Wilmington, Ohio – Eleven new equitation champions were crowned on Saturday, September 26, during BIGEQ.com Equitation Weekend at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Wilmington, OH.

Prominent among Saturday’s champions at the World Equestrian Center – Ohio was Campbell Hudkins of Farmington, CT, the winner of the fourth annual EMO Insurance/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) 3’3” Jumping Seat Medal Final – East. 

On her path to victory, Hudkins topped a field of 120 entries over three phases of competition, including flat and gymnastics phases held on Friday and a final jumping phase held on Saturday. 

Hudkins finished the flat phase in 75th place, but her score of 89.50 in the gymnastics phase launched her into third for the round and eighth overall on a score of 209.75. Her score of 89.50 in the final round, multiplied by a coefficient of two and combined with her score from Friday, gave Hudkins an overall score of 388.75, awarded by judges Keri Kampsen and Bill Ellis. 

Wilmington, OH – The first major championship title of the 2020 Capital Challenge Horse Show went to Jordan Allen on Friday, September 25, at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH. Riding Coltrane, Allen, of West Bloomfield, MI, topped the North American Adult Amateur Equitation Championship to kick off Equitation Weekend, presented by BIGEQ.com.
 
From a field of 20 entries, a score of 86.66 over the Joseph Carnicom-designed first round course put Allen into third place, but a second-round score of 89.66 would shoot her to the top of the leaderboard with a winning, overall score of 176.32.
 
Second place with scores of 87.66 and 83.66 for a 171.32 total went to Ashton Alexander of Ocala, FL, riding Travis Scott, owned by Brookside Pine Farms, LLC. Grady Lyman of San Diego, CA, and Bellisima Z, owned by Ashland Farms, rounded out the top three with an overall score of 169.50.

Wilmington, Ohio – Exhibitors at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, to be held September 25 – October 4, 2020, at the World Equestrian Center – Ohio, will be the first to enjoy newly completed major updates to the Wilmington, OH, facility.
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In preparation for hosting the year-end finale horse show, the World Equestrian Center team has accelerated their work plan, adding 53 “Home Away From Home” units to the facility, as well as installing Dutch doors in each stall of two of the main barns, expanding the horse trailer parking area, adding additional RV camp sites, and more. ​

​The Capital Challenge Horse Show will also mark the debut of the World Equestrian Center’s Wilbur Estate, which will offer five luxury suite rentals. The addition of the new lodging options was slated to be completed in the coming months, but the World Equestrian Center’s staff jumped into action to move the projects forward in advance of Capital Challenge. With the addition of the 53 new units, the facility now offers 125 total two- and three-bedroom "Home Away From Homes."

Each year since 2016, renowned equestrian artist Sharon Lynn Campbell has created the stunning poster, prize list, and program artwork for the Capital Challenge Horse Show, and Campbell has now unveiled the 2020 program cover painting.

The striking portrait depicts Spotlight (left) and Black Label (right), owned by Dorothy Attwood and ridden to great success at the 2019 Capital Challenge Horse Show by Jacqueline Attwood-Dupont.
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With Black Label, Attwood-Dupont topped the 2019 North American Adult Amateur Equitation Championships, and aboard Spotlight, she won the WCHR Amateur-Owner 3’6” Challenge. The impressive showings of both horses throughout the 2019 Capital Challenge Horse Show earned them the distinction of gracing this year’s program cover. ​

​Wilmington, OH – Capital Challenge Horse Show management has announced, after careful consideration, that this year’s show will be held at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH, on the original dates of September 25 – October 4 pending US Equestrian approval.
 
For the past 26 years, the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, has been home to the Capital Challenge Horse Show. Due to the Prince George’s County Parks Department’s tightened regulations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and its decision to decrease the number of horses allowed at the facility, management made the difficult decision to move the horse show.
 
“We have been grateful for the Roberts family’s continued support of Capital Challenge,” said Capital Challenge show manager Oliver Kennedy of the owners and operators of the World Equestrian Center.  “When things were looking difficult recently, they stepped right up to the plate. This was not an easy decision to make, but it will be a way to still have the Capital Challenge Horse Show that everyone knows and loves, in a format and venue that will provide the best experience possible.”

Upper Marlboro, MD – The Capital Challenge Horse Show will welcome the country’s top hunter horses and riders for the year-end finale of the World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Program, to be held on September 28 – October 4, 2020, at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. 

Due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, adjustments have been made to the WCHR Program’s qualification requirements at Capital Challenge Horse Show and regional and national standings protocols for 2020 only. 
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As in the past, WCHR members – including Professionals, Developing Professionals, Amateur Owners, Adult Amateurs, Juniors, Children’s, and Pony riders – will continue to qualify for national and regional awards by earning points at member events held throughout the country. The top nationally and regionally ranked riders in each category will qualify and come together to compete in year-end challenge classes, which are held annually at Capital Challenge. ​