Inside Capital Challenge: Derby Champion Hunt Tosh, CCHS Team Member Sue Harada, 2021 Artwork9/8/2021
A Q&A with Derby Champion Hunt Tosh Hunt Tosh swept two major awards this summer, claiming victory in the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship with Cannon Creek, owned by the Wheeler Family, and in the 3'/3'3" Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship with Twain, owned by Ceil Wheeler. Hunt is a regular competitor at Capital Challenge Horse Show. He won the WCHR Professional Finals in 2009 and captured the $25,000 Green Hunter North American Championship three times: in 2014 with Gotham, in 2015 on Largesse, and again in 2017 with Lights Out. When was the first time you attended Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS)? Hunt: It’s hard to remember! But I think the first year would have been 2000 or 2001. What is your fondest memory of CCHS? Hunt: Capital Challenge is awesome. I would have to say winning the WCHR Pro Finals; my daughter Maddie’s first blue ribbon in Small Pony Hunters – I remember her winning the handy class; and when my wife, Mandy, won the WCHR Adult Hunter Challenge with Whoville. Those are the top three memories for me. What is your favorite thing about CCHS? Hunt: The fact that they feature the young horses; the future hunters. You see so many of the best young horses in one spot and can watch the up-and-coming horses for the next couple of years. It’s always fun to see young horses coming along. What do you think makes CCHS special or unique? Hunt: They do so much for the riders. There are so many extra classes and championships, like the Pro Challenge and Pro Finals. I think it’s a great horse show with so many different feature classes offered for us. The future hunters of course are great. It feels like the beginning of the fall indoor season, but the show invites young horses and gives them a place to show off and learn without having to qualify and have big pressure. What are your plans and goals for the 2021 edition of CCHS? Hunt: We have a great group of young horses coming along. Since Capital Challenge wasn’t held in Upper Marlboro, MD, last year and with other changes, we opted out of indoors. It’s been a two-year hiatus, so it will be fun to get back and have a real fall series and have CCHS as the first one to see where our horses are and how they are coming along. We have a group of all new horses, so it will be great to see how they’re going. Both Twain and Cannon Creek will be there. This is Cannon Creek’s first year doing the hunters. He showed as a jumper in Europe, but the “Derby Finals” was his sixth horse show in this country. We haven’t shown him inside, so this will be a new experience for him as well. Meet CCHS Team Member Sue Harada What is your history with the Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS)? Sue: I was visiting Jen and Billy Glass in Bokeelia, FL, back in 2003, and we were talking about Capital Challenge. It came up that they could really use someone with a financial background to do their books. I piped up, "I could probably do that." Meanwhile, I was newly married and had a career as a financial advisor. I knew nothing about horses or horse shows, but I had a job doing bookkeeping for various small businesses throughout college. In 2004, I started working with Capital Challenge. My career as a financial advisor was flexible enough that I could do both. What is your professional background? Sue: I started as a financial advisor in 2000. I continued with that career until 2017 when I took the plunge and started my company, Equine Financial. Upon entering the horse show world in 2004, I quickly saw that there was a real need in the industry for people with a financial background. I now work with all sorts of equine-related businesses, helping them manage their books and improve their bottom line. I think it helps to not be involved with the horses! I am passionate about helping people make money, improve their businesses, and save. In this industry especially, people work very hard for their money, and their money should work hard for them in return. I love putting the tools and organization in place so that my clients’ businesses become more profitable. Where did you grow up and where do you currently reside? Sue: I was born in Delaware but grew up in Rochester, NY, and moved to Maryland after college. Maryland is where my family is from, and it was always my plan to move there. I now live in Annapolis, MD, with my husband who is a financial advisor and two very active boys. I have a 16-year-old swimmer and a 12-year-old hockey player. We are lucky to both have jobs with flexible schedules that allow us to spend lots of time with our kids! What is your background with horses? Sue: I have no horse background whatsoever. That said, I have become quite a fan of the sport! Why is Capital Challenge special to you? Sue: Capital Challenge has opened my eyes to a whole world that I never knew existed. I am grateful for the opportunities that have come from being introduced to this industry. I have met so many interesting people over the years and am grateful for the many friendships I have made along the way. What are you most looking forward to about this year’s Capital Challenge? Sue: I am excited for us to be "back home" in Upper Marlboro in 2021 and to put on our greatest show yet. I am thinking this is the year we should bring back the light show! What’s a fun fact about you? Sue: Jen Glass and I are first cousins; our moms are sisters. She and I are the closest thing we each have to a sister, and I am grateful to be able to share experiences in this crazy business with her. The official artwork for Capital Challenge Horse Show is created by Sharon Lynn Campbell. Her stunning painting of Shiloh Roseboom and Heavenly Patch of Blue, based on a reference photo by CCHS Official Photographer Shawn McMillen Photography, graces the cover of the 2021 Capital Challenge Horse Show Program. A Note About Safe Sport to All Capital Challenge Participants
