Lexington, KY – The Alltech Arena was alive with action as the morning fog began to settle over the Kentucky Horse Park. It was the conclusion of the US Pony Hunter Championships presented by Sallee Horse Vans and the EquiSport Insurance/US Pony Medal Finals that brought the 2012 US Pony Finals to a bittersweet finale. It was Lucy Deslauriers and Center Field who rode to the top of the leaderboard and garnered the championship prize with two solid rounds and a fantastic final test.

The top 25 riders returned for the second round including 15 medium ponies, five small ponies, and five large ponies. Today’s courses were designed by Bobby Murphy and consisted of an in-and-out, short lines, rollbacks, a halt, and a trot jump, all set in the format of a serpentine with twists and turns to test pony and rider alike. The four top riders of the second round were welcomed back into the ring for a test phase, where they were asked to take the first vertical at a canter and then come to a halt. They immediately picked up the counter canter and took the second obstacle at the far end of the ring, continuing into a left rollback over a white vertical. This was where pace became the name of the game. Riders spurred on their mounts with an open hand gallop, taking the final natural oxer, and returning to the sitting trot as they exited the ring.

Continue reading Lucy Deslauriers and Center Field Win 2012 EquiSport Insurance/US Pony Medal Finals →