title to the lead final victory gallop.

After her flawless turn in the ring tonight, gold medal winner O’Mara remarked, “There was a little bit of pressure, but I knew that it could go perfectly with Sinatra. He’s such a special horse that I knew he’d be able to do it. Sinatra is the best horse in the world; he’s the sweetest thing ever, and my mom says she wants him to live in our backyard! We actually went through a little bit of a bumpy patch this spring, but we’ve come back to an amazing show.”

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Championships, Competitions, Events, Show Jumping, USEF

Zone 2 Tops $15,000 USEF Prix de States Team Championship at Pennsylvania National Horse Show

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Katie Dinan and Belle Dame D. Phelps Media Group.

Harrisburg, PA – It was an exciting night of jumper action at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show tonight, as the $15,000 USEF Prix de States Team Championship and Individual Championship Phase II took place in Harrisburg, PA. The team from USEF Zone 2 swept the top spot for the second year in a row with excellent rides by Meg O’Mara of Rumson, NJ, Katie Dinan of New York, NY, Charlotte Jacobs of Buffalo, NY, and last night’s Randolph College/USEF $7,500 Individual Championship Phase I winner Reed Kessler of Armonk, NY. Despite an initial tie for second place between Zones 5 and 7, the silver medal was ultimately awarded to Zone 5 thanks to Nora Laue of Wilmette, IL.

Sponsored by Randolph College, the competition featured 32 of the country’s top junior jumpers showing over a technical course by Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL with compact turns and three different combinations. Riders also had to scale the Pennsylvania National Horse Show signature vertical, which proved to be a problem fence for several riders. Since the competition mixed individual riders as well as riders representing their USEF zones, the crowd was able to witness a variety of jumper talent.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Events, Show Jumping, USEF

Reed Kessler Flies into First during $7,500 Randolph College/USEF Jr. Jumper Championship Welcome at Harrisburg

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Reed Kessler and Ligist. Phelps Media Group.

Harrisburg, PA – Junior jumpers were in the zone Thursday at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, running October 13-22, 2011 in the state capital of Harrisburg. Reed Kessler of Armonk, NY, soared to victory in the first phase of the $7,500 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Junior Jumper Individual Championship, sponsored by Randolph College. With a smooth and controlled round, Kessler and her own horse, Ligist, beat out 32 other juniors for the blue ribbon. Second place went to Frances Land of Alpharetta, GA aboard her own Merlin, and cantering cleanly into third was Nora Laue of Wilmette, IL on Peninsula Kheelan, owned by Mary Ellen Laue.

Lacking a jump-off but not lacking in excitement, tonight’s class was judged under Table III, with faults being converted into seconds and then added to the competitor’s time. Tonight’s event was also distinguished by the fact that riders were competing individually while representing their USEF zones. Winner Kessler hails from Zone 2, which encompasses New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Frances Land, who earned tonight’s second place ribbon, comes from the southern states’ Zone 4, while Nora Laue will take her third place ribbon back to Zone 5 in the Midwest.

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