The management of Capital Challenge Horse Show thanks you for participating in our event and for your support of USEF’s continuous efforts to provide the safest environment possible for our athletes and other participants. Strategies for safeguarding athletes continue to evolve, and we, along with USEF, are fully committed to keeping pace with best practices. We would like to remind all participants that they are bound by the U.S. Center for SafeSport Code, USEF Safe Sport Policy, and Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies, also known as the MAAPP. This includes the SafeSport Training requirement for adult members and participants who have regular contact with minor athletes. Additionally, please be reminded about reporting obligations. For any concerns that are non-sexual in nature, please use the USEF Safe Sport Incident Reporting Form available on the USEF website. Concerns or suspicions regarding sexual misconduct must be reported to https://safesport.i-sight.com/portal and the authorities if a minor is involved. All of this information can be found in the USEF Safe Sport Policy. Please take a moment to review the new USEF Safe Sport web pages on the USEF website to find comprehensive resources regarding USEF Safe Sport efforts. You can also contact Sarah Gilbert, USEF Safe Sport Program Coordinator, at sgilbert@usef.org for any questions or concerns relating to the USEF Safe Sport program. Thank you for your support and for helping Capital Challenge and USEF bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible! Upper Marlboro, MD – The prize list for the 2021 Capital Challenge Horse Show, to be held October 1-10, 2021, at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, is now available online. Entries for the 28th annual show open on Wednesday, August 4, at 10 a.m. ET and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To submit entries or to learn more about the electronic entry process, click here. “We are excited to be able to run our show back at its home in Maryland,” said Capital Challenge co-founder and show manager, Oliver Kennedy. “We have increased the prize money in a number of divisions this year, adding $20,000 to bring our total prize money offered to more than $400,000. We look forward to welcoming all of our exhibitors in October.”
Upper Marlboro, Md. – The Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS) is officially 10 weeks away, and the horse show staff is working hard to prepare the venue and the schedule for the start of competition back at Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, from October 1-10, 2021. If you are interested in sponsoring the show, please contact Jennifer Glass at 239-851-8751 or jenniferleeglass@gmail.com.
The prize list will be available on Tuesday, August 3, for review and entries open on Wednesday, August 4. Keep reading to meet our featured sponsor, rider, and staff member, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest updates. Wilmington, OH – Sophia Mitchell of Wrightsville Beach, NC, rode Chevito to the Overall Grand Junior Hunter Championship on Sunday, October 4, to conclude the 2020 Capital Challenge Horse Show, held this year at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH. On their way to the overall championship win, Mitchell and her own Chevito first clinched the Large Junior Hunter 3’6”, 16-17 division championship, sponsored by Beacon Hill Show Stables. The duo picked up two wins and a third-place finish over fences, as well a second place under saddle to earn the most points of any Junior Hunter 3’6” competitor at this year’s show. “I’m so excited! This horse has never let me down ever,” said Mitchell of Chevito, the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding that she has had since early 2019. “He really performed. He gave me his all this week, and I’m so happy with how it went. Wilmington, OH – Out of a field of more than 75 ponies, Vivian Golden aboard her own Goldhills As You Like It took home the title of Grand Pony Hunter Champion on Saturday, October 3, at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. The Grand Champion title, sponsored by Enchantment Farms was awarded to the Pony Hunter who accumulated the most points over all three divisions. Golden, of Wyomissing, PA, took champion honors in the Medium Pony Hunters with 32 points, winning today’s over fences class and placing second in the Medium Pony Stake, second in the remaining over fences, and third under saddle. “It feels amazing,” the 11-year-old said of her achievement. “We got her last year, and it was a little but of a bumpy road. She was hard to get