October 5th Wrap-Up

Annie Finch Tops ARIAT Medal/Scott Stewart Takes WCHR Pro Finals Upper Marlboro, MD – October 5, 2012 – The best six hunter riders in the country this year  - Peter Pletcher, Scott Stewart, Elizabeth Boyd, Kelley Farmer, Hunt Tosh, and John French - competed in the WCHR Professional Finals sponsored by the John R. Ingram Fund. The head-to-head unique competition saw Scott Stewart ride four different horses for his fifth win, the most of any rider in the 19 year history of the class. In the afternoon session, Annie Finch was honored as the winner of the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals.

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Finch remarked, “I don’t ever think I’m going to win, I just think I don’t want to make a mistake. My goal has always been to fit in, I really have a hard time watching other people. I’m always like, 'Oh you’re so good, what am I doing here?' I’m just trying to go around!”

Her plan for today's second round course changed when they decided to leave a stride out in the last line, which was a bending seven or direct six strides to a one-stride combination. Finch urged “Swing” down the line and he made it look easy. “My horse is so good, whatever you ask him to do, he‘ll do,” Finch said. “We could do eight or five (strides). I just do what my trainer (Chance Arakelian) tells me to do. He says slice it this way to that way, land left but don’t swap. The horse is amazing—he won those rounds. Last weekend was good, but he helped me out a lot today.”

Finch has ridden Swing for two years, and the talented horse has plenty of experience in the equitation ring – he won the USEF Talent Search Finals – West twice, plus numerous other classes.

Of her win, she said, “I said my goal is to have a good time, since this is my first time here! I’m still in shock from last weekend!”

Earlier in the afternoon, Debbie Kelly and Say What, owned by Rodney Bross, were victorious in the WCHR Adult Amateur Finals.

Round 1 of the North American Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Challenge Cup sponsored by Kate Considine/Willow Brook Stables kicked off this afternoon with a speed class. Victoria Colvin and Monsieur du Reverdy were the fastest to win in 65.682 seconds. Second place went to Alexandra Crown and Starnato in 70.200 seconds, while Vivian Yowan and Coral Z were third in 73.509 seconds. The jumpers will return tomorrow night for their final round, the $10,000 North American Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Challenge Cup.

The Capital Challenge Horse Show continues tomorrow with championships for the 16-17 sections of the junior hunters, the pony hunters, the Children's Pony Hunters, the WCHR Handy Hunter Challenge, and the final round for the junior/amateur-owner jumpers.

If you can’t attend the Capital Challenge Horse Show, remember you can see all the action live and find full results at www.capitalchallenge.org. For live scoring please visit www.equestrianlive.com. 

1 SCOTT STEWART      
90    92    92      91.33                                             
90    89    91      90.00                                             
93    92    90      91.66                                             
92    88    90      90.00 362.99    

2 PETER PLETCHER     
85    78    81      81.33                                             
86    90    90      88.66                                             
91    91.5  89      90.50                                             
95    95    93      94.33 354.82    

3 JOHN FRENCH        
91    90    88      89.66                                             
92    89.5  90.5    90.66                                             
92    85    90.5    89.16                                            
87    81    85      84.33 353.81    

4 ELIZABETH BOYD     
81    86    85      84.00                                             
83    86    89      86.00                                             
84    87    87      86.00                                             
94    89    88      90.33 346.33    

5 WINNETOU        HUNT TOSH          
87    89    86      87.33                                             
89    91    92      90.66                                             
82    82    85      83.00                                             
84    80    82      82.00 342.99    

6 KELLEY FARMER      
35    30    40      35.00                                             
85    81    84      83.33                                             
88    91    91      90.00                                             
93    90    89      90.66 298.99 

Final Results: ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals
1   W. C. SWING     ANNIE FINCH        
87    84    88    89    89.25   87.45
87    87    83    83.5  86.5    85.40 172.85

2   METRO           ELYSSE RUSCHMEYER 
89    85    81    81    85.75   84.35
81.5  81    85    85    86      83.70 168.05

3   PARCHEESI       QUINN TRAENDLY     
82    81    79.75 79.5  82.75   81.00
84    85    84    84    87      84.80 165.80

4   LOGAN           SARAH FLINK        
78    83.75 87    87    80.5    83.25
81    80    82    83    78      80.80 164.05

5   LEONETTI        STEPHANIE GOODSON  
78.75 80    84.25 86    84.9    82.78
82    79    78    79    81.5    79.90 162.68

6   LIGHTNING       APRIL WEHLE        
85    83    79    82    82.25   82.25
77    76    79    80    79      78.20 160.45

7   LION KING       ASHLEY TICE        
81    77    84    85    88      83.00
79    78    76    74    74      76.20 159.20

8   ROSSO ROSSINI   MIRANDA SCARPONE   
86    83.5  83    80    83      83.10
78    76.5  73    75.5  75      75.60 158.70

9   LINDEGARDENS LOR  ALEXA BAYKO        
84    78.5  86.25 77    77.9    80.73
80    77    74    73    77.1    76.22 156.95

10  SPYGLASS        AMY COOPER         
78.5  83.8  80.5  82.5  78      80.66
69    70    77    75    76.75   73.55 154.21


About Capital Challenge
In its 19th year, the Capital Challenge Horse Show sets itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition. Held each autumn at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, this year's show will take place on September 29-October 7.

Top competitions include the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals and the THIS National Children’s Medal Finals, along with the Capital Challenge Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com. In addition to these prestigious equitation events, the Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again host the World Champion Hunter Rider Finals and will assemble the country's best horses and riders to compete in junior, amateur, and professional hunter classes.

For more information, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org or visit the Capital Challenge Horse Show page on Facebook!

Photos © Shawn McMillen Photography – www.shawnmcmillen.com, and © Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. These photos may only be used in relation to this press release and with full photo credit.