Championship went to Bases Loaded and Ava Free.
Winning is nothing new for Victoria Colvin at Capital Challenge. This is the third year in a row that she has taken home Grand Junior Hunter Champion and Best Junior Rider honors, and she swept the tricolors in the 15 & Under divisions.

“We always aspire to do great at all of the shows, but we don’t really have any set goals. Just to go around nicely and not fall off!” she said with a smile. “I think the fall shows, everyone wants them to go well since they’re the biggest shows of the year for the hunters.”

Pilla was the Children’s Hunter Pony division champion. In the evening session, Reid Patton took the top prize in the $10,000 North American Junior/Amateur Jumper Challenge Final Round sponsored by ARIAT on Twisther. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George's Equestrian Center, concludes on Sunday, October 6.
   “I’ve always had terrible luck at this show. I couldn’t get myself together here,” Madeline Schaefer of Westminster, MD.  At the young age of 12 she has been able to change her bad luck at Capital Challenge in a big way. The talented rider rode Armani to the lion's share of awards today on two ponies.

In the first round, Boyd rode Crack On to a score of 88.33 and was sitting in third place. She had the high score in round two of 91.33 on Corduroy, but still sat in third place behind Scott Stewart and John French.

The third handy round, which included a trot jump, bounce, and hand gallop, was what made such a huge difference for her. Riding Quatrain, a horse her family's Finally Farm owns with Janet Peterson, she laid down a fantastic round. She was rewarded by the judges with equal scores of 95 across the board from the three judges' positions, giving her a total of 274.66. However, she would have to wait and see what French and Stewart would do.

Q and Susan Baker, and Sutton Place and Katie Robinson in the Amateur-Owner and Adult Hunter divisions. In the evening session, the fastest jump-off round came from Elizabeth Kirby and Winter White for the win in the $10,000 Children's/Adult Jumper Challenge.

The remaining highlight class of the week for the professional hunter riders is the $5,000 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund, for the top six hunter riders in the country on Friday, October 4. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George's Equestrian Center, will run through Sunday, October 6.

The Amateur-Owner 3'6” Hunter 36 & Over champion, sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest M. Oare, was Sambalino, ridden and owned by Becky Gochman of New York, NY. They won two classes and were second over fences, and they placed third under saddle. The reserve champion was Lyn Pedersen, who rode Silhouette to second, third, and fourth places over fences and the victory under saddle.

The remaining highlight class of the week for the professional hunter riders is the $5,000 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund, for the top six hunter riders in the country on Friday, October 4. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George's Equestrian Center, will run through Sunday, October 6.


The $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge, sponsored by Pony Lane Farm, had 23 entries, and 12 of those returned for a second round in the evening session. Coming back on top for the second round was John French on Iwasaki & Reilly's Small Affair, the winner of this class in 2010 and 2011. In the first round, they scored 90.33, and they returned to score 88.08 for a total of 178.41 for victory. Second place went to Kelley Farmer on Mythical. They scored 88.50 and 89.33 for a total of 177.83. Hayley Barnhill and Fonteyn were third with a total score of 175.66. Jennifer Bauersachs and Avignon placed fourth with a score of 173.91, while Havens Schatt and Bacardi scored 171.66 for fifth place.

French said of his rounds, “His first round was exceptionally great. He just jumped high and it was super smooth. I think I had enough of a lead coming into the second round. I'm not sure where I ended up in the second round, not the top, maybe third or fourth. But when you add the two scores together, it was enough to win. That was good having that cushion coming in. He had a rub in the second round, but otherwise he was great.”

“Third time's a charm,” French said with a smile. “He loves this class. It's pretty hard to win it three times on the same horse. Those are the best horses. Most professionals bring in their heavy hitters, their top horses.”

For Immediate Release

Upper Marlboro, MD – October 1, 2013 – Nine championships were awarded today at the Capital Challenge Horse Show presented by The Gochman Family, honoring the best hunters in the country. Along with the Second Year Green Working and High Performance Hunter divisions, championships were given in six Future Hunter divisions and the Performance Hunters 3'6”. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, runs through Sunday, October 6. Don't forget, you can watch all of the champions' jumping rounds by clicking on the “Individual Rounds” button at www.capitalchallenge.org. 

The professional hunters will wrap up their divisions tomorrow. The highlight classes of the week for the professional hunter riders are the $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge, sponsored by Pony Lane Farm, on Wednesday, October 2, and the $5,000 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund, for the top six hunter riders in the country on Friday, October 4.

In the Show Place Arena, the first championship awarded went to Queen Lattifa, ridden by Hunt Tosh for Kenneth and Douglas Wheeler. The pair received two firsts and two seconds over fences and were sixth in the under saddle in the Second Year Green division. John French and Oscany, Inc.'s Small Celebration picked up the reserve championships after a first, third, and fourth over fences and a win under saddle.

Tosh, of Milton, GA, has a new ride in Queen Lattifa, an 11-year-old Westphalian mare, and this was their fourth show together. After winning a championship at the Devon Horse Show, Kenneth Wheeler “fell in love with her,” Tosh said. He added with a smile, “(He) spontaneously bought her without me ever riding her. He came to me and said, 'We have a new horse!' He saw her and had to have her.”

For Immediate Release

Upper Marlboro, MD – September 30, 2013 – The Capital Challenge Horse Show kicked off hunter competition today at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Within its span of two decades, the Capital Challenge Horse Show has set itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition among its many other advancements in the industry. The show continues through Sunday, October 6.

Highlights of the Capital Challenge Horse Show will include the World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) Developing Pro Challenge (Oct. 2), Future Hunter North American Championship (Oct. 2), the North American Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Challenge Cup (two rounds held on Oct. 4-5), the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals (Oct. 4), and the WCHR Professional Finals (Oct. 4).

When show managers Oliver Kennedy and Billy Glass started CCHS, they wanted to become a premier show on the indoor circuit, and they had some fantastic ideas to draw in the competitors. In addition to the regular line-up of hunter/jumper classes, the show began adding new equitation finals, exciting new hunter championships, and new divisions for the exhibit of young horses.

For Immediate Release
Upper Marlboro, MD – September 29, 2013 – There were three competitive equitation finals held today during the Capital Challenge Equitation Championship Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com. Victoria Colvin was victorious in the North American Junior Equitation Championships on VIP Z. The win in the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children's Medal Finals went to John Porter on Kennebec, while Conor Perrin and Gelato won the blue ribbon in the North American Adult Amateur Equitation Championships. The Capital Challenge Horse Show runs through Sunday, October 6, at Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD.

All three of today's finals were held in the Show Place Arena. Starting out, there were 78 entries in the North American Junior Equitation Championships, and the top 20 from the first round returned for the second round. It was a lead from start to finish for Colvin, who was the only rider in the class to score in the 90s in both rounds. She took the first round win with a 92.20, and topped that with a 93 for a total of 185.20 for victory.

Second place went to Megan McPherson on Great Expectations. She scored 91.20 and 84.53 for a total of 175.73 for second place. Alison Cooney and Wittewa were third with a total of 174.21 after scores of 88.29 and 85.92.

Due to Colvin's large margin of victory, no test was needed. Colvin was relieved that she didn't have to return for a test, but didn't know how many points she had won by. “That was nice that it was over after the second round. I like having two rounds and done!” she agreed. “I didn't really see the points. (The announcer) just said it was enough to not have to test. I think it's awesome and better than to win by .25 or something!”