used to. We weren’t a perfect match together at first, but we have gotten to know each other, and it feels amazing to have accomplished this much.” Wilmington, OH – Michael Britt-Leon of Alpharetta, GA, capped off his first trip to the Capital Challenge Horse Show with the victory in the $10,000 World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Professional Finals on Friday, October 2. Six of the country’s top professional hunter riders went head to head at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH, with Britt-Leon claiming the title for the first time with an overall score of 186.16 aboard Private I. “It is a dream come true to win the WCHR Professional Finals,” Britt-Leon said of his win. “I have watched this class for a while. Being here in 2020 when it’s been so crazy, just being at a horse show of this caliber, is incredible. It’s been a memorable and wonderful experience. This just put it over the top.” This was Britt-Leon’s very first appearance in the class, and he joined Evan Coluccio, Greg Crolick, Kelley Farmer, Courtney Lenkart, and Geoffrey Hesslink in the line-up to ride for the title. Wilmington, OH – Madeline Schaefer of Westminster, MD, claimed both the Grand Amateur-Owner 3’6” Hunter Championship title with Sutton Place and the Grand Amateur-Owner 3’3” Hunter Championship win with Checkmate on Thursday, October 1, at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. The horse show, which continues through Sunday, October 4, at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH, also recognized the Grand Adult Amateur Hunter Champion on Thursday, with the award going to Barbara Brungess and Levianto. For Schaefer, the road to the Grand Amateur-Owner 3’3” Hunter Championship, sponsored by Missy Luczak-Smith, began with the Amateur-Owner 3’3”, 18-35 division championship with Checkmate. Schaefer and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by Samantha Schaefer, won two of the over fences classes and the under saddle class to take the tricolor. “I had a really great last two days!” said Schaefer, who aged up into the amateur-owner hunter divisions this year following a highly successful junior career. “It’s a big deal to win a grand championship at Capital Challenge. They always make it feel important. The presentations are always amazing. It’s one of the best shows. Wilmington, OH – Courtney Lenkart of Bartonville, TX, rode Glorieus to capture the top prize in the $25,000 World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Professional Challenge, sponsored by The Gochman Family, at the Capital Challenge Horse Show on Wednesday, September 30. In the $5,000 WCHR Developing Pro Challenge, sponsored by the John R. Ingram Fund, Julia Rose Rossow piloted Chantilly to the win, while Daniel Geitner and Mr. Manhattan topped the $25,000 North American Green Hunter 3' and 3'3" Championship, sponsored by The Wheeler Family. The three classes marked a highlight day of Capital Challenge, which runs through Sunday, October 4, at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH. Riders in the $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge competed over two rounds, after having qualified from the professional hunter divisions at the show. At the conclusion of the first round, Lenkart and Chantilly took the lead with an 87.16. Her second-round score of 89.00, resulting in a 176.16 total, sealed the deal for the championship. The Capital Challenge Horse Show for the first time welcomed the North American League (NAL) jumper year-end finals, and on Tuesday, September 29, three new NAL national jumper champions were named. In the NAL Children’s Jumper Finals, presented by EquiFit, Leigh Nanda dominated the competition with her horse El Casper, accomplishing a perfect show after also taking the win in the Welcome the day prior. The 15-year-old from Wilmette, IL, bested a 21-horse jump-off, crossing the timers in 31.488 seconds. Nanda was making her first Capital Challenge appearance and emerged victorious in every class, also earning the Leading Children’s Jumper Rider award. “I took a stride out in the first line and the last line, so I think that really did it for me,” said Nanda of her winning round. “Casper takes a lot of leg; he looks and feels deceptively slow, but he’s got a really big stride. He’s really smooth if you meet all the jumps in stride. My trainer, Lance Williamson, always says, ‘Smooth is fast!’” Wilmington, OH – Kendall Meijer of Grand Rapids, MI, rode Elliot to the win in the North American League (NAL) Adult Hunter Final, on Tuesday, September 29, at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH. A field of 28 pre-qualified entries contested the NAL Adult Hunter Final, sponsored by the Famulak Family and Monkey Business LLC, and the top 12 returned in reverse order of their standings to jump a second round, designed by Ken Krome. A score of 87 in the first round put Meijer and Elliot at the top of the leaderboard, and a second-round score of 84.75 for a 171.75 total cemented the pair’s victory. Second place with scores of 85.00, 83.75, and a 169.25 total went to Kelly Bauernschmidt of Bratenahl, OH, and her own Mojito. Rachel Boggus of Indianapolis, IN, and Subject to Change rounded out the top three with an overall score of 168.00. |
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