Eliza Kimball and Available Ohio. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography.

Jumper riders took their turn in Capital One Arena during the second day of competition at the 60th Anniversary Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) on Wednesday, October 24. WIHS continues through Sunday, October 28, with coveted hunter, jumper, and equitation competition in the heart of Washington D.C.

Eliza Kimball of New York, NY had never competed at WIHS, but her mount is no stranger to success in the city. Available Ohio, a 16-year-old Selle Français gelding by Flipper d’Elle that Kimball leases from owner Carly Hoft, won the WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship in 2017 with Hoft in the irons before carrying Kimball to her debut win this year.

Available Ohio topped a competitive jump-off field of 19 horses by crossing the timers in 30.719 seconds over a course designed by Olaf Petersen Jr. of Germany. Kimball was just fractions ahead of second-place finisher Erin Floyd of Austin, TX, who stopped the clock at 30.932 seconds riding Russell, owned by Floyd Sport Horses, LLC. Emily Aitken of Bedford, NY took third on Zabelle S in 31.266 seconds for owner Lima Bean, LLC, while Layla Kurbanov of Greenwich, CT placed fourth riding Wamira, owned by Jill Shulman, in 31.726 seconds. Calista Bell of East New Market, MD rounded out the top five with her own C’est Bon Cidane in 33.348 seconds.

“I’ve never done an indoors circuit before. I used to focus mostly on the hunters, but when I started riding with Ken and Emily Smith at Ashland Farms a year and a half ago, I got very serious about the jumpers and equitation.” – Eliza Kimball

King and Co-Starr Speed to Top of $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship

Riding in her second time at WIHS, Stephanie King of St. Augustine, FL sped to the top of the class in the $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship, presented by Days End Farm Horse Rescue, riding Co-Starr, her 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Promise. For the win, King was presented with The Dorothy Foote “Goodie” Taylor Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ashton Hill and Miss Linden Joan Hill.

King and Co-Starr were one of 16 combinations that qualified for the jump-off. They were the fastest of nine double-clear rounds with a time of 27.175 seconds. Second place went to Morgan Baugher of Buckeystown, MD and Down the Rabbit Hole, who had a time of 27.911 seconds, while Leslie Schillat or Malvern, PA and SLF Destiny were third in 28.095 seconds.

WIHS President Vicki Lowell of Lexington, KY piloted Phineas, owned by Sleepy P Ranch LLC, to fourth place in 28.226 seconds, and Alyson Gurney of Washington, DC and Black Friday rounded out the top five with a time of 28.286 seconds.

King, who trains with Chad and Brooke Watridge, made the plan to stay steady with striding, but “focus on being tidy” in the turns. The plan worked, and they led the victory gallop at the end of the night.

“We came last year and didn’t quite make it to the jump-off. After I went clean in the first round today, I was super happy. Then to go in and have such a great jump-off, I was just thrilled.” – Stephanie King

Lindsay Maxwell and Belgravia Sweep Amateur-Owner 35 & Under 3’3” Hunters for Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3” Championship

Lindsay Maxwell of Beverly Hills, CA and her own Belgravia delivered an impressive sweep of the Amateur-Owner 35 & Under 3’3” Hunter division on Tuesday and Wednesday at WIHS, winning all three of the over fences classes and the under saddle to take the division tricolor. The pair’s perfect score in the division ultimately guaranteed them the Grand Amateur-Owner 3’3” Hunter championship, sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Ernest M. Oare.

“This is one of my absolute favorite shows; it means a lot to me to win here,” said Maxwell, a strong supporter of the WIHS through her own Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund. “[Belgravia] has just been incredible throughout this indoor season. I had him for indoors last year, but I’d only had him for about a month. We had some great shows, and having a whole other year with him under our belt has really gotten him and us to a place where we know him really well and can rely on him being the same horse every time we come out.”

Maxwell came into the day with over fences and the under saddle wins.

“The pressure was still definitely on today. It’s fantastic competition [at WIHS].” – Lindsay Maxwell

“In the handy, we got to go last, which was definitely an advantage because I knew where the scores were and where I needed to be. He’s gotten handier and handier; we sort of have that aspect of his ride down which is really nice,” continued Maxwell.

For more information on WIHS, please visit www.wihs.org.

Contact: Jennifer Wood
jwood@jumpmediallc